Windows 8 Activation question...

LordX said:
Yeah so whats up with the Pro W/ Media Center edition?

I see it floating around out there - but no ISO from MSDN.

So are you supposed to get PRO - then upgrade to Media Center Edition?
Click to expand...

Media Center is now an add-on. It will not come pre-installed. You need to have Pro installed then you can use the "add features" to Windows to purchase the upgrade. However, you can get a free key (from Microsoft) here until 12/31/13.
 
LordX said:
So - sum up of this thread with what I have learned:

If want to do a clean install on an OEM machine that is pre-loaded with Windows 8:

1. Obtain the actual MSDN/Technet ISO of the version of Windows 8 that the system came loaded with. If there is a hard drive failure - you can check the NEW looking COA sticker on the bottom of the laptop for the version - thanks to nline for the photos.

2. Install. That's it. No key entry required during install, and auto activation once installation is complete.

3. If you want to know your Product Key - use RWeverything to read it from the BIOS.


My only wonder is this: Would using a program like nlite (8lite now?) to merge updates into the ISO cause the auto key reading and activation to stop working?
Click to expand...


The other thing of note. If you have to replace your motherboard you'll need to get one that has a RDPK (Replacement Digitial Product Key) installed on the board. If you can't get one then you'll have to purchase one from Microsoft. What that cost I've yet to find out.

Third party companies that salvage parts from dead OEM systems will have to provide new keys or remove the keys from the boards. Failure to do that could result in systems that refuse to activate Windows because the hardware hash code is invalid and the DPK marked as retired. As I understand it the system will install and then go into a reduced functionally mode. You can then update the key and get back a fully functioning system.
 
LordX said:
So - sum up of this thread with what I have learned:

If want to do a clean install on an OEM machine that is pre-loaded with Windows 8:

1. Obtain the actual MSDN/Technet ISO of the version of Windows 8 that the system came loaded with. If there is a hard drive failure - you can check the NEW looking COA sticker on the bottom of the laptop for the version - thanks to nline for the photos.

2. Install. That's it. No key entry required during install, and auto activation once installation is complete.
Click to expand...

That's what I did however it didn't detect anything and required a key to be entered during installation.
 
That is because you were installing via a network and you turned on legacy BIOS. This method ONLY works on local installs, on UEFI bios, not legacy.
 
nlinecomputers said:
That is because you were installing via a network and you turned on legacy BIOS. This method ONLY works on local installs, on UEFI bios, not legacy.
Click to expand...

I turned on legacy booting for pxe network boot and disabled secure boot that was all.

Edit: Ah you are right, I need to upgrade our wds server from 2008r2 to server 2012 to add uefi pxe boot support otherwise the windows installations will install in legacy mode and thus can't see the key in the bios.
 
Last edited:
I backed up and formatted the drive on a Dell Inspiron 7720 that came with Windows 8. Then I installed Windows 8 off a system builder DVD and it did not prompt for a key and it shows as activated in Windows.

I think that I installed it in Legacy mode instead of UEFI as well. The UEFI boot options all show up as "Windows Boot Manager" and none of them boot to the optical drive so I switched it to legacy mode and booted to the DVD and installed it that way.
 
An update from me:

I changed our wds server from 2008r2 to 2012 so now uefi pxe booting is supported.
I added win8 and win8 pro to the wds server and then did a uefi pxe boot on a brand new HP notebook that came with win8.
It didn't detect what version of win8 to install, I had to select it, and it also did not detect the key on the bios and prompted for one during the install.
It did however give an option to skip entering in the key and finished the installation so I was then able to run rweverything and extract the key from the bios, entered it in and then it activated.
 
cyabro said:
An update from me:

I changed our wds server from 2008r2 to 2012 so now uefi pxe booting is supported.
I added win8 and win8 pro to the wds server and then did a uefi pxe boot on a brand new HP notebook that came with win8.
It didn't detect what version of win8 to install, I had to select it, and it also did not detect the key on the bios and prompted for one during the install.
It did however give an option to skip entering in the key and finished the installation so I was then able to run rweverything and extract the key from the bios, entered it in and then it activated.
Click to expand...

Hi, how did you view the key with rweverything? I've opened it in a vista machine with admin rights I'm in the ACPI window but I don't see MSDM tab??
 
Last edited:
This is an excellent read thankyou guys.

Can you clarify though what the situation is with a blown motherboard? I'm guessing new board and new paid for key ?
 
ITMAN said:
This is an excellent read thankyou guys.

Can you clarify though what the situation is with a blown motherboard? I'm guessing new board and new paid for key ?
Click to expand...

I'm going to post here because the info in this thread is still current and useful, but requires clearing up the question posed above.
 
I created a syspreped 8.1 image on my bench machine and used one of the default 8.1 install keys.

Restored to a dell laptop in legacy mode just like all my win 7 installs. When oobe started it let me skip the key and when Windows came up I changed the key to the bios key I recovered before format.

Before format I grabbed the dell drivers with double drivers and for good measure I also copied the Driver folder that is on most dells.

Already had all my regular programs and updates installed before I took the sysprep image.

End result..... Up and running activated and all ready to give to customer in less than 30 minutes.

NO DELL Bloatware :p
 
nlinecomputers said:
Already addressed in this thread: http://www.technibble.com/forums/showpost.php?p=338427&postcount=102
Click to expand...

Well from what I just found out, that may be the official answer but there is some evidence that it is inaccurate. LordX extracted an OEM key from the BIOS with RWEverything, replaced the motherboard with a different non-OEM part and was able to activate using the extracted key over the automated phone system. Microsoft just want you to believe you must purchase another license or RDPK. A closer look at Microsoft fine print reveals that OEM license is transferable to whatever the OEM deems an equivalent board when the original motherboard is defective. In truth the extracted OEM key seems to work on any motherboard as long as you go through the automated phone process after the initial 'used on another system' error.
 
Porthos said:
I created a syspreped 8.1 image on my bench machine and used one of the default 8.1 install keys.

Restored to a dell laptop in legacy mode just like all my win 7 installs. When oobe started it let me skip the key and when Windows came up I changed the key to the bios key I recovered before format.

Before format I grabbed the dell drivers with double drivers and for good measure I also copied the Driver folder that is on most dells.

Already had all my regular programs and updates installed before I took the sysprep image.

End result..... Up and running activated and all ready to give to customer in less than 30 minutes.

NO DELL Bloatware :p
Click to expand...

What method did you use to restore it?
 
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