So, if I use data.dat from first post, will I be able to permanently activate Windows 8 with free WMC key I got, without need to use KMS?
Has anyone successfully installed the win8 ADK deployment Tools on Win7? I just tried this with the setup as explained in the first post and the tools were installed, but the permissions applied to the target directory by the installation does not allow an admin user access to it. I had to change the owner (unknown) to Admin and add Full Control to get access. Anyone know what is happening?
what is the difference between windows 8 enterprise and windows 8 pro iso's Install.wim file ? or Win8 AIO install.wim file ? Can someone able to upload that difference files only So it will become easy task for others to just merge that file into Win8 Enterprise x64 install.wim file to make AIO iso.
So I'm not an expert on making AIO's, but with the help of your howto's and tips I made the ProWMC iso ("Create a Windows 8 Pro with media center iso only") last week (incl. data.dat and NetFX3). After that I had two iso's (one Enterprise for KMS activation, one ProWMC for free MS email keys). It seemed a good idea to combine them into a small "AIO" (actually a 2-in-1). Turns out I only need one DISM command for this (which finished in about 0 seconds), never knew this was so simple So thanks for giving me the confidence to try it out... My next plan is to add two more .wim files to my 2-in-1: (3) Another copy of ProWMC-with-data.dat, this one with "DISM injected MS WMC key" (used on my notebook) (4) Yet another like (3), this one with the key I used on my Desktop. This might seem a little strange, but it should work, right? If I select the 3rd or 4th image at setup, this would install a completely activated PC (on the correct computer, of course, when connected to the internet for activation). I'm still at work right now, but I think I might give this a go if/ when I get home today... So once again, THANKS to all!!! My next
No problem when I make my AIO in Win 7 x64 Just make sure you turn off UAC on your computer... you'll be dandy
I do not have UAC set on in Win7. How did you install the Win8 ADK? Did it just work after installing or did you have to fiddle with permissions for the ADK Folder? My system is Win7 32-bit.
I just follow step by step tutorial from the OP... since I turn off UAC everything I run is already elevated... so no.. I don't fiddle with any permission at all when creating... I don't know how in 32bit but if you want just to make sure then run everything from right click and then choose run as administrator
I did my test (mentioned in msg#468) and it works great. So now I have an AIO with: - (1) Windows 8 Enterprise VL with NetFX3 (for activating with KMS), I will use this on PC's that can't be activated with a freeWMC key before 2/1/2013 - (2) Windows 8 Pro WMC with data.dat and NetFX3 (for general use, key can be entered after setup) - (3) Same as (2), one of my activated ProWMC keys preinstalled with DISM /Set-ProductKey (for my laptop) - (4) Same as (2), another preinstalled ProWMC key, for my desktop. I never thought about using multiple images in the .wim files with the only difference being a different key, but it's actually pretty convenient, and doesn't take up a lot of extra space in the .wim. So now I have one iso with both general and machine-specific wim files. Thanks to everybody here for all the info and teaching me about DISM and AIO's!!!
Did you also installed Net framework 4.0 ? From where you run the program ? Start>All Programs>Windows Kits>Windows ADK>(right click on)Deployment and Imaging Tools and run as administrator. Have also Windows 7 and works like a charm here
could you help me i dont know but i cant create final ISO everything else i have done OK i have mount empty win 8 there is sources and there is install.wim and EI.CFG x86 install.wim x64 install.wim entx64 install.wim entx86 install.wim
I have dotNET 4.0 installed. Selected Deployment and Imaging Tools and got access denied. Fixed it by changing ownership. OT This could well be a problem that I had after installing W8 on another partition. I got all kinds of chkdsk errors after booting back into W7. One of the errors was 'replacing invalid security id with default security id for file ....' There were quite a few of these and a lot of other ones too. It seems like W8 corrupted the other partitions after doing a shutdown in Win8. This happened every time until I disabled Fast Startup (aka: hybrid boot or hybrid Shutdown) which is enabled by default. The partial hibernation seems to affect multiboot systems.
why data.dat is used in tutorial 2 and not int tut 1? Hello ambidav, I have a question to your tutorials. In Part one "How to Create a Windows 8 AIO with media center" you export the W8 Pro x86 and x64 two times cause they are converted to Pro WMC by mounting them and set them to PROWMC. After that the changes are committed and the image is dismounted. On Part two "Create a Windows 8 Pro with media center iso only" the steps are the same like end of Part 1 exept of that here is a file data.dat added to the mounted image before commit and dismount it. Why is data.dat needed on Part 2 to convert a Pro to a Pro WMC and not on Part 1. Shouldn't the steps be similar??? (What is data.data needed for?
data.dat is needed for activating a clean install of wmc with the free wmc keys ms have given out!! without the data.dat added, the system wont be able to activate post install, you will have error stating that the key is an upgrade key and invalid for activation Also the data.dat can be added the same way when creating the window 8 aio option! just add it the same way when both x86 and x64 have been converted to wmc and are still mounted, then commit and unmounts
First thanks for your fast response. Just for me to be sure i understand it: "Normal Way" to get a Windows 8 Pro installation with WMC: Normal Way to get a Win 8 Pro with WMC is to install a Win8 Pro and activate it with a normal bought Windows 8 Pro Key. After that i can install the Mediacenter Option and use the Mediacenter Key MS send me. Convert Win8 Pro to WMC and with adding the data.dat A freh installation without Key is possible, after installation i can activate it by only using the Mediacenter Key. I don´t have to use a bought Win8 Pro Key before. Convert Win8 Pro to WMC and without adding the data.dat A freh installation without Key is possible, after installation i CANNOT activate it by using the Mediacenter Key. Can i activate it by using a bought Pro Key? What happens to the preinstalled Mediacenter option?
Correct. Correct. Correct. No. The system is expecting a WMC key at this point, you can't activate with anything else. Technically, Pro and Pro+WMC are two different editions of Windows 8, just like Pro and Enterprise are different editions. Each edition only accepts a matching key. Since you can't activate with a Pro key, this question is moot.
basically the problem here is that as kelorgo said win 8 is expecting pro with WMC key... but it won't accept the WMC key as well; as the previous pro install (which we have not done, but we fool system using the data.dat) is not activated... so in short ur install without replacing data.dat will never activate
That's not an entirely accurate answer. The keys that MS are giving out for free at the moment are upgrade keys, it will not activate with those. In theory it will activate with a non-upgrade, full WMC key, if ever MS decides to sell those. Only one example of such a key exist at the moment: the default retail key, which the system does accept, but obviously can't be used for activation.