w8.1 enterprise eval rearm limit

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by imgwhirl, Jul 27, 2014.

  1. imgwhirl

    imgwhirl MDL Novice

    Jul 13, 2014
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    #1 imgwhirl, Jul 27, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    though w8 has no grace period which makes rearm pointless,
    i read that rearming on w8.1 enterprise eval give 90+90=180 days from various sources.
    so does anyone have info on that? and could we extend that with SkipRearm?

    Code:
    hxxp://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh699156.aspx
hxxp://computerperformance.co.uk/win8/windows8-skiprearm.htm
     
  2. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

    Oct 29, 2012
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    #2 kelorgo, Jul 27, 2014
    Windows 8 and 8.1 Retail, OEM and VL versions have no grace period, but that doesn't make rearming pointless at all! In addition, Evaluation version does have a grace period.

    To be clear, for all product versions, the sequence of events is this:
    Grace period => (if not activated in time) Notification mode => (if activated) Activated period => (if time limited) Notification mode

    For Retail, OEM and VL versions, the grace period has 0 length, so they start in Notification mode. For Evaluation versions, the grace period is 10 days.

    In Notification mode, the Retail, OEM and VL versions have only minor limitations, for example no personalisation. The Evaluation version regularly shuts down.

    The Retail and OEM versions, once activated, stay activated permanently. The VL version, depending on the activation method used (KMS), may have to be regularly reactivated. The Evaluation version naturally has a time limit on the activated period (90 days).

    Rearming in all cases takes you back to the very beginning of the event sequence. Retail, OEM and VL versions once again start in Notification mode, and Evaluation version starts in Grace period. All of them can be reactivated again.

    Retail, OEM and VL versions can be rearmed approximately 1000 times. Evaluation version can be rearmed once.

    The point of rearming the Evaluation version is to be able to activate it again for another 90 days.
     
  3. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

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    #3 kelorgo, Jul 27, 2014
    I should add one more important thing:

    Using sysprep to generalise an installation image uses up a rearm count. For Retail, OEM and VL versions this is not an issue anymore, because of their high maximum rearm count (1000). I believe Microsoft has increased the rearm count to such a high number so that production images can be generalised many times (with Windows 7, people were running in to the 5 rearm count maximum).

    This means that the Evaluation version can be sysprep generalised only once.