Solved Upgraded to W8 Pro though still W8

[theog]

With OEM Pre-installed Windows 8 Core, if you clean install with a Windows 8 Pro DVD/USB, the installer will pick up the Windows 8 Core BIOS key.

 

[kiwig]

He doesn't have the upgrade. The picture he posted is full oem media with license.
That should be fine for a clean reinstall, ...

That is what I did, except that I upgraded to 8.1 overnight.
Still it is Windows 8.1(standard)

 

[SIW2]

That is damn nuisance.

Would it work if you uninstalled the Core key key first?

Worth a try.

slmgr /upk

if that works, then try

slmr /ipk <your-pro-key>

 

[kiwig]

That is damn nuisance.

Would it work if you uninstalled the Core key key first?

Worth a try.

slmgr /upk

if that works, then try

slmr /ipk <your-pro-key>

Tried that right now. No joy.

 

[SIW2]

One more thig to try is the ei.cfg workaround.

Create a text file containing this

[Channel]
volume

[VL]
1

save it as ei.cfg.

Put ei.cfg in the sources folder of your 8.0 pro installation media.

Now try clean installing from the media. It should ask which edition you want to install.

 

[SIW2]

If you only have the dvd, you need to create a new one to which you add the ei.cfg.

Or use the dvd to make a usb installer. You can easily add that ei.cfg file to usb stick. It goes in the "sources" folder.



The other possibility is to put this in the ei.cfg file:

[EditionID]
Professional
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0

 

[SIW2]

If you need something to make a new iso file , add the ei.cfg , then burn to another dvd , you can use gburner. You don't need to buy it, Gburner is fully functional for 30days trial.

If you want to burn your existing dvd to usb, then it can also do that. Add ei.cfg to usb stick sources folder after you have created the usb stick.

Download gBurner

 

[SIW2]

Try this ei.cfg first:

[Channel]
volume

[VL]
1

That should allow you to install pro.

 

[kiwig]

Thanks, I will try that over night and report back.
Would I format C: and a fresh install?
Just as a side question;
I have not deleted or changed the recovery partition. Does this recovery partition get changed if I have formated C: and installed the new W8 OS from the Pro DVD?

 

[alphanumeric]

If that DVD works the same way my TechNet ISO works, it will read the embedded code and install core. With an unmodified official Windows 8 DVD there is no way for me to go directly to Pro on my Laptop that has an embedded code. I have to use add features and enter my Retail 8 Pro key to update to Pro. If the OP's DVD is a full retail, add features should work.
If you open the system page Windows Logo key + pause/break key, or run winver.exe you should see if its core that's installed. The box and DVD likely say Pro because that's the key that's enclosed but the install media is likely multi edition depending on the key entered during the install. As a side not, Windows 8.1 install media ignores my 8.0 embedded key and lets me actually enter a code.

 

[theog]

Thanks, I will try that over night and report back.
Would I format C: and a fresh install?
Just as a side question;
I have not deleted or changed the recovery partition. Does this recovery partition get changed if I have formated C: and installed the new W8 OS from the Pro DVD?

By installing Windows 8.1, the Recovery Partition was made unusable.

 

[SIW2]

As an aside :

1) It looks as if the refresh from dvd only works if there is an image on the drive properly registered. Therefore if the recovery partition is removed, you cannot refresh.

2) It also looks like the image is registered to a particular drive and partition. Therefore if the partition is in a different relative position, you can't do a refresh.

3) I am not sure why the upgrade to 8.1 makes the original recovery image unusable. Perhaps that is a glitch, or perhaps it is deliberate by MS. I don't have an oem machine , so I can't check.

If somebody has an oem machine , they could check and see if the original image has been deregistered by the upgrade process.

You can find that out by typing reagentc /info at command prompt.

Then you might try registering it to see if it would start working again.

[ You should be able to Reset from dvd because that is like a clean install which you have always been able to do from dvd.]

 

[theog]

For OEM Refresh.




All Windows Reset, (desktop, CD, USB drive) missing partition or missing files.

OEM manufacturer Recovery Tools work from the SONy DVD/USB

 

[SIW2]

Don't understand what you mean. Are you saying you can Refresh from oem dvd - even if there is no image on the hard drive?

I would be quite surprised.

I have no idea why it doesn't. It should be simple to check if there is an image on the drive. If not, just copy it down onto the drive from the dvd/usb, and use that. Beats me why MS didn't do it that way.

[ Reset should always work, it is like clean reinstall. MS are confusing everyone again by their naming.]

 

[theog]

Both Refresh & Reset, (desktop, CD, USB drive) missing partition or missing files.

I missed Refresh out.

 

[kiwig]

Back again
Thanks for all your support, very much appreciated!
I have been working on creating a Pro boot dvd with the extra file inserted though till now it has not been recognised as boot-able media.
Another detail I can add is that another partition has been created without my(willingly) creating. It is between C: and the spare space on the SSD, with a GPT, WRE flag

 

[SIW2]

Should be easy if you use gburner.

Will take some screenies to show you when I get time.

 

[kiwig]

Should be easy if you use gburner.

Will take some screenies to show you when I get time.

I'm burning another one right now and if I go to action, the adding boot is greyed out so I assume it is all there and ready to burn. I'm just burning another dvd at slowest speed.

 

[kiwig]

Does the cfg look allright?

 

[SIW2]

Looks fine.

With a bit of luck you will be able to install Pro that way.