Once you have purchased your legitimate key, activation takes 60 seconds:
Pro tip: For offline servers, use the manual activation option to generate a request file and submit it via another PC.
A: Because cracked keys often include hardcoded expiration or call-home blockers. Microsoft updates can reset registry values or remove fake certificates. This is a feature, not a bug—it protects you from using compromised software.
A: Only if you purchased a Site or Volume license. A single-server key is locked to one machine ID. Attempting to reuse it will result in a "License Violation" error.