
Explanation/Reference:
Explanation:
Upgrade paths for Windows Server 2012 R2 are limited. In fact, it's easier to specify when you can perform an upgrade than when you can't. If you have a 64-bit computer running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, then you can upgrade it to Windows Server 2012 R2 as long as you use the same operating system edition.
Windows Server 2012 R2 does not support the following:
- Upgrades from Windows Server versions prior to Windows Server 2008
- Upgrades from pre-RTM editions of Windows Server 2012 R2
- Upgrades from Windows workstation operating systems
- Cross-platform upgrades, such as 32-bit Windows Server 2008 to 64-bit Windows Server 2012
- Upgrades from any Itanium edition
- Cross-language upgrades, such as from Windows Server 2008, U.S.English to Windows Server 2012, French In any of these cases, the Windows Setup program will not permit the upgrade to proceed.
References:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj134246.aspx