Solved Upgrade Key with Full DVD - will it work?

AndreyT

Member
Member
Messages
14
I have seen quite a few guides on the Net on how to do a clean install of Windows 8 using Upgrade DVD, but my question is about a [slightly] different issue.


  • I have an unused Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Version key, which I purchased during Windows 8 promotional period. (I also downloaded the .iso file, which I can burn to DVD and use as my installation media.)


  • I also have a retail package of Windows 8 Pro Full Version, purchased separately later and installed on a different machine.

I want to do a clean install and use that Upgrade key. What would be the best way to do it? Of course, I can just jump through all the hoops, pre-install XP on the target machine, burn that Windows 8 .iso to a DVD, perform the upgrade etc. etc. etc.

But is there a simpler way? What I would like to do is to take that existing Full Version DVD and perform a full clean install from it. And then just use that Windows key that I purchased with the Upgrade version to activate the fresh install. Is this possible?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
You can do a clean install, but you need to delete the Windows 7 ( Win XP, Vista) install.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/13375-clean-install-windows-8-upgrade.html

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

Microsoft said:
What about upgrading the software? The software covered by this agreement is an upgrade to your existing operating system software, so the upgrade replaces the original software that you are upgrading. You do not retain any rights to the original software after you have upgraded and you may not continue to use it or transfer it in any way. This agreement governs your rights to use the upgrade software and replaces the agreement for the software from which you upgraded. After you complete your upgrade, additional software will be required to playback or record certain types of media, including DVDs.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Well, again, the key point is that I don't have a Windows 8 Pro Upgrade media, so the "Clean Install with Windows 8 Upgrade" articles do not immediately apply. I can make that media, since I have the .iso, but I don't want to. This is the reason I ask this question. I want to use the existing "factory made" Windows 8 Pro Full Version DVD for clean installation and then just punch in the previously purchased Upgrade key. Will this work?

A related question: is the Upgrade media sold during Windows 8 promotional period
(downloaded as .iso) the same as the "modern" Windows 8 Upgrade media? I remember reading somewhere that that .iso will actively check for an existing Windows installation on the hard drive before proceeding to the actual install. Meanwhile, the guides on the Net (like the one you linked) seem to imply that I can simply do a clean install on an empty hard drive. Is the former media different from the latter media? Or did I just misunderstand something?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
1) You can use the Retail DVD or the downloaded ISO burnt to DVD.

2)
A related question: is the Upgrade media sold during Windows 8 promotional period (downloaded as .iso) the same as the "modern" Windows 8 Upgrade media?

The new upgrade is Windows 8.1.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
Hi AndreyT:
Welcome to Windows 8 Forums.
Give the full DVD a try; it'll take 5 minutes to see if the upgrade key gets accepted; if it doesn't, go the other route.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion
  • PC2
    Tablet - Windows 10 Home
The new upgrade is Windows 8.1.

I know. But according to what I read on the Net, Windows 8 keys do not work with Windows 8.1 media. People with Windows 8 keys have to install Windows 8 and then upgrade to 8.1. The process can be simplified by pre-downloading the 8.1 upgrade media, but it still has to be an upgrade from 8 to 8.1 specifically. It is not possible to do a clean install of 8.1 with a key from 8.

That's what they seem to say on the Net. Is that no longer true?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
@ AndreyT:
Let me get this straight. What you possess right now is:
- a Windows 8, (not 8.1), Pro retail DVD and key already installed on a machine and activated.
- a Windows 8, (not 8.1), Pro Upgrade key and iso ready to install on a machine which currently has Windows XP.
Am I correct?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion
  • PC2
    Tablet - Windows 10 Home
@ AndreyT:
Let me get this straight. What you possess right now is:
- a Windows 8, (not 8.1), Pro retail DVD and key already installed on a machine and activated.
- a Windows 8, (not 8.1), Pro Upgrade key and iso ready to install on a machine which currently has Windows XP.
Am I correct?

Yes, exactly.

(As an additional detail, I would like to use a different system hard drive in the machine with XP. The new hard drive is currently empty. That means that I can't just do a straight upgrade of that machine.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Take a look at those posts for more info.

RETAIL KEY ONLY.
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

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html

You can not use the key extracted from the UEFI/BIOS firmware or a OEM key to download the Windows 8.1 ISO, you can only use the key to ACTIVATE.

The generic keys can only be used to install Windows 8.1 & not ACTIVATE or to download the Windows 8.1 ISO .
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
(As an additional detail, I would like to use a different system hard drive in the machine with XP. The new hard drive is currently empty. That means that I can't just do a straight upgrade of that machine.)

Correct, you'd have to do a clean install. Only problem is, MS will probably "put your machine on a hoist" and find all kinds of reasons why it may fail.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion
  • PC2
    Tablet - Windows 10 Home
I have an unused Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Version key, which I purchased during Windows 8 promotional period. I want to do a clean install and use that Upgrade key. What would be the best way to do it?

Create installation media for Windows 8.1

Take a look at this post: link
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G580
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-3230M
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, standard user account
    Other Info
    UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8 product key.
Additionally:
If you ran the upgrade assistant, (which I assumed how you got the iso in the first place), and all was good to go then I'd say try it.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion
  • PC2
    Tablet - Windows 10 Home
(As an additional detail, I would like to use a different system hard drive in the machine with XP. The new hard drive is currently empty. That means that I can't just do a straight upgrade of that machine.)

Correct, you'd have to do a clean install. Only problem is, MS will probably "put your machine on a hoist" and find all kinds of reasons why it may fail.

You can do a clean install with no problem from MS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
(As an additional detail, I would like to use a different system hard drive in the machine with XP. The new hard drive is currently empty. That means that I can't just do a straight upgrade of that machine.)

Correct, you'd have to do a clean install. Only problem is, MS will probably "put your machine on a hoist" and find all kinds of reasons why it may fail.

You can do a clean install with no problem from MS.

I figured that, I was just being overly cautious. Thanks theog! :)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion
  • PC2
    Tablet - Windows 10 Home
Thank you, genet, Edwin and everyone else. I followed genet's sequence of steps and it worked perfectly. I did a clean install of Windows 8.1 from USB and then activated it using my key. The key worked without any problems.

BTW, after I ran and stopped Windows 8 downloader and then started Windows 8.1 downloader, the latter did not issue any errors. It just quietly and successfully downloaded 8.1 install package.

However, there seems a little issue with this approach. Windows 8.1 installed in this way displays a watermark in the bottom right corner of the screen. In my case the watermark says

Windows 8.1 Pro
SecureBoot isn't configured correctly
Build 9600

I presume the watermark was activated by the "trial" key I used during installation. Activating Windows with my own key (albeit successful) did not make the watermark to disappear. So, how do I get rid of that watermark now?

UPDATE: False alarm, apparently. After a few reboots watermark disappeared.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Back
Top