My client has started getting new laptops with Win8, but they have the usual battery of preloaded bloat and junk on them. I really want to do clean installs, but I don't know if, like Win7, Win8 Pro "retail" (MSDN) will activate properly against OA3.0. Has anyone tried? This is actually a Lenovo, and it came preloaded with Win7 but had Win8 DVDs. Three of them. THREE DVDs, and there's no way to avoid it installing herp derp Symantec AV and the like. Just installing Win8 off these things has taken the better part of an hour, and it's not done yet. I really, REALLY don't want to use these discs. Ever.
Are you sure they'll even use OA3.0 and not just a retail key of some type? A good way to check is to look at your systems ACPI tables to see if you have one called MSDM. I'm still looking for someone whos bought Windows 8 pre-activated on new hardware and has never booted it as I need a bit for bit HDD backup and ACPI dump. The issue I have there is that most people have already powered up and booted into Windows 8 which isn't ideal for my testing. And I suppose not many people would be willing to remove their hard drive from a new PC/laptop, put it in another system to create a backup and then dump the new systems ACPI information.
I don't know, but the discs it came with say "Windows 8 Pro (OEM Activation 3.0 Required) so I assume they wouldn't install otherwise. It did activate properly without any work on my part. Since we have more of these laptops to deploy, I will try another one with the MSDN ISO next week.
I'm really trying to avoid (a) having to finalize the existing OS install to install apps to get the key (time waster), and (b) anything weird. If I can't simply install the MSDN version and have it read and activate against the burned-in key, then I'll need to continue using the DVDs. Yes, these are Pro, as the sticker on the says Pro, and the discs they come with (as I said above) say Pro.
I've not received any SLIC or certs for Server 2012. There's only the serials which are useless at the moment.
There are no generic SLICS for Windows 8 that work to activate OEM like Windows 7. They literally insert a product key in the BIOS, and when you install Windows 8, it reads the key and you have to activate. There is no pre-activated Windows 8. It doesn't exist. Any OEM copy of pre-installed Windows 8 has a forced online activation. I know this because I work customer support for a major OEM manufacturer. It's a real PITA for Windows 8 because if there is a problem with activation for a customer, we have to authorize a brand new key for them, and we have to pay MS for a new key. RMAs that require a new MB also need a new key (which costs us), so it's one of the major reasons why every OEM is giving s**t to MS about Windows 8. Check your BIOS, and I'll bet you can see the Win8 key in there. If not, you might just see something like 'key installed'. Do yourself a favor and don't give out the key unless you've already activated on it, because I guarantee you it's only going to work for activating once, and then you're on the phone with CS trying to trick us into giving up a new key.
Daz talks about Server 2012, which indeed allows oem:slp activation. And the oemm key is useless without the MSDM table. So one can't use others serial & activate.
Your key in the BIOS is tied to your hardware (there's a hash in the BIOS, from what we're told), so it shouldn't matter what version of Win8 you install - when it activates, it sees the OEM key, and matches it to the hash in your BIOS, as the key and the hash are unique. MS doesn't give a hoot if you're full of bloat or not. iAlso, If you're already bloat installed, you can do a reinstall from inside windows 8 that *should* get rid of the crap unless your OEM is a real bastard and made custom images that force installing s**t like cybercrap dvd.
Usually Microsoft publishes a piece of whitepaper that details how one preserves OEM "activation"... Wonder when they'll publish it...
AFAIK, HW hash would not be stored in BIOS, only OA3.0 Key, CBR(computer build report) which contains HW hash and OEM key would be send to MS. Then MS AVS(Activation and Validation Service) will take over to validate your OEM key as well as HW Hash when your new laptop first bootup with internet connected.