Media Center - Remove and Go Back to Windows 8 Pro

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

   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

 

[bluc]

Yes entering a windows 8 key. I even tried booting from install media and it will no longer accept my windows 8 key at all eek
I am currently on 8.1 but my key is for 8 should I name the reg entry windows 8 instead of windows 8.1?

 

[Brink]

Entering a Windows 8 key in Windows 8.1 would be the issue then.

This tutorial will not work if you upgraded from Windows 8.1 by purchasing a Windows 8.1 Pro Pack. If this was what you did, then you would need to refresh or reset Windows to remove Media Center.

 

[bluc]

Nope bought windows 8 pro got the free media center update then upgraded to 8.1 anyway I gave up have installed windows 8 go a billion updates to do then can reinstall 8.1 thanks anyway.

 

[Edwin]

@ bluc:
What was your reason for trying this?

 

[bluc]

The media center key had been activated on a different pc was trying to see if it would transfer the license to current pc ( old pc died) didnt work would not activate cheers

 

[orlandotek]

The problem I have is that I don't know what key I originally used was.

We had 5 computers we were upgrading to Windows 8 from Windows 7 and I have
been so dependant on using Magic Jelly Bean in the past I never kept up with
what computer got what key or if the key was ever used. I figured if I ever
needed to get the product key I could use MJB as I have in the past
with Windows 7 and Windows XP.

Now Magic Jelly Bean shows me the Media Center Key.

To make things worse, the e-mail addresses we used to get some of the keys were from 18 months
ago when we had Road Runner and now we have U-verse so I don't even have the ability to go back
and look at those old e-mails.

Why would ANYONE program Windows to change the product key just for installing Media Center??

That person at Microsoft should be fired! This has been a huge pain in my neck!

 

[Edwin]

The problem I have is that I don't know what key I originally used was.

We had 5 computers we were upgrading to Windows 8 from Windows 7 and I have
been so dependant on using Magic Jelly Bean in the past I never kept up with
what computer got what key or if the key was ever used. I figured if I ever
needed to get the product key I could use MJB as I have in the past
with Windows 7 and Windows XP.

Now Magic Jelly Bean shows me the Media Center Key.

To make things worse, the e-mail addresses we used to get some of the keys were from 18 months
ago when we had Road Runner and now we have U-verse so I don't even have the ability to go back
and look at those old e-mails.

Why would ANYONE program Windows to change the product key just for installing Media Center??

That person at Microsoft should be fired! This has been a huge pain in my neck!

Try:

ProduKey - Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office/SQL Server

The upgrade key could be listed as 'Internet Explorer' and the media key as 'Windows 8(?) with Media Center'

View attachment 43993

 

[DBKR]

Nice tutorial for getting back the Win8 pro. product key. Many of us probably do not know that after installing Media Centre pack , original windows key will change. Recently I purchased a Media Centre Key for my Win 8.1 pro. After reading this article I checked with Belarc Advisor - yes it has changed to Media Centre Key and original windows key is under IE 11. Now while doing a re installation of windows which key I should use , the original one or the key for Media Centre pack . If I use Media Centre Key will it activate my windows ? What about refreshing windows ?

 

[Edwin]

Nice tutorial for getting back the Win8 pro. product key. Many of us probably do not know that after installing Media Centre pack , original windows key will change. Recently I purchased a Media Centre Key for my Win 8.1 pro. After reading this article I checked with Belarc Advisor - yes it has changed to Media Centre Key and original windows key is under IE 11. Now while doing a re installation of windows which key I should use , the original one or the key for Media Centre pack . If I use Media Centre Key will it activate my windows ? What about refreshing windows ?

To reinstall Windows use your original key, the WMC key is only for adding the feature again.

 

[DBKR]

Thanx

 

[Conundrum]

Great guide! However, I'd like to downgrade to Windows 8.1 Home Premium instead of Windows 8.1 Pro. Is that possible using this guide?

I set the EditionID registry key to "HomePremium" and the ProductName key to "Windows 8.1 Home Premium", would that be correct? When I run the setup, it only offers to let me keep my personal files - not my Settings, Personal Files and Apps.

Any help would be much appreciated

 

[Brink]

Hello Conundrum, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Sorry, but no. There's not a Windows 8.1 Home Premium.

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.

 

[rsimmons]

i don't have the option keep windows settings, personal files, and apps. What do I do?

 

[Brink]

Hello Simmons, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you could use one of the other available options to continue, but I would recommend to back up anything that you do not want to lose first.

If you have the "Keep personal files only" option, then that will be like refreshing Windows, but it will not keep your settings and apps. You would need to reinstall your apps, and change your settings again afterwards.

If you have the "Nothing" option, then that will be the same as resetting Windows (clean install).

 

[rsimmons]

Hello Simmons, and welcome to Eight Forums.

If you like, you could use one of the other available options to continue, but I would recommend to back up anything that you do not want to lose first.

If you have the "Keep personal files only" option, then that will be like refreshing Windows, but it will not keep your settings and apps. You would need to reinstall your apps, and change your settings again afterwards.

If you have the "Nothing" option, then that will be the same as resetting Windows (clean install).

Thanks for the warm welcome and the reply.

 

[rsimmons]

Okay so I found a forum that has fix this issue. This might be a work-around so I just want to share it.

create a file called ei.cfg with Notepad. In it is the following:


[EditionID]
Professional
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
1

Added it to sources folder. I have a disc for the installation so I had to copy the whole thing to add this to the sources folder. Run the installation as normal and I got the option. I am still currently installing. I will update this post as soon as I am done with it.

*update everything went great.

 

[Brink]

Thank you for sharing this.

 

[DK2014]

If bitlocker is activated on said drive, would it be a good idea to decrypt before attempting this?

 

[Brink]

Hello DK2014, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Yeah, it would be a good idea to do so to prevent it from failing or causing an issue.

 

[DK2014]

Thanks for having all the information in this thread. The refresh back to plain old 8.1 pro worked flawlessly. Everything is exactly where it should be. And yes.. I did turn off bitlocker on all drives first.. just incase...