I'm just a regular girl who wanted to activate Win 8.1 for free. I saw a key floating around online and used the phone activation process recommended here. I was really pleased when all went through and I thought my Win 8.1 was activated indefinitely. This was in November. I went on with my business. Just now, I had some problem on the machine and needed to check the event log. I was really shocked to realise that the Event log has been reporting "License acquisition failure details. hr=0xC004C003" 36,000 times since November. The error code means that too many users activated with this code. However, Window remains Activated. Obviously it's not good that Windows dials home once a minute and gets a code like this back! Why is it checking if it's already activated? Why doesn't it try to deactivate or give me a message? Many people would NEVER have gone inte the Event Log, and for me it took 2 months. What precisely happened, and how bad is it? Off to see if I can get my head around KMS activation while waiting for a response....
M$'es WAT (Windows Activation Technologies) policy at w8.x is to stay in the background and to collect data without to attract much of attention. At the former versions of windows they bragged with genuine checks (advantage) the user can do on their web site and made public what WAT is. This has changed since w8. Most probably think because of lack of informations from M$ that there is no WAT anymore. But that is not true. W8 violates privacy even more and phones home all the time. They are collecting ANY activation relevant data for ANY activated machine. Legit or not..... highly probable storing personal data such as your IP address, hardware info and config. ATM they just are monitoring and remain silent in the background. Nobody knows what they do in the future, technically they could deactivate the licenses....M$ seem to have learned that to studiously collect personal data and to remain silent is the most effective way to be undisturbed.
Interesting explanations, thanks! I am not using the App Store. I have configured 8.1. as if it was Windows 7 essentially, I don't like this App stuff, metro and the rest of it on a desktop. Plus - I am conscious that most of the "apps" do nothing that there isn't a web site or RSS feed for. But they require you to sign in, pay, and probably steals data. So I don't use the Apps or the App store. Maybe that's why I hadn't noticed the fail. So guys, my best bet is to actually use KMS activation right? With KMS I can't get the same error again, that I got with the MAK key, right? I am bit overwhelmed by the files from Ratiborus, there is no explanation, the readme only contains parameters for the command line tools... Last time I did KMS, for Windows 8.0 in 2012 it was easier. Just click the button and wait for a server to come online. But this time, I have to set up the server myself, right?
You configured 8 as if it was 7... You don't use any of the metro stuff... Your best bet isn't MTK, your best bet is a windows 7 install DVD. Think about it.
Obviously I have considered that, but I don't want to live in the past with an OS that will be end-of lifed. Always very irritating when asking for help with something and somebody tells you not to do it at all. I have already considered that. FYI, my machine crashed, and at spur of the moment I went with Win 8 to save having to upgrade at a later time. Sooner or later you have to do it anyway.
REALLY?! It gets that same error in the event log? Well, in that case the phone activation is the better bet. Sounds a bit questionable to keep the KMS server running and all this. I cleared the Event Log, but here are some examples of problems that it discovered before I re-activated with KMS... These were the kinds of Errors in the Event Log that made me decide to change activation method! Why can't I see this service in the Task Manager? (temp.exe)
So you ate the marketing bull****. Unfortunately that's something I can't help you with. One last piece of information: Windows 7 EOL: 2020 Windows 8 EOL: 2023 Which one will you be using in 2020? Maybe Windows 11? Or linux?
You're really just in the mood for squabbling today aren't you! Yes, I might be fully on Linux by then hopefully. And Microsoft *really* got me with their marketing I went and spent the grand sum of 0 EUR on their products and used NONE of the new features. I believe everything they say, and the more data they have on me, the better... SERIOUSLY, I would really appreciate an on-topic comment, just a response from somebody more knowledgeable on my questions further up in the thread. .
Linux distro product support only 9 month and it will be updated continuosly along with their application also drivers package unless it was lts (long term support) release and since u're windows user dont expect using linux kernel will be easy unless u want learn from the beginning.
better for developer, but not for end user who need to reinstall the os, downloading new application, drivers etc every 9 month (unless it was lts offcourse)
You already got your answer regarding that. Windows 8 calls home, end of story. It is designed to spy on you. Pull the UTP cable from the computer and it won't happen again.
If I recall correctly the EU Privacy watchdog etc. Ruled a while back that WAT was not collecting information that could be used to identify you. That was a while back and before the Microsoft Account which in theory could be used to associate a invalid licence with a online profile. MS has a lot to lose legally and market wise so if anything it will be just a bunch of stats that the bean counters can refer to. In the long run yes MS can probably do something but it is highly unlikely that a heavy handed approach will occur. Strange thing with most of these people screaming about privacy are their social networking pages with their personal information.
"Sooner or later you have to do it anyway." No, most are skipping versions, especially companies. What do you actually want to hear? A way which allows you to pirate and being absolutely 'unchecked'? To be worried about logs, to pirate it and to be happy to have paid nothing?! How does that go together?! W8 phones home either way! Either it does matter to you or it doesn't at all....nobody 'Knowledgeable' can answer this question for you!
All distributions are different in their policies. Ubuntu Linux for example has an LTS (Long Term Support) version which came out in 2012 and last for 5 years (2017). The releases that come out every April and October have the latest features and upgrades. Most of the time the upgrading from within the OS is flawless versus needing to a fresh installation every 6 months. I enjoy Windows 7 as-is for my own system's OS without needing go to Windows 8/8.1, but I do make a point to learn it so I can support it for other users. My point is, if she chose to go with a distribution of Linux at some point in the future, there would be endless benefits vs the worry and struggle of activation and privacy concerns with Windows 8/8.1 I would advise you perform with a fresh installation from an ISO with a matching MSDN SHA-1 hash (so you know it is official versus someone's custom Windows 8 build/bundle) Use Microsoft Windows Vista - 7 - 8 - 8.1 KMS Activator Ultimate 2014 v1.7 for a clean activation. If you have Kaspersky (recommended and worth your actual money) you can right click on any executable file and select "Check reputation in KSN" which will examine the fingerprint of the file and let you know how many other users have used it and if it is not safe. I ran the check and about 1000 users with Kaspersky have ran it within the week it has released. If you have trouble locating the actv. utility PM me.