Solved Activate retail Windows 8.1 with Windows 8 Product key.

theog

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For upgrading from store.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/32995-windows-8-1-update-windows-8-a.html

Upgrading using the Windows 8.1 GA DVD OF YOUR VERSION (core or Pro) .

For upgrading from the desktop.

UP8-1-006.PNG

How to Activate retail Windows 8.1 with Windows 8 Product key.

A Windows 8 product Key can not be uses to Upgrade to Windows 8.1.

1) Use a Windows 8.1 product Key to Upgrade.

For Upgrading from Windows 8.1 Preview.

UP8-1-001.PNG

For clean install.

UP8-1-002.PNG

2) Activate with your Windows 8 product Key.

3) Open PC Setting.

4) Click on Change product Key.

5) Type in your Windows 8 product Key & Activate.

UP8-1-003.PNG

UP8-1-004.PNG

UP8-1-005.PNG

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8855-product-key-number-change-windows-8-a.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html

I use option five.

or
RWEverything | Read & Write Everything

Note   Note
Note that although you may previously purchase a legit Windows 8 product key, the product key is unlikely able to be used to install or upgrade to Windows 8.1. Hence you will need the following product key to initiate the install or upgrade:


Windows 8 (core): 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT

Windows 8 Pro: XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB

Windows 8 Enterprise: MNDGV-M6PKV-DV4DR-CYY8X-2YRXH
FHQNR-XYXYC-8PMHT-TV4PH-DRQ3H

KMS setup keys (8/8.1): Appendix A: KMS Client Setup Keys


The keys above will let you install 8.1, but that's all it does. After installation is complete, you will still have to activate with your own Windows 8 key.


http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

How to download Windows 8.1 ISO with a Windows 8 key.
http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/33164-how-download-windows-8-1-iso.html
 
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Since I actually have two Win8 Pro product keys (one for the initial install, the second for the WMC add-on), should I only use the first to activate?

Will I then be able to use the Win8 Pro WMC add-on key to add WMC to 8.1?
 

My Computer

Since I actually have two Win8 Pro product keys (one for the initial install, the second for the WMC add-on), should I only use the first to activate?

Will I then be able to use the Win8 Pro WMC add-on key to add WMC to 8.1?

Yes, to both.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Folks,

This is all great, but how do I tell my freshly installed Windows 8.1 to use the BIOS-baked OEM Windows 8 key on my Surface Pro? Do I use the SLP key for Windows 8 Pro?

FYI, my Surface Pro was upgraded to Windows 8.1 Preview, which trashed my ability to use my Windows 8 recovery partition and use it to do a "Reset" of Windows. Hence the reason to install from the ISO, which forced me to use one of my TechNet Windows 8.1 keys.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
good to get the help regarding the update key to win 8.1 and along with the tip to install the same win version through ISO image
 

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    e4166
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Folks,

This is all great, but how do I tell my freshly installed Windows 8.1 to use the BIOS-baked OEM Windows 8 key on my Surface Pro? Do I use the SLP key for Windows 8 Pro?

FYI, my Surface Pro was upgraded to Windows 8.1 Preview, which trashed my ability to use my Windows 8 recovery partition and use it to do a "Reset" of Windows. Hence the reason to install from the ISO, which forced me to use one of my TechNet Windows 8.1 keys.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html

I use Option Five.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
I wish there was a Windows 8.1 Repository for Windows 8 users to update there system without having to reinstall everything.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Manjaro Linux/Ubuntu 12.04 LTS/Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion m7480n
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    Intel Pentium D CPU 3.00GHZ
    Motherboard
    P5LP-LE (Leonite)
    Memory
    4.00GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GT 240
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA GT 240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Insignia HD LCD tv
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    (1) 2 TB Hard drive
    Browser
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    Windows Defender
I wish there was a Windows 8.1 Repository for Windows 8 users to update there system without having to reinstall everything.

You can download the UPDATE from the MS App Store from the 18 October.
 

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System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thats great news! Too bad there is no 8.1 Beta upgrade available under the Windows Update Area currently.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Manjaro Linux/Ubuntu 12.04 LTS/Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion m7480n
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D CPU 3.00GHZ
    Motherboard
    P5LP-LE (Leonite)
    Memory
    4.00GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GT 240
    Sound Card
    NVIDIA GT 240
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Insignia HD LCD tv
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    (1) 2 TB Hard drive
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Will this method work with reactivating with a non-Pro key after installing 8.1 Pro? (I have a legit 8.1 Pro MSDN key that I can use to install, but my OEM key that I want to activate is non-Pro..)


And does anyone know if you will get a new product key when using the store-upgrade in october? I hope I will be able to reformat my computer without having to re-upgrade every time from 8 to 8.1..
 
Last edited:

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System One

  • OS
    Win 8
Welcome to EightForums

cyberpet said:
Will this method work with reactivating with a non-Pro key after installing 8.1 Pro? (I have a legit 8.1 Pro MSDN key that I can use to install, but my OEM key that I want to activate is non-Pro..)

You would need to use one of your five MSDN Windows 8.1 Core keys to install, than Activate with the old Windows 8 core key.

And does anyone no if you will get a new product key when using the store-upgrade in october? I hope I will be able to reformat my computer without having to re-upgrade every time from 8 to 8.1..

NO, new product key in October.
 

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System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Thank you! :)

My mistake to write MSDN.. I only have one Pro-key for 8.1 from Dreamspark (former MSDNAA). But I found an install-key that someone published for Windows 8.1 core and that solved that problem.

My second mistake is that the OEM-key I extracted a long time ago from my Win 8 installation to keep safe, probably is the install-key Samsung used for my laptop, and couldn't be used for activation.. So I had to reinstall Win 8 again so that it uses the key from my UEFI-bios, extract the right key with a keyfinder, and start the process all over again, but now it works! 8.1 activated with my legit OEM-key.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Win 8

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 8.1 Pro (64-bit)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Mecer Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel WG55D
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia GeForce GTX 560
    Hard Drives
    OCZ VERTEX 4 SSD (250GB)
    Browser
    IE
    Antivirus
    Norotn Internet Security 2014
I found that my Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) Product Key worked perfectly fine to activate Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit). See my post here: http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/32059-place-upgrade-windows-8-windows-8-1-64-bit.html

Did you run the upgrade from boot or from inside Windows 8? You mean only activation worked or did the installation also work with your old key?

I am aware that it works to Activate with at Windows 8-key, but every way I try to install, I am asked for a Windows 8.1 key..

I run Windows 8 Pro on a different computer with a Dreamspark-key, but when I run upgrade it will still not detect or accept the key I already used. I'm runnig the upgrade now to see if i can active later with the old key.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Win 8
@cyberpet: I ran the upgrade by booting from the DVD (ISO). When asked whether I wanted to do a clean install or keep all my apps and data, I opted for the latter. I then sat back and let the proves run to completion. It took about 25 minutes (including 4 re-boots). (I had about 186GB of data on my 256GB SSD).

By the way, I used the product Key of my EXISTING Windows 8.0 when asked to "enter your product key" very early in the install process. In fact, the process will not get underway without the product key being entered. After upgrading was completed, I went to "Control Panel", "System" and noted that my product was "activated" already (presumably because the upgrade had been carried out on a previously activated Widows 8.0)

Users who will be upgrading to Win 8.1 by means of the update that will be made available from the Windows Store via Windows Update will obviously not need to enter a product key. Their already-activated Windows 8.0 will be sufficient to enable the upgrade to go ahead. I must assume that in this case only new Win 8.1 files that are required for the update will be downloaded and installed, rather than a full-sized Win 8.1 installation

The size of the Win 8.1 installation ISO is nearly 3.8GB, so downloading it could be quite a "big deal" for many users.
 

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System One

  • OS
    win 8.1 Pro (64-bit)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Mecer Desktop
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 CPU 860 @2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Intel WG55D
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia GeForce GTX 560
    Hard Drives
    OCZ VERTEX 4 SSD (250GB)
    Browser
    IE
    Antivirus
    Norotn Internet Security 2014
Will the 8.1 from the MS Store/Windows Update be free of charge?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8 64bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS 1015E 10" netbook
I have 8.1 installed a week ago and just purchased a W8 pro OEM disc. Im to understand that I can change my registration to the key I purchased.

So then what happens on Oct 18 when I already have the preview installed?
 

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  • OS
    8.1
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    DIY
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    i7-920
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    MSI Pro-e X58
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    Corsair XMS Series 16GB
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    GTX 480 SLI
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    Asus VG278H 3D Vision 2
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1280 120hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC 500ggn
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    Crucial M4 128gb W8.1
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    CORSAIR 850 TXV2
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    NZXT Tempest EVO
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    Antec 620 x3
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