Windows Activation -- PRO (not Enterprise) if not on Internet

jimbo45

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Hi there
Does anybody have any idea how long you can run windows 8 PRO (not the Enterprise version) before activation required if you aren't connected to the Internet.

You have to enter the product key at install time -- OK but if you are not connected to the Internet it obviously cant't activate.

Does it give you say 3 or 30 days grace before activating - or does it keep throwing up Please Activate Windows "Nag Screens".

If it throws up Nag screens this could be a real bummer as you might well want to load up W8 - see if it works on your hardware - and THEN activate. If you can't do even a little bit of testing first then IMO that's a hugely regressive step.

Windows 8 Enterprise uses a different activation method -- normally with VL products it will connect to a KMS server so I don't have issues there - and these things are Multi Activation- but PRO is a RETAIL product so it will activate differently.

Anybody who's loaded up W8 Pro tried this yet or do you all activate automatically.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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If you're using the leaked version, it's 180 days. But there's 1000 rearms!
 

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Note that the grace period as you know it is gone from retail builds - you'll get nagged hourly about activation/validation, and when you're in this state you can't sync any customizations or store licenses from your install to your Microsoft account, which means no wallpapers, no store app sync, etc. Yes you get 999 slmgr -rearm attempts, but you'd be doing that once every hour or so to keep a fully-functional OS. Best to use the Enterprise eval (and know you're gonna be rebuilding when you install a retail copy later) or a Technet or MSDN key if those things are important to you.

For reference, 999 hours is ~41 days.
 

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I was talking about the leaked builds. I get "nagged" every 2 hours, which is just a watermark saying "Activate Windows Now". I created a script to restart explorer.exe. I run it, and the watermark goes away. You only have to rearm every 179 days. That means you can use the OS for about 490 years. I set up a scheduled task for that.
As for the Start Screen color customization, create a shortcut to "C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe", run it, and select the color combo you want. The wallpaper stays the same.
And in the leaked builds, it's 1000 rearms, not 999.

rearm.PNG
 

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That means you can use the OS for about 490 years.

That's no so bad - 490 years - I expect changing my laptop in less than 490 days. :)
 

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Once that nag starts though, even though you've removed the watermark the sync / less functional OS is actually in place, and customization will not work again until you rearm. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it went away - you just hid it ;).
 

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To customize Start Screen, create a shortcut to "C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe" and run it. There are .reg files for the lockscreens. I myself don't care about the sync functionality. I guess it's just me, but I can live without activating. I've also scheduled a task to rearm every 179 days. I'm all set.
 

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    Intel Core i3
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    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Other Info
    My laptop is my only computer. It is about 2 years old.
Note that the grace period as you know it is gone from retail builds - you'll get nagged hourly about activation/validation

I paid big bucks for a retail version of Windows 8 PRO for a new system I built. You used to get a 30 day grace period before you were forced to activate. I don't know why they changed this because it has always been my experience that installing a new operating system on a newly built system never goes smoothly and I always end up formatting the hard drive and at least two or three times, first because of hardware problems, then because of software problems and finally because you know you can make things better.

Right now I am looking at another clean install to use UEFI and Raid. I already had to phone M$ Pakistan to activate my last install and had to manually enter a bunch of numbers. That was a horror show with a bad line, a lost connection and a bad accent. Eventually I think M$ figured out I am not some pirate because suddenly my system was activated. I am not looking forward to a repeat. I am hoping that my last phone call to M$ reset the install count for my CD.

I would definitely like to see the 30 days back before you are required to activate! Calling M$ for activation seems too much like begging on hands and knees for something you bought.
 

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