Was able to take a Dell copy of Windows 8, make an uefi bootable usb key, install onto my Dell, and also onto some acers in my office. It used the embedded keys each time, gave me 8 pro where appropriate, and 8 standard when appropriate. No hassles, activated immediately, no calls to robo activation at Microsoft. Good times.
Hi there
I HATE to be the "Fifth player" in a String quartet here -- but I've seen in China how BIOS's are being "Cloned" -- so this so called anti piracy measure is failing at the first hurdle.
You don't even need to remove the BIOS from your machine -- it can be flashed easily in any number of ways too.
I was offered flashing software with a load of keys (100) in a Bar in Shanghai recently for around 5 USD -- so this stuff is already "Out in the Wild".
My take on this is that embedded BIOS keys will end in tears. As the take up of W8 is still relatively small and the embedded protected Bios numbers even smaller then this Piracy isn't yet perceived as a problem -- but if Ms goes down this road -- Watch this space.
A better way IMO to protect the OS is for EVERY processor to have a UNIQUE GUID (or identifier) and the BIOS at start up would do a READ PROCESSOR GUID instruction. (GUID - 32 digit alpha numeric code -- would take longer than the lifetime of the UNIVERSE to use all possible combinations -- GUID could also be used for unique social security numbers, passports etc etc).
Then a simple query to the licensing server -- one to one relationship between CPU GUID and the Serial number licensed would check whether copy was pirated or the original windows. A primary school child could probably develop the query to check GUID against serial number.
Cloning a BIOS is one thing - but cloning a processor with the SAME GUID is totally another ballgame and costs would be of a different order of magnitude to cloning a BIOS.
Some people must live quite "Sheltered lives" if they don't realize how easy it is to pirate this stuff. Ms need to get their act together on this one and possibly send some of their developers to "More seedier parts of the world" to understand what they are up against.
Cheers
jimbo