Activating multiple WMC keys before January 31st

Key have to be activated on the machine it will be used on, before that date. You can´t activate them on another one.

 

Where does it say that these keys would magically stop working on January 31? Wouldn't that bone anyone who needs to do a re-install? (That doesn't know how to backup their tokens etc...)

 

They won´t stop working, if activated, but no chance to activate them first time after that date.

 

The offer ends on that date, very much doubt they will block the keys after said date if they haven't been activated.

 

I remember reading somewhere on the forum that a M$ employee said that the experation date for the keys was a BS statement. I guess time will only tell...

 

Well I activated WMC on an old machine I was forced to use while waiting for Asus to fix or replace my motherboard. When I got my motherboard back and my main system up and running I went to use that key again. Well It worked to download WMC, however when it restarted under activation it told me I needed a new key as that key was tied to another machine. Which led me to believe that while activating WMC some system hardware string is generated based on hardware is sent and stored by Microsoft along side the key. I had to request a new WMC key.

 

I highly doubt the keys will be blocked after the free promotion is over. People will continue to sign up for and receive free keys till the last day of the promotion.. and everyone will still be able to use them on 2/1/13 and beyond.. The only thing that will change on 2/1/13 is the price tag..

 

We all hope so .

 

Oops.. Just read the fine print at the bottom and found the following:

"Your product key must be activated no later than January 31, 2013. Microsoft will only contact you at the email address you provide to send you your product key and to remind you when the activation period for your product key is ending."

 

I read that also but you have to think about it, its not a "Promo code", it is a legitimate Windows Update key and there has never been an expiration on a 100% genuine Microsoft Upgrade key; Just trial and beta keys.

 

I`m thinking of taking up the M$ windows 8 upgrade offer once i get my key from M$ for windows 8 pro do i still need a WMC key
say 6-12mth down the line i need to re-install my windows 8 from what ive read my upgrade offer key should work what about my WMC if i need one will that still work or does the upgrade key allow me to add WMC as M$ reconize that key as retail so if i choose to add features does the upgrade key allow me to do that

 

yes u will need WMC key... about reinstallation if u have activated windows with WMC key before 31ft Jan then it has no validity limit u can use it for life time... and about retail thing... no matter how u have activated pro ( except that pro is pro and not pro vl or pro n) WMC key will accepted

 

so if we got multiple wmc keys we can just reinstall clean and activate a new wmc key and continue to do this till they are all activated??

 

Sure,you could do that,but as it was already pointed out - the WMC key might be tied to a particular hardware configuration, so if you activate 'em all on a single machine, you might be unable to use 'em on another one. A better solution (sorta) might be to make an image backup of the system partitions of your other potential Win8 boxes. After you've finished that, just clean install Windows 8 Pro, activate it via KMS and when it's done - add the Windows Media Center serial.. After you activate just restore from the backup Lather,rinse,repeat for all your other Win8 boxes

 

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You make a legally activated virtual machine with snapshot.
And you're activating the WMC keys, one after the other.

 

would this really work?

 

Nope that won't work... if u do so then those keys will be bound to the virtual m/c hardware ie uuid

 

What you can do is collect an extra HDD, put this as a single drive In the computers from your family members one by one.
Install and activate, and make a back up with Token Manager for every computer.
Save the backups on a external HDD, and use them for the computer you want to activate after Januari 2013.

It does not matter that you first install windows 8 on another HDD (the extra HDD) and when you reinstall on the main HDD for Computers,
gives no problems with "mayor hardware changes"

It is a little bit work, also depent ofcourse how many family members you have, but it's a worth I think