Solved Activate retail Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 WMC key...

Nalydyenlo

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Is this possible? I think I already asked a question like this in another thread but I couldn't get a straight answer. I know you can activate a clean install of win 8.1 with a win 8 product key but you see, I don't have one - I only have the WMC upgrade key that got installed over it when the previous owner of my PC added the Windows Media Center feature (which I read was free once upon a time). You see I have a retail win8.1_RTM_x86.iso disk image and I want to be able to do a clean install.
 
Your other threads.

Call MS in some form, for your email to be resent.

http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/38212-few-windows-8-1-upgrade-questions.html

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...-windows-8-but-only-have-wmc-upgrade-key.html

theog said:
All I've got is a win 8 pro + media center upgrade key and a win 8.1 pro retail ISO which I downloaded. My original win 8 key is lost and unrecoverable. I know I can install 8.1 pro from the ISO with a generic key, but will there be any way to activate it? I already have 8.1 installed and activated on my machine (via the app store upgrade), it's just that I want the option to be able to do a fresh install from disk if the need arises.

Like I said, a WMC pro upgrade key only.

Recap on the Q & A.

Your other thread.

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...-windows-8-but-only-have-wmc-upgrade-key.html

Dell said:
I have had this same problem and for some reason i did not have the email anymore, I was directed to this site https://www.mswos.com/ but i needed an order no that was on the email that i did not have so i went on to windows store site and went to live chat and asked them to help.I gave them my email address but they would not tell me anything until i gave them my billing address last 4 digits from the card i used to pay with and my phone No for security then hey presto they sent me the email again hope this helps.
Dell


or
Live Chat with Customer Service
Microsoft Support

View attachment 34657
 
No. If you install 8.1 Pro with the generic key and then try to enter a new key it will not accept the MC key, it will only accept an 8 Pro key. Also you can't upgrade to Media Center from 8 Pro unless your 8 Pro install is activated. The generic install keys will not activate so you won't be able to upgrade to Media center though Add Features. You can't install with a MC key, it can only be used though Add Features. IMHO you are flogging a dead horse.
 
OK, thanks all. I guess that's as definitive an answer as I'm going to get. Shame! I downloaded that retail ISO for nothing. Was hoping there'd be some kind of a workaround. I can always back up my activated copy of win 8.1 anyway using disk imaging software, but it's not an ideal solution. To be able to perform a clean installation using an ISO would be superior, but seeing as how I wouldn't be able to activate it with the WMC key, it's a no go - unless of course some clever person has a (legitimate of course) workaround. (I'm still not 100% convinced that this particular horse is totally dead!)
 
I wanna come clean. I don't have a Microsoft account and there was never any e-mail with a product key. Technically, I didn't buy Windows at all - my PC is second hand and I got it with Windows 8 + wmc activated (at the local pawn shop). The sticker on the case says that Vista was the original OS on it. So, the windows 8 WMC key is the closest I have to any kind of product key.
 
I wanna come clean. I don't have a Microsoft account and there was never any e-mail with a product key. Technically, I didn't buy Windows at all - my PC is second hand and I got it with Windows 8 + wmc activated (at the local pawn shop). The sticker on the case says that Vista was the original OS on it. So, the windows 8 WMC key is the closest I have to any kind of product key.

Take the PC back to the local pawn shop as you only have a Legal version of Vista.

http://www.eightforums.com/general-discussion/10837-windows-8-eula.html

microsoft said:
Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Anytime you transfer the software to a new
 
If there is no Windows 8 COA sticker on that PC you (technically) do not have a license to run Windows 8 on that PC. If you want to be totally legal and above board your going to have to buy Windows 8.1, if that's what you want to use. Right now your likely running on borrowed time anyway. If the original owner of that PC tries to reuse that MC key your PC will likely fail activation at some point. Its almost guarantied that the original Windows 8 Pro key used to install Windows is in use on another PC. Even if you could find it you couldn't use it. As far as I know there is no legal workaround for your situation, other than buying a new key. I doubt anybody here is going to help you cheat the system.
 
I'm not trying to cheat the system. I have a valid activated copy of win 8.1 which I purchased at a shop with a PC. I remember the guy at the shop showing me that the activation was valid and permanent. I then upgraded for free from 8. I only found out a few weeks after that the key installed on the system was only a poxy WMC upgrade key and that I couldn't use it to re-activate after a fresh install! If anything, I've been cheated out of being able to do a fresh install from disk.
 
I'm not trying to cheat the system. I have a valid activated copy of win 8.1 which I purchased at a shop with a PC. I remember the guy at the shop showing me that the activation was valid and permanent. I then upgraded for free from 8. I only found out a few weeks after that the key installed on the system was only a poxy WMC upgrade key and that I couldn't use it to re-activate after a fresh install! If anything, I've been cheated out of being able to do a fresh install from disk.

You say your not trying to cheat the system but on the other hand you made comments in another similar thread about using an illegal KMS activation server. Now your asking for workarounds? I'm sorry your in this fix but I don't think there is really anything anybody here can do for you. The reality is you are going to have to buy a copy of Windows 8 or 8.1 at some point for that PC. If you have a bone to pick its with the pawn shop that sold you the PC. In this case I guess its buyer beware. It sucks but that's the way things go sometimes when buying used hardware.
 
I'm not trying to cheat the system. I have a valid activated copy of win 8.1 which I purchased at a shop with a PC. I remember the guy at the shop showing me that the activation was valid and permanent. I then upgraded for free from 8. I only found out a few weeks after that the key installed on the system was only a poxy WMC upgrade key and that I couldn't use it to re-activate after a fresh install! If anything, I've been cheated out of being able to do a fresh install from disk.

Without
The certificate of authenticity,
The product key
The proof of purchase
you have a illegal install.

Therefore return.
 
I'm not trying to cheat the system. I have a valid activated copy of win 8.1 which I purchased at a shop with a PC. I remember the guy at the shop showing me that the activation was valid and permanent. I then upgraded for free from 8. I only found out a few weeks after that the key installed on the system was only a poxy WMC upgrade key and that I couldn't use it to re-activate after a fresh install! If anything, I've been cheated out of being able to do a fresh install from disk.

Without
The certificate of authenticity,
The product key
The proof of purchase
you have a illegal install.

Therefore return.

:ditto:
 
Without
The certificate of authenticity,
The product key
The proof of purchase
you have a illegal install.

Therefore return.


I'm not going to return it now. I've had it for months and I'm quite happy with it. I'm just a bit miffed that I won't be able to activate a clean install of 8.1 if ever I have to. It's not a huge big deal really - I've just discovered it has a hidden vista recovery partition and that a factory restore is possible. Might check it out - I never used Vista before.
 
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