Solved Activate retail Windows 8.1 with Windows 8 Product key.

theog

theog

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For upgrading from store.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/32995-windows-8-1-update-windows-8-a.html

Upgrading using the Windows 8.1 GA DVD OF YOUR VERSION (core or Pro) .

For upgrading from the desktop.

UP8-1-006.PNG

How to Activate retail Windows 8.1 with Windows 8 Product key.

A Windows 8 product Key can not be uses to Upgrade to Windows 8.1.

1) Use a Windows 8.1 product Key to Upgrade.

For Upgrading from Windows 8.1 Preview.

UP8-1-001.PNG

For clean install.

UP8-1-002.PNG

2) Activate with your Windows 8 product Key.

3) Open PC Setting.

4) Click on Change product Key.

5) Type in your Windows 8 product Key & Activate.

UP8-1-003.PNG

UP8-1-004.PNG

UP8-1-005.PNG

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8855-product-key-number-change-windows-8-a.html

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html

I use option five.

or
RWEverything | Read & Write Everything

Note   Note
Note that although you may previously purchase a legit Windows 8 product key, the product key is unlikely able to be used to install or upgrade to Windows 8.1. Hence you will need the following product key to initiate the install or upgrade:


Windows 8 (core): 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT

Windows 8 Pro: XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB

Windows 8 Enterprise: MNDGV-M6PKV-DV4DR-CYY8X-2YRXH
FHQNR-XYXYC-8PMHT-TV4PH-DRQ3H

KMS setup keys (8/8.1): Appendix A: KMS Client Setup Keys


The keys above will let you install 8.1, but that's all it does. After installation is complete, you will still have to activate with your own Windows 8 key.
Click to expand...


http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

How to download Windows 8.1 ISO with a Windows 8 key.
http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/33164-how-download-windows-8-1-iso.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Since I actually have two Win8 Pro product keys (one for the initial install, the second for the WMC add-on), should I only use the first to activate?

Will I then be able to use the Win8 Pro WMC add-on key to add WMC to 8.1?
 
Mark Phelps said:
Since I actually have two Win8 Pro product keys (one for the initial install, the second for the WMC add-on), should I only use the first to activate?

Will I then be able to use the Win8 Pro WMC add-on key to add WMC to 8.1?
Click to expand...

Yes, to both.
 
Folks,

This is all great, but how do I tell my freshly installed Windows 8.1 to use the BIOS-baked OEM Windows 8 key on my Surface Pro? Do I use the SLP key for Windows 8 Pro?

FYI, my Surface Pro was upgraded to Windows 8.1 Preview, which trashed my ability to use my Windows 8 recovery partition and use it to do a "Reset" of Windows. Hence the reason to install from the ISO, which forced me to use one of my TechNet Windows 8.1 keys.
 
good to get the help regarding the update key to win 8.1 and along with the tip to install the same win version through ISO image
 
Kaldek said:
Folks,

This is all great, but how do I tell my freshly installed Windows 8.1 to use the BIOS-baked OEM Windows 8 key on my Surface Pro? Do I use the SLP key for Windows 8 Pro?

FYI, my Surface Pro was upgraded to Windows 8.1 Preview, which trashed my ability to use my Windows 8 recovery partition and use it to do a "Reset" of Windows. Hence the reason to install from the ISO, which forced me to use one of my TechNet Windows 8.1 keys.
Click to expand...

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html

I use Option Five.
 
I wish there was a Windows 8.1 Repository for Windows 8 users to update there system without having to reinstall everything.
 
SteamGamer said:
I wish there was a Windows 8.1 Repository for Windows 8 users to update there system without having to reinstall everything.
Click to expand...

You can download the UPDATE from the MS App Store from the 18 October.
 
Will this method work with reactivating with a non-Pro key after installing 8.1 Pro? (I have a legit 8.1 Pro MSDN key that I can use to install, but my OEM key that I want to activate is non-Pro..)


And does anyone know if you will get a new product key when using the store-upgrade in october? I hope I will be able to reformat my computer without having to re-upgrade every time from 8 to 8.1..
 
Last edited:
Welcome to EightForums

cyberpet said:
Will this method work with reactivating with a non-Pro key after installing 8.1 Pro? (I have a legit 8.1 Pro MSDN key that I can use to install, but my OEM key that I want to activate is non-Pro..)
Click to expand...

You would need to use one of your five MSDN Windows 8.1 Core keys to install, than Activate with the old Windows 8 core key.

And does anyone no if you will get a new product key when using the store-upgrade in october? I hope I will be able to reformat my computer without having to re-upgrade every time from 8 to 8.1..
Click to expand...

NO, new product key in October.
 
Thank you! :)

My mistake to write MSDN.. I only have one Pro-key for 8.1 from Dreamspark (former MSDNAA). But I found an install-key that someone published for Windows 8.1 core and that solved that problem.

My second mistake is that the OEM-key I extracted a long time ago from my Win 8 installation to keep safe, probably is the install-key Samsung used for my laptop, and couldn't be used for activation.. So I had to reinstall Win 8 again so that it uses the key from my UEFI-bios, extract the right key with a keyfinder, and start the process all over again, but now it works! 8.1 activated with my legit OEM-key.
 
petesmst said:
I found that my Windows 8 Pro (64-bit) Product Key worked perfectly fine to activate Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit). See my post here: http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/32059-place-upgrade-windows-8-windows-8-1-64-bit.html
Click to expand...

Did you run the upgrade from boot or from inside Windows 8? You mean only activation worked or did the installation also work with your old key?

I am aware that it works to Activate with at Windows 8-key, but every way I try to install, I am asked for a Windows 8.1 key..

I run Windows 8 Pro on a different computer with a Dreamspark-key, but when I run upgrade it will still not detect or accept the key I already used. I'm runnig the upgrade now to see if i can active later with the old key.
 
@cyberpet: I ran the upgrade by booting from the DVD (ISO). When asked whether I wanted to do a clean install or keep all my apps and data, I opted for the latter. I then sat back and let the proves run to completion. It took about 25 minutes (including 4 re-boots). (I had about 186GB of data on my 256GB SSD).

By the way, I used the product Key of my EXISTING Windows 8.0 when asked to "enter your product key" very early in the install process. In fact, the process will not get underway without the product key being entered. After upgrading was completed, I went to "Control Panel", "System" and noted that my product was "activated" already (presumably because the upgrade had been carried out on a previously activated Widows 8.0)

Users who will be upgrading to Win 8.1 by means of the update that will be made available from the Windows Store via Windows Update will obviously not need to enter a product key. Their already-activated Windows 8.0 will be sufficient to enable the upgrade to go ahead. I must assume that in this case only new Win 8.1 files that are required for the update will be downloaded and installed, rather than a full-sized Win 8.1 installation

The size of the Win 8.1 installation ISO is nearly 3.8GB, so downloading it could be quite a "big deal" for many users.
 
I have 8.1 installed a week ago and just purchased a W8 pro OEM disc. Im to understand that I can change my registration to the key I purchased.

So then what happens on Oct 18 when I already have the preview installed?
 
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