Solved Can I convert from volumne license to retail?

I have 8.1 Pro installed that I downloaded from my MSDN account. These come with a "volume license".

Now, I want to install Windows Media Center. Unfortunately "Add Features to Windows" is disabled because of the volume license.

Rather than doing a fresh install, can I simply buy a retail copy of 8.1 Pro, so that I have a new retail product key, and update Windows with this new product key?

Cheers,
Gary

Purchasing the full retail copy and do a clean install would be the best option.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html

The regular Retail 8.1 Pro is also available on MSDN? That's what I'm running on all my PC's? I would think that if you have access to the VL edition you should also have access to the Retail edition. My subscription doesn't allow me to get keys for the VL editions. I can run Enterprise though. If your subscription will allow you to get a regular Retail key you could try the change key option and see what happens.

You're right! They're under My Product Keys. Never bothered to look. I've always just used the button beside the product in Subscriber Downloads to get a key - and I only see "VL" stuff there.

I see two retail 8.1 Pro keys available: Windows 8.1 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Pro N. What is the "N" variant?

For me there are three pages in the Windows 8.1 with update download section, the regular Retail is on the last page. N is a custom version that has IE and or Media Center removed. You likely don't want that version. If change key doesn't work you'll likely have to download the retail ISO and do a reinstall.

I will try changing the key. If that does not work, I may decide instead just to be happy with XBMC over Windows Media Center. Some think XMBC is the superior choice anyway. This is an HTPC build I'm working on.

Thanks for everyone's help. Great forum.

Hi there

Not sure why you would want the Windows Media system - there's loads of better alternatives these days -- honestly the advantages of a VL product over a single retail license are too numerous to even THINK about - especially if you like to tinker about with several machines often with different hardware.

I'm sure a bit of googling though would lead to some "get arounds" if you really want to install WMC.

Cheers
jimbo

Yeah, I'm leaning heavily in the direction of XBMC. In fact, have already installed it and I like what I am seeing.