looked through the stickies but i dont understand alot, so i need some help here. Now as i understand it, i need to use an emulator if i want to use the Core/Pro version of windows 8.1, also as i understand it WMC cant be used on VL versions. So i need to get the core/pro working before i can attempt to get WMC working? Just to give anyone an idea if what i want the outcome to be: Windows 8.1 + WMC both activated using KMSpico(emulator) or KMSAuto(which i think is an emulator). When i do install and use the core 8.1 ver(d/l from the The Windows 8.1 (& related) Repository) on a virtual machine, when i try to use the "Add features to windows 8.1" i get: "You can't add features to this edition of windows". And when i try to use the VL 8.1 version(which i can manage to activate successfully) the "Add features to windows 8.1" doesn't even show up So what version of 8.1 do i use so i can get WMC to install, activate and work? And do i really need to use a KMS emulator to get all this working? Sorry if this is messy but im having trouble getting this working. Any and all help is much appreciated, thanks.
Awesome big big thanks for taking the time to pick apart my post and answer everything, owe you one. I'll give all this a go. EDIT to add... i forgot to add that its probably just easier to not be cheap and just buy the damn thing, BUT the only reason i want to run 8.1 is because dice optimized battlefield 4 for windows 8.1 and it is supposed to run alot smoother on 8.1. But i cant justify the price of this silly OS just for a few more FPS in BF4....
Not true. This is how things work with regards to adding and activating WMC. I will only discuss Pro + Media Center, and not Core. If you install Windows 8/8.1 Pro from VL ISO, then the Add Features option does not show up at all. To have any chance of adding WMC, you must install from Retail ISO. If you do use a Retail ISO, then what you can do depends on what type of product key you enter, whether you activated the system or not and whether the version is 8 or 8.1. The full set of options are: For Windows 8 Pro: If the Pro system is not activated, "Add Features" does not accept a WMC upgrade key, only a WMC retail key. Such keys are not actually sold by MS, but there is one such key widely known, the "Windows 8 ProWMC default key". If the Pro system is activated with any method (including retail and KMS), "Add Features" does accept a WMC upgrade key. For Windows 8.1 Pro: It depends on what type of Pro product key is entered. If a GVLK (KMS client) or MAK key is entered, then "Add Features" tells you that "You can't add features...", regardless of whether the system is activated or not. If you enter a Pro retail key, then things depend on whether the system is activated. An unactivated system only accepts a WMC retail key, of which only the "Windows 8/8.1 ProWMC" default keys are known. An activated system accepts a WMC upgrade key. In summary, when using Retail ISO and trying to Add Features: Windows 8 Pro + any product key + unactivated: only accepts Windows 8 ProWMC default key Windows 8 Pro + any product key + activated: accepts all Windows 8 WMC keys Windows 8.1 Pro + GVLK or MAK key: does not accept any WMC keys Windows 8.1 Pro + Retail or OEM key + unactivated: only accepts Windows 8 and 8.1 ProWMC default keys Windows 8.1 Pro + Retail or OEM key + activated: accepts all Windows 8 and 8.1 ProWMC keys To install Windows 8.1 Pro with WMC, my recommendation is this: Install Windows 8.1 Pro from Retail ISO. Enter a Windows 8.1 Retail key, recommended to use the Windows 8.1 Pro default key (which is a retail key). Don't activate (if using the default key, can't activate anyway). Upgrade to WMC using the Windows 8.1 ProWMC default key. Once you have Windows 8.1 Pro WMC, you can change the product key to anything you like, and activate it with a suitable tool. P.S.: search the forum for the default keys mentioned in this post, they are widely known.
wow big thanks kelorgo for taking the time to write all that out for me, that is a massive help. i will report back. if anyone else has anything more dont hesitate. thanks.
With alot of help from another thread and this one = success, i used the keys provided in the link from tito's post, activated with WTK EZ-activator and i now have an activated windows 8.1 pro WMC running on a VM, but, with only 30 days on the clock, which ive read is normal. Once again big thanks for everyones help.