Tried To Stop Automatic Activation But Failed

I bought Windows 8 Pro Upgrade to try it on one of my computers before being committed to it. I didn't connect to the internet. I first ran:
slmgr.vbs -upk

This option uninstalls the product key of the current Windows edition. After a restart, the system will be in an Unlicensed state unless a new product key is installed.

I then:

Disable Auto Activation feature in Windows 8
To do so in Windows 8, open regedit and navigate to the following key:
“
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion \SoftwareProtectionPlatform\Activation
In the right pane of the registry editor, you will find REG_DWORD value ‘Manual’. Right-click on it and select Modify. In the Value Data window which appears, change the DWORD value to 1.

The default is 0 which means auto-activation is enabled. Changing the value to 1 will disable auto-activation.

I was then able to go onto the Internet and get the 5 updates. But the next day when I turned the PC on it activated automatically. How did it even know my product key? I did run "slmgr.vbs -upk" and did see it worked. Now I'm committed to have windows 8 on this computer.

post your licensingdiag report and I'll see if I can see anything there - note that Windows 8 is designed to have no grace period, so -upk may not work the same way....

Please open an Elevated Command Prompt window (in Start, type 'Command' - a Command Prompt icon will appear, right-click on it, and select Run as Administrator)
At the Prompt, type

Licensingdiag.exe -report %userprofile%\desktop\report.txt -log %userprofile%\desktop\repfiles.cab

(note the spaces!)
two files will be put on your desktop -
open the 'report.txt' file in Notepad, and copy/paste the results to your response - you can ignore the repfiles.cab file for the moment, as it's only backup data

Here you go:

<DiagReport>
<LicensingData>
<ToolVersion>6.2.9200.16384</ToolVersion>
<LicensingStatus>SL_LICENSING_STATUS_LICENSED</LicensingStatus>
<LicensingStatusReason>0x00000000</LicensingStatusReason>
<LocalGenuineState>SL_GEN_STATE_IS_GENUINE</LocalGenuineState>
<LocalGenuineResultP>1</LocalGenuineResultP>
<LastOnlineGenuineResult>0x00000000</LastOnlineGenuineResult>
<GraceTimeMinutes>0</GraceTimeMinutes>
<TotalGraceDays>0</TotalGraceDays>
<ValidityExpiration></ValidityExpiration>
<ActivePartialProductKey>D9H3H</ActivePartialProductKey>
<ActiveProductKeyPid2>00178-11193-25799-AB639</ActiveProductKeyPid2>
<OSVersion>6.2.9200.2.00010100.0.0.048</OSVersion>
<ProductName>Windows 8 Pro</ProductName>
<ProcessorArchitecture>x86</ProcessorArchitecture>
<EditionId>Professional</EditionId>
<BuildLab>9200.win8_gdr.120926-1855</BuildLab>
<TimeZone>Pacific Standard Time(GMT-07:00)</TimeZone>
<ActiveSkuId>9e473b6d-b591-4c46-9c44-90a865f22e76</ActiveSkuId>
<ActiveSkuDescription>Windows(R) Operating System, RETAIL channel</ActiveSkuDescription>
<ProductUniquenessGroups>55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f</ProductUniquenessGroups>
<ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>93f2b59c-a884-909a-ea20-885e38d8fe5a</ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>
<ActiveProductKeyPidEx>05426-01781-119-325799-01-1033-9200.0000-3032012</ActiveProductKeyPidEx>
<ActiveProductKeyChannel>Retail</ActiveProductKeyChannel>
<ActiveVolumeCustomerPid></ActiveVolumeCustomerPid>
<OfflineInstallationId>583274159512500591640145022629978726826001172246225095129385123</OfflineInstallationId>
<DomainJoined>false</DomainJoined>
<ComputerSid>S-1-5-21-3811047087-813044600-45490211</ComputerSid>
<ProductLCID>1033</ProductLCID>
<UserLCID>1033</UserLCID>
<SystemLCID>1033</SystemLCID>
<CodeSigning>SIGNED_INFO_PRS_SIGNED</CodeSigning>
<ServiceAvailable>true</ServiceAvailable>
<OemMarkerVersion></OemMarkerVersion>
<OemId></OemId>
<OemTableId></OemTableId>
<Manufacturer>INTEL_</Manufacturer>
<Model>DG41MJ__</Model>
<InstallDate>20121027105908.000000-420</InstallDate>
</LicensingData>
<HealthCheck>
<Result>PASS</Result>
<TamperedItems></TamperedItems>
</HealthCheck>
<GenuineAuthz>
<ServerProps>GenuineId=55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f;OemId=;OptionalInfoId=;Pid=Qp5Pg2UzawNMqqzzKgmcCPODc+q3nAxys8dQWv8JA7o=;SkuId=9e473b6d-b591-4c46-9c44-90a865f22e76;TimeStampServer=2012-10-29T21:53:51Z;</ServerProps>
</GenuineAuthz>
</DiagReport>

The installed Key ends in D9H3H - is that the same Key as you have? If so, it would imply that the upk switch works differently to the way it did in previous versions of Windows. (I'll have to try dissecting slmgr sometime!)

Installation date is showing as 27th - what I think is the activation time shows as being 21:53 on 29th?

This early in the game, I'm still learning - and the output is nowhere near as readable as it was for MGADiag. What it's going to show when things go wrong as anyone's guess at present.

Yes, those are the last 5 from my Key. The funny thing after running "slmgr.vbs -upk" it no longer showed my key. It was indeed gone. So I thought all was okay and even got five Windows Updates but Microsoft must have a few cards up its sleeve. It stores your key in at least another place as well. I didn't want Windows 8 on this computer but on another. I just wanted to see if it would detect all the hardware which it didn't. The Windows Updates didn't have it either. A phone call to Microsoft might help.

We are now forced to enter a key during install. For those who test their O/S to see if Microsoft's site has all your drivers for your moherboard by running Windows Updates it's going to activate whether you want it or not; beware.

Telephone activation of the new install should be all that's required - I think the Upgrade is still 'portable' so long as the target machine has an activated/validated qualifying OS.