Product Key Number - Change in Windows 8

**Brink** · 29 Aug 2012

How to Change the Product Key Number in Windows 8

Information

This tutorial will show you how to enter a new product key number, or change the current product key number to a different key to be used to activate Windows 8 with.

For example, to activate "Windows 8 Enterprise".

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

Note

You can only use a product key number for the same Windows 8 edition that you currently have installed. For example, you cannot enter or change the product key number in Windows 8 with a Windows 8 Pro product key number, or vice versa.

Once Media Center is installed (whether turned on or off in Windows Features), only product key numbers for "Windows 8 Pro with Media Center" will work to activate Windows. Microsoft regards this as a different version of the OS to all intents and purposes. In other words only keys obtained for Windows 8 Media Center will work from then on should you wish to change the key.

EXAMPLE: Windows 8 Activated

OPTION ONE

Enter or Change Windows 8 Product Key Number using GUI

1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do or have available.

2. Press Windows +R keys to open the Run dialog, type slui.exe 3, click/tap OK, and go to step 4 below.

3. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the System icon, and click/tap on the View details in Windows Activation link at the bottom. (see screenshot below)

A) If available, click/tap on Activate with a new key, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If not available, then use step 2 above instead.

4. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

5. Type in your 25-digit product key number, verify it is correctly typed in, and click/tap on Activate. (see screenshots below)

6. Windows 8 will now attempt to activate with the entered product key number. (see screenshot below)

7. When successfully activated, click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Enter or Change Windows 8 Product Key Number in Command Prompt

1. Open an elevated command prompt.

2. In the elevated command prompt, type in the command below, verify that the product key number is correctly typed in, and press enter. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: Substitute XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX in ths command below with your actual product key number instead.

slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

3. When successfully activated, click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Name: CMD-2.jpg
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4. You can now close the elevated command prompt if you like.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**Ex_Brit** · 26 Oct 2012

In addition to the note at the top of this page: It should also be noted here that once Media Center is installed (whether turned on or off in Windows Features), only keys for "Windows 8 Pro with Media Center" will work. Microsoft regard this as a different version of the OS to all intents and purposes. In other words only keys obtained for Windows 8 Media Center will work from then on should you wish to change the key.

**Brink** · 26 Oct 2012

Thank you for the addition Peter.

**Ex_Brit** · 26 Oct 2012

You're welcome Shawn. Actually I had posted exactly the same as your tute elsewhere only to realise you had already posted it so erased the content...;-)

I qualified my statement above a little more by the way.

**RatusNatus** · 03 Mar 2013

Originally Posted by Ex_Brit

In addition to the note at the top of this page: It should also be noted here that once Media Center is installed (whether turned on or off in Windows Features), only keys for "Windows 8 Pro with Media Center" will work. Microsoft regard this as a different version of the OS to all intents and purposes. In other words only keys obtained for Windows 8 Media Center will work from then on should you wish to change the key.

So, if i want to reinstall my Windows 8 with WMC i'll use the WMC key to isntall Windows 8: is that it:

**Brink** · 03 Mar 2013

Hello RatusNatus,

Sorry, but no. Peter, just meant that you would only need to use a WMC key to change the key with if WMC is already added.

This tutorial is if you wanted to change the Windows 8 product for whatever reason, and to be able to activate Windows 8 Enterprise since it's not activated during installation.

You would install Windows 8 with the Windows 8 product key first, then use "Add Features" to enter the WMC key to add it back.

Windows Media Center - Add to Windows 8

Hope this helps,

Shawn

**RatusNatus** · 09 Mar 2013

Ok thanks.

**Brink** · 09 Mar 2013

You're most welcome.

**Clint** · 09 Mar 2013

Brink, I've seen this a lot about changing the product key. I am confused. Why would you want to change the product key? If you change it from the one that you got with the program . Its the wrong one and won't activate. Will it?

**Brink** · 09 Mar 2013

Hello Clint,

The product key you enter would indeed have to be for the same edition of Windows 8 that is currently installed.

If Windows 8 activates normally during installation, then there's really no need to use this.

This would mostly be helpful to activate Windows 8 Enterprise since it doesn't activate during installation like the other editions of Windows 8.

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Product Key Number - Change in Windows 8

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