Evaluation editions will expire in 180 days. You must activate them during this time, or they will start shutting down.
Save the ISO file, which is typically around 3-4 GB. Crucial Technical Requirements & Notes Download W2012R2 Server ISO
If you are a Volume Licensing customer, you can download the full retail/volume ISO under the Billing > Your products > Volume licensing tab. Steps to Download (Evaluation Center) Evaluation editions will expire in 180 days
During setup, you can choose between Server Core (headless, recommended) or Server with a GUI (full desktop experience). Download W2012R2 Server ISO
Note: Microsoft allows customers to purchase Extended Security Updates (ESUs) until 2026 for this version. If you are setting this up,