Windows Media Center - Add to Windows 8

How to Add "Windows Media Center" to Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

You can use Windows Media Center, a home entertainment center in Windows, to watch and record live TV, create slide shows of your photos, listen to songs in your music library, and play CDs and DVDs.
Some editions of Windows include Windows Media Center. If you don't have Windows Media Center, follow these steps to get the Windows Media Center Pack. Note that you need an analog or digital TV tuner to play and record live TV. A TV tuner is a hardware device that lets you connect a TV signal to your PC. If your PC didn't come with a TV tuner, you might be able to add one.

For more information about this, see:

• Making Windows Media Center available in Windows 8 - Building Windows 8 - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
• Get started with Windows Media Center - Microsoft Windows Help

This tutorial will show you how to purchase install Windows Media Center in Windows 8 since it is not preinstalled by default.

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

   Note

Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise will not have Add features to Windows 8/8.1 available since there are not any features available to add in that edition.

Windows Media Center is available as an economical “media pack” add-on to your installed and activated Windows 8/8.1 Pro.

If you have Windows 8 Pro installed, then you can add Windows Media Center by buying the Windows 8 Media Center Pack.

If you have Windows 8.1 Pro installed, then you can add Windows Media Center by buying the Windows 8.1 Media Center Pack.

If you have Windows 8 installed, then you will need to buy the Windows 8 Pro Pack to have Media Center added and all the features of Windows 8 Pro.

If you have Windows 8.1 installed, then you will need to buy the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack to have Media Center added and all the features of Windows 8.1 Pro.

   Tip

Please be sure to save your email or print out the invoice for safe keeping of your purchased product key. Without this product key, you will not be able to add the Windows 8/8.1 Media Center Pack or Windows 8/8.1 Pro Pack again without having to purchase it again.

If you lost your product key, then you could enter your order number, last name, email address, and country, along with the code displayed at Microsoft below to view your order information at any time.

https://www.mswos.com/

If you lost your product key and have the proof of purchase for the Windows 8/8.1 Media Center Pack or Windows 8/8.1 Pro Pack, then the Microsoft Store Support Team may be able to help you in recovering the product key for the product that you have purchased. You can contact the Microsoft Store Support Team from this link:

Microsoft Store Support

EXAMPLE: Windows Media Center

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Here's How:

1. Open the Add features to Windows 8/8.1 wizard, and do step 2 or 3 below depending on if you have already purchased the Windows 8/8.1 Media Center Pack or not.

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   Note

Windows 8 /8.1Enterprise will not have Add features to Windows 8/8.1 available since there are not any features available to add in that edition.

   Note

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If you already installed the Window 8/8.1 Media Center Pack or Windows 8/8.1 Pro Pack, then Add features to Windows 8/8.1 since there are no longer any features available to add.​

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2. If You Have Already Purchased the Windows 8 Media Center Pack
NOTE: You can only install this on one Windows 8 installation. You will need a separate purchased key per installation.

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A) Click/tap on the I already have a product key option. (see screenshot below)​

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B) Enter your product key number for your purchased Windows 8 Media Center Pack, and click\tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

NOTE: The key number in the screenshot is just the one from the Windows 8 Release Preview. It will no longer work.​

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C) Select (check ) the I accept the license terms box, and click/tap on Add features. (see screenshot below)​

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D) Go to step 4 below.​

3. If You Need to Purchase the Windows 8 Media Center Pack

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A) Select, and click/tap on Choose for the pack you need below. (see screenshot below)​

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   Note

If you have Windows 8/8.1 Pro installed, then you can get Windows Media Center by getting the paid Windows 8/8.1 Media Center Pack.

   Note

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If you have Windows 8/8.1 installed, then you will need to buy the Windows 8/8.1 Pro Pack and then enjoy Media Center and all the features of Windows 8 Pro.​

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B) Finish filling out any required billing information, and click on Next.​

4. Windows Media Center will now start to be added to Windows 8, and your PC will automatically restart during the process. (see screenshot below)

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5. When your PC has finished restarting, you will now notice that Windows Media Center will be pinned to your Start screen. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You may need to scroll over right more to see it.

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6. Open the desktop, and click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)

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7. The Add features to Windows 8/8.1 wizzard will now no longer be available since there are no longer any additional features available to be added.


That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Remove "Windows Media Center" and go Back to Windows 8 Pro
• How to Add Features to Windows 8 and 8.1
• Compare Features Between Windows 8 Editions
• Compare Features Between Windows 8.1 Editions
• How to Turn Windows Features On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Download and Run "Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant" and "Windows 8.1 Upgrade Assistant"
• How to Install Media Feature Pack for N and KN Editions of Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Activate Windows 8 and 8.1 by Phone
• How to Find Your Product Key Number for Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[Kari]

Thanks Shawn! I found this Add Features by accident and was wondering why it wouldn't accept my product key, the one I used to install. I just left it there thinking it's a feature not yet available, but thanks for your tut I found out you need to use another code.


Kari

 

[Brink]

Hello Kari,

Yeah, I thought it was a pretty well hidden feature. It appears to be a newer version of "Windows Anytime Upgrade".

 

[Kari]

Yeah. How the h*** is a user supposed to know it's asking about product key for WMC, not for Windows?

 

[coolkips]

*Offer valid from October 26, 2012, until January 31, 2013, and is limited to five licenses per customer per promotion.

What's mean by 5 licenses per customer per promotion? Is it mean we can installed it in 5 computer with the same key that we got from email?

 

[Brink]

Hello Coolkips, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Nope. It means that you can request up to 5 separate keys one at a time. Each key can only be used on one computer.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Phone Man]

It is also limited to one free key per e-mail address, so you need 5 e-mail address to get 5 keys. Also the key must be activated before Jan 31.

Jim

 

[coolkips]

Hello Coolkips, and welcome to Eight Forums. Nope. It means that you can request up to 5 separate keys one at a time. Each key can only be used on one computer. Hope this helps, Shawn

It is also limited to one free key per e-mail address, so you need 5 e-mail address to get 5 keys. Also the key must be activated before Jan 31. Jim

Thanks... Hmm... I think still possible to get more than 5... Isn't it?

 

[Brink]

It's limited to one license per PC and a maximum limit of five licenses per customer. Let's not be greedy.

 

[Lvcoyote]

For any of you that requested the free product key, how long did it take to receive it via e-mail. When I requested it, it said 72 hours. It's now been five days????

 

[MrShowdown]

For any of you that requested the free product key, how long did it take to receive it via e-mail. When I requested it, it said 72 hours. It's now been five days????

I received my free product key in 24hours.

 

[Lvcoyote]

I wonder if I should re-submit??

 

[Brink]

Hello Lvcoyote,

It couldn't hurt, but you might use a different email address, and also check your spam filters to make sure their email wasn't filtered out and never sent to your inbox.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[coolkips]

Use your @live.com email to get the fastest WMP Product Key

 

[Lvcoyote]

It finally showed up yesterday, exactly one week after submitting. I did it five times with five different e-mail addresses and have only seen one of them so far.

 

[ethnicland]

Media Center not available and not searchable?
For a while, I´ve searched for a sulotion why Media Center doesn´t show up when searching Windows 8 Pro Retail With MediaCenter added as Windows Features(I got it free while W8 early days-Image 2).
By right click a media-file in Windows Explorer/Open With(Image 1), I noticed Media Center was one of the options there and I managed to run the media-file.
No matter, it still doesn´t show up by searching(Image 2).
Do you know why?

 

[Brink]

Hello ethnicland,

When added, Windows Media Center's .exe file is located at: C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe.

Windows Media Center will also be listed on your "Apps" screen under "Windows Accessories".

 

[jds63]

O.K. I have Windows 8.1 Pro and when i try to order it through the get more features link, after putting in all my information i get
" We couldn't process your order", tried two different methods of payments, no luck.

 

[Brink]

Hello JDS,

If you haven't already, use the same email address as your Microsoft account on the order form to see if that may help.

 

[jds63]

Thanks Brink, but were exactly will the Key go to,where i can retrieve it? Figuring if i use my regular e-mail i will know where to find it. Microsoft said they were having problems with there server that does the digital downloads, not sure about that since had me on hold for an hour, accidently hung up on me, had to call back, then they told me this.


Sorry i know where to get my live.com mail.
I tried your method using that e-mail, still no luck " We could not process your order" then telling me try to use a different method of payment, which i tried, twice.:shock: