Media Center - Remove and Go Back to Windows 8 Pro

How to Remove "Windows Media Center" and go Back to Windows 8 Pro
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   Information

For some reason or another you may decide to remove the Windows 8 Media Center Pack from your computer. However, since the Windows 8 Media Center Pack has changed your product key, the normal means of removing it is to do a full reinstall of Windows 8 Pro.

This tutorial will show you how to remove the added Windows 8 Media Center Pack to go back to just Windows 8 Pro without Media Center while not losing your settings, files, or apps.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Note

You will need to have the Windows 8 Pro installation media (either a DVD or the .ISO) along with your old Windows 8 Pro product key to be able to do this tutorial.

The tutorial below can help show you how to download the Windows 8 .ISO file.

Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 ISO - Download or Create

   Warning

This tutorial only works to remove the Windows 8 Media Center Pack from an install that has a valid Windows 8 Pro key.

This tutorial will not work if you upgraded from Windows 8 by purchasing a Windows 8 Pro Pack.

Here's How:

1. On the start screen, type "regedit" and hit enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion. It should look somewhat like this:




4. Double click/tap on EditionID and ProductName, change the values to the ones in the red boxes in the screenshot above, and click/tap OK.

5. Close Registry Editor, restart the computer, and sign in to Windows 8.

6. Insert your Windows 8 installation DVD/USB, and run Setup.exe. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

7. Select (dot) Go online to install updates now, and click/tap on Next.



8. Input your Windows 8 Pro product key when required. (see screenshot below)




9. Select the Keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps option, then click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)




10. Click/tap on Install. (see screenshot below)




11. Pick up at step 11 in OPTION FOUR of the tutorial below to continue and finish the upgrade process.

Upgrade Install to Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

12. When finished, your Windows 8 Pro should be completely identical to how it was before, except it will no longer have Windows Media Center. Your old installation will have moved to a folder called Windows.old, so follow the tutorial below to remove it if you want to free up that space.

Windows.old Folder - Delete in Windows 8

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add "Windows Media Center" to Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Turn Windows Features On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Delete the "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Create or Download a Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 ISO

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Ermac. I'm happy to hear you got it sorted.

 

[Wenda]

OK, I have the retail version of Win 8 Pro (on disks, not the downloaded version) and obtained, installed and activated WMC during
the 'free' promo period.
Now, as I understand it, if I need to re-install my OS, I can then input the WMC key and WMC will be re-installed as well, because
the WMC key is now tied to the Win 8 Pro product key. I would not need to re-purchase WMC.
Can someone please confirm or refute this for me, please.
I do have system-images of Win 8 Pro with WMC installed, so it isn't mission-critical, but I would like to know for sure.
Sorry for being somewhat off-topic, as I do NOT want to remove/lose WMC.
Wenda.

 

[Brink]

Hello Wenda,

You would just need to install Windows 8 and activate with your Windows 8 product key. Afterwards, you would add WMC using step 2 in the tutorial below with your MWC key.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6559-windows-media-center-add-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[FuturDreamz]

Hello Wenda,

You would just need to install Windows 8 and activate with your Windows 8 product key. Afterwards, you would add WMC using step 2 in the tutorial below with your MWC key.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6559-windows-media-center-add-windows-8-a.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Technically no, Wenda got the key as a free promo, which means it is the limbo key. That key will stay active, but it can't be used to reactivate after reinstall. You'd need to buy Media pack for $10

Blame Microsoft. Although technically I can see their point, as people could've stockpiled on keys using multiple accounts.

 

[Brink]

Hello FuturDreamz,

The WMC key given away in the free promo is the same one the one you can purchase now for $9.99.

The only difference is that you had to add and activate the free WMC key on a Windows 8 PC before January 31st 2013 to avoid it being permanently deactivated. After the free key has been activated before that day, you will always be able to use it to add WMC to the same Windows 8 Pro computer in the future.

 

[FuturDreamz]

Hello FuturDreamz,

The WMC key given away in the free promo is the same one the one you can purchase now for $9.99.

The only difference is that you had to add and activate the free WMC key on a Windows 8 PC before January 31st 2013 to avoid it being permanently deactivated. After the free key has been activated before that day, you will always be able to use it to add WMC to the same Windows 8 Pro computer in the future.

Oh? Well i didn't know that. I was positive it was confirmed to be useless after Jan 31rst.

 

[Brink]

Only if you didn't activate the free WMC key by the Jan 31st deadline.

 

[8isGr8]

One question: is there a similar strategy to "downgrade" from "Windows 8 Pro Media Center Edition" to "Windows 8"?

The reason I am asking is that I would like to reuse the activation keys on another system.

Looking forward to your reply! Thanks.

 

[FuturDreamz]

I don't know if your old Windows 8 key got deactivated when you upgraded, or if Microsoft will allow the upgrade to be moved to another computer.

After that, I'm reasonably sure it should work, but going from 8 Pro to 8 is a bigger change to the OS than going from Pro Media pack to pro.

 

[drrastovac]

Thanks man work great, and I delete windows.old To get more space. And all my games,apps , settings is there. Thanks again.

 

[sgillen]

You do not know how thankful I am for this tutorial. I too got the "free" media center when I upgraded to Windows 8 pro..A year after the install and the latest Microsoft update and it stopped working and caused the no licensed note to come up and annoy me. This Windows 8 upgrade has been the nightmare from heck. I was at Visa and forced to take Windows 8 when I wanted Windows 7. Only to find out that my system is too old for Windows 8 to work totally correctly. But you saved my bacon. I did the steps as directed and it fixed my no license for Windows media....I have to comment that I sweat bullets while it worked. I didn't think it would take 5 hours and I would have to install 156 updates when I was through, but the bottom line is that it fixed it, my apps didn't have to be reinstalled, and my desktop apps didn't have to be reinstalled either. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

 

[k1y0r4]

Hello and happy new year to everbody!

I've run into a problem. When i put the cd-key and proceed, it doesn't show me the option "Keep Files, Settings and Apps", only the "Keep Files". What should i do?

PS: In the first step, when we prompt to change some keys on the registry, to me, it already has the inputs Professional and Windows 8. So... i didn't changed them.

PS2: I try to do that on Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center. Am i following the wrong guide?

 

[Brink]

Hello k1y0r4, and welcome to Eight Forums.

When you have Windows 8.1 Pro, you want to enter Windows 8.1 Pro instead of Windows 8 Pro for the ProductName key.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[k1y0r4]

Thanks for the fast reply! I changed it and nothing happened, i mean it still doesn't give me the "Files, Settings, Apps" option.

 

[Brink]

I'm not sure what may be preventing you from being able to also keep your apps and settings.

If you're willing to reinstall your apps and change your settings again afterwards, then you could still continue to remove the Media Center pack.

 

[k1y0r4]

I see... :/

Well, i think i'll go to the "complete format" option then

Thank you for your time

 

[mariusmuntean]

Incredible but it worked!

My scenario: Installed and activated Win 8.1 Pro. After a while used a Media Center Pack Key I found in my inbox, which worked for a few days. After that I got a watermark on my desktop and I was prompted to activate Windows. I tried with the Win 8.1 Pro CD Key, which didn't work and then with the Media Center Pack CD Key which apparently was used previously. Then I remember having used it on my laptop (which I don't use anymore). I was stuck and I didn't want to reinstall everything. Followed the tutorial and it worked flawlessly. All my programs are there and they're properly configured.

I want to point out that "11. Pick up at step 11 in OPTION THREE of the tutorial below to continue and finish the upgrade process." is wrong because OPTION THREE in the other tutorial has only one step.

Your tutorial saved my a$$ and I'm very thankful for the tutorial.

 

[Brink]

Thank you Marius, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Step 11 should have said "step 11 in OPTION FOUR" instead. Now updated.

 

[bluc]

Hello It not working for me, I followed your instructions(running 8.1 pro so named it that) When I try and enter my key I get "this key does not work with this edition of windows" help please.

 

[Brink]

Hello Bluc, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Are you entering a Windows 8 Pro product key, and not a Windows 8 or Pro Pack key?