Activating Microsoft Windows 8 Pro with media center for free with legitimate key!

That is very interesting. Could you please describe the exact history of the data.dat you used?

 

Sure, thoe im now wondering if it was because the PC configuration was identical. I have a Acer W500 tablet, and a friend does to. The WinPro8WMC was created with Windows Download Intergrator 3.3 with no key intergrated.

PC1 WinPro8WMC Fresh Install, failed attempt to activate using a WMC Key after the "fix".

PC2 WinPro8WMC Fresh Install, activated before "fix" with a different WMC Key.

PC1 Booted into safe mode, took data.dat from PC2 and used it on PC1.

PC1 Boots in normal mode still reports unactivated, use slmgr /ipk to install the WMC Key that is different from PC2, windows reports not genuine error on slmgr. Moments after, I happened to click "Show Desktop" on the righthand cornor. And I notice the watermark goes away. I checked activation both in System and slmgr dlv, and system is activated. I reboot to verify and system is still activated.

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

Please read the other WMC threads. The last thing we need is another thread about WMC....

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

Really another topic about this old news ?

 

Thats what I'm sayin... Can a MOD PLEASE close this thread....

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

@Klownicle: Thank you very much for the reply! There are a couple of details that I would love for you to confirm, which actually matter.

On PC1, did you do a fresh install after this first failed attempt to activate? Or did you just copy the data.dat over on to PC1 after this point, without a reinstall?

When you say windows reports not genuine error on slmgr, which command are you exactly referring to? "slmgr /ipk" does not give an error message, so which command gave you the not genuine error? Was it "slmgr /dlv" or perhaps "slmgr /ato"?

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

If I am not mistaken, this translates to the same procedure that I posted. The ISO you used would already have a prepared data.dat in it. I believe your steps 1-3 therefore correspond to my steps 1-8, and as you attempt an activation online, the correct hardware hash etc. is entered in tokens.dat. Your steps 5-8 would then correspond to my steps 9-12 (second copying of data.dat, and second entry of key).

If I understood you correctly, the mechanism is the same.

 

@kelorgo

your detailed instructions worked 100% - tested on 2 VM's activated on reboot for 'educational purposes'
thank you!

 

@kelorgo yep that post was in response to

and notice the thanks at the bottom of the page

 

I've been reviewing this and the other WMC threads, looking over as many reports as possible of apparently successful fresh WMC activations since the MS block. The more I look, the more convinced I get that in every case the person has attempted at least once to activate online, followed by copying over data.dat and entering product key again.

So it seems to me that success does indeed boil down to these key points:

1. Must either already have on the system (as part of the ISO) or copy over a data.dat that accepts a WMC upgrade key
2. Must attempt to activate online at least once (even if you get a non-genuine error)
3. Must copy over a valid data.dat (that has record of a successful WMC online activation)
4. Must reenter the key and not attempt to activate online

Here is another interesting tidbit: the Activation GUI shows the date of activation, which is a crucial piece of info not even contained in "slmgr /dlv". To see this info, either

• go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Action Center -> open up Security category -> click on "View activation details"
• or go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> System -> click on "View details in Windows Activation" at the bottom

The reason why the activation date is relevant: if you follow my procedure, you will see an activation date well in the past. If you did actually successfully, freshly activated online, you would see today's date instead.

So, my request: if anyone successfully activates a fresh WMC key online such that the activation date is today's date, please tell me what you did!

 

I did all th updates and is still activated.... they might have fixed the hole but I dont think they will stop the ones that is already done. I have 2 more keys and Like the guy said You dont need to enter a key.Just enter the one the microsoft was so nice to send 6 keys to my many emails...

 

Error 0xC004C4AA

Is this error 0xC004C4AA for this thread only? I have legit keys for both win 8 and the free WMC. But for some reason it keeps deactivating windows 8 on me. It has done it so many times it seemed to have flagged my key and wouldn't accept it at all.

I call tech support and they couldn't get it to activate either. They ended up giving my a new win8 pro key (non-upgrade) and he walked me through re-installation. Now a week and a half later it deactivated with this new error code of 0xC004C4AA, I never got this error the other dozen or so times it deactivated itself.

I guess my question is maybe since I have the old free WMC key that is was blocked or something as well. Although it takes about 10ish days to deactivate. I also did a windows update yesterday that may have flagged it and my previous deactivations were a different issue altogether?

Any ideas, thoughts?
-=Mark=-

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

I figured as much, but I tend to do things without knowing the origin or source first hehe, thanks for that info though

 

You need to login to view this posts content.

 

Can confirm, it´s working to trick activation with proper data.dat. My test machine is activated and shows activation date: 30.10.2012 . Copied data.dat twice, as kelorgo recommended, second time offline. Rebooted and let the machine go online...activation was successfully restored .