data.dat

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by mdc, Nov 4, 2012.

  1. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

    Oct 29, 2012
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    #41 kelorgo, Nov 5, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 5, 2012
    To me it's not obvious at all that pre-activated data.dat was needed, for the following reason. A non-activated Pro (for example, one installed with default retail key) can be upgraded with the default retail ProWMC key. So activation is not a prerequisite to upgrading to WMC. For that matter, it's not obvious at all that activating the Pro will make the resulting already-upgraded ProWMC accept upgrade keys.

    So the tie between activation and accepting upgrade keys is fairly loose. At any rate, I think it's good to nail down even the small differences and understand them properly.

    No point, in my opinion. The slmgr /ckms command merely clears the domain name of the KMS server used for activation. It's not even clear that information is stored in data.dat, and not just in the registry. Even if it's in data.dat as well, it's not clear that issuing the command actually clears it from there (just like slmgr /upk only clears your product key from the registry, but not from data.dat). Lastly: if you used a private KMS server, you can give it any name you want, in which case the name of the KMS server is not very telling.
     
  2. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

    Jan 12, 2010
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    My bad - I was referring to activation as opposed to installation of WMC - ..
     
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  3. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

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    You always use a data.dat from a Pro+WMC. The route to get there is this: Install Pro. Activate. Upgrade to WMC. Grab data.dat. There is no need to activate the WMC after upgrade, and in fact you don't have to use your own free MS key for the upgrade to WMC to end up with a working data.dat. You can use the default retail ProWMC key (which can't be activated anyway).
     
  4. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    BTW How did you get this set-up activated? Assume you used the blocked key to upgrade?
     
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  5. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

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    I didn't get it activate it, it can't be activated. You can do:
    1. Install Pro with default retail key.
    2. Upgrade with default retail ProWMC key.

    The result is a non-activatable WMC that won't accept the free MS WMC upgrade keys. This path is only useful for one thing: to replace the data.dat on it to make it accept the WMC upgrade key.
     
  6. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    Oh well .. I prefer installations that CAN be activated with the WMC key - otherwise no use really :unsure:
     
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  7. adit123tya

    adit123tya MDL Senior Member

    Oct 25, 2012
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    instead of using default retail key y don't u use the WMC ugrade key directly...
     
  8. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    Irrespective - if data.dat does not hav an activation routine... it's useless - but yup stay away from blocked keys.. I'd say :eek:
     
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  9. adit123tya

    adit123tya MDL Senior Member

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    I don't understand what do u mean by that... I said the above post b'coz it worked for me like a charm and online activation was successful as well
     
  10. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    Well I have yet to replicate that...I mean activate with only a WMC key (ie no previous activation) o_O
     
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  11. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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  12. adit123tya

    adit123tya MDL Senior Member

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    No... I installed windows 8 pro on the m/c I wanted to use with win 8 ProWMC and then activated it via kms (local of course using vmvare) then use the free WMC upgrade key... on reboot just did an online activation... the results were +ve as expected... then used the data.dat file in "%Windir%\system32\spp\store"
     
  13. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    Well then I rest my case:rolleyes:
     
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  14. adit123tya

    adit123tya MDL Senior Member

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    guys I found something... the data.dat file can be from any version of windows 8 no matter accept that it should be activated
     
  15. Atari800XL

    Atari800XL MDL Addicted

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    OK, but who knows that's *inside* your data.dat? Not that I'm worried myself, but some people want it to be ultra-clean (no traceable info etc).
     
  16. Superfly

    Superfly MDL Expert

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    ATM no-one can tell - seems quite encrypted/obfuscated - IMHO only an activation marker is read - not so much the manner of activation - but hey it's all theory...:confused:
     
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  17. adit123tya

    adit123tya MDL Senior Member

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    I believe it holds the history of ur activation process... because the more u install keys the more its size increases... for ex. the dada.dat file from wim is 6k... one after kms activation is 11k(mine was)... after WMC key 21k... and when first time I added it to wim and had a reinstall and after activation it was 25k...:cool: