Windows 8.1 Activation with Windows 8 FREE WMC key?

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by MrAnalysis, Jul 26, 2013.

  1. MrAnalysis

    MrAnalysis MDL Senior Member

    Aug 4, 2012
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    Ok so Windows 8 is activated with a WMC key. I have made a custom Windows 8 WMC DVD that will accept my windows update key during install. This is done by using the activated files from prior install being placed on the DVD and a few other bits (same as PROWMC iso method on here.)

    I know installing with my custom WMC DVD then upgrading to 8.1 will work but i don't want to have to do this every time i wish to reinstall windows.

    Will there be a method for making a Windows 8.1 install DVD that will take the free WMC upgrade keys?

    I was thinking installing Windows 8.1 on an activated Windows 8 install then copying the activated files to the iso of Windows 8.1 (following same process for PROWMC). Unsure if this will work though.
     
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  2. eydee

    eydee Guest

    I bet applying the same procedure you did to the 8.0 iso will work on the 8.1 iso as well. You'll only know for sure when 8.1 gets released (or leaked).
     
  3. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

    Aug 15, 2012
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    #3 s1ave77, Jul 26, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2013
    Should work when gathering tokens from an upgraded install (Win 8 ProWMC to Win 8.1 ProWMC).

    BTW: After changing Board and CPU my Win 8 ProWMC (Retail activated using the loophole last year) got deactivated as expected. Had no nerv to bother with this, so i activated via KMS. While reading this i thought i could do a test to phone activate with my WMC Key. BINGO! Still working :rofl:.
     
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  4. MrAnalysis

    MrAnalysis MDL Senior Member

    Aug 4, 2012
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    Hope it does, i can't see why it would not. I just like to reinstall every few months (old habit, i know windows 8 has that wipe clean feature but i am rather old school.)

    It's a pain having to reinstall windows 8 then add features then upgrade every time its not clean or efficient. Having a windows 8.1 DVD that will take the upgrade WMC keys would make the reinstall process fairly painless.
     
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  5. NiHiLisT

    NiHiLisT MDL Member

    Jul 29, 2009
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    Should work with phone activation.
     
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  6. basham59

    basham59 MDL Novice

    Jan 18, 2010
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    i too have an activated version of win8 pro with wmc, as of now, with the leaked windows 8.1 RTM ISOs, when i tried to upgrade from win 8 pro with wmc to win8.1 pro with wmc it shows an error--> setup has failed to validate yor product key.
    not just for me, but for everyone who has win8 pro with wmc, even with legit keys. windows has stop accepting wmc keys to activate your windows since december 2012, when microsoft has patched the loophole.
    as far as windows 8.1 PREVIEW (with wmc) is concerned people who were successfully able to upgrade got their licences deactivated after the upgrade. only those people were successfully able to re-activate again who had a legit windows 8 key, AND NOT ANY UPGRADE(WMC) KEY.
    as far as windows 8 is concerned, the only ways of activating windows 8 pro with wmc(provided that u successfully activated once) are:
    1-->storing your activated license using ATM and restore it in a clean install or taking the backup manually and restoring it.
    2--> using genuine windows 8 activation key( or any mak) after the fresh reinstall.
    3--> making a backup of your activated version of windows( an image file in this case and not just the license).
    no kms method works for win8 pro with wmc versions, but work for other version( temporary activation, which can be re done)
    microsoft has patched activation of windows 8.1 on systems having win 8 pro with wmc, for the reason that million of users activated win8 pro with wmc using a loophole causing a huge loss to microsoft, but yhe activation was done legally, as it was microsoft' fault.

    but, if somehow u got your windows 8.1 pro with wmc ACTIVATED, there is always a method you can make your own custom image, so that upon a clean install, your windows will be activated, but the activation is limited to only that particular system( only for windows 8 and 8.1 but not for previous versions of windows)
     
  7. scotyard

    scotyard MDL Novice

    Jul 17, 2013
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    My WMC key was accepted as legit during install(yes during install!) a few days back. But I decided not to install. But a couple of days ago, when I did install Win 8.1, it wasn't accepted. MS closed that loopphole recent;y. Now I am stuck on 8.1 without an activated system. Have to wait for KMS. I hope one will come along soon. But chances are less.
     
  8. TGNT

    TGNT MDL Member

    Mar 2, 2010
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    This method is working perfectly for me. You have to reboot the computer at least once after installation.
     
  9. ssszenith

    ssszenith MDL Novice

    Jan 23, 2011
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    Hi, Do you know if there`s any tool to use that phone activation method but without the need to call MS? i also have an wmc key that i`ve activated before in this pc but i changed my mobo and can`t restore the backup token
     
  10. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

    Oct 29, 2012
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    No software tool can replace the phone activation at the moment, as the algorithm is unknown for generating the confirmation ID you would get over the phone.

    Your WMC key is useless if you have changed your motherboard. The key is tied to a specific computer, which Microsoft basically defines as the motherboard. Changing motherboard means you have a new computer, as far as licensing and activation is concerned.
     
  11. sunilk

    sunilk MDL Member

    May 15, 2014
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    if you change motherboard or ram or graphics card etc it will be void, microsoft shows 6 system configuration changes that effect the activation process
     
  12. endbase

    endbase MDL Guru

    Aug 12, 2012
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    Just say that you have only one computer when you go trough phone activation done it many times no problem :tea:
     
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  13. eric33

    eric33 MDL Junior Member

    Nov 21, 2012
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    do a custom Wmc 8.1 update 1 wiht your backup token ,install it and it will be activet it, in case its not activeted , reboot, and the make an image backup, there are a lot of free tool, and next time that you want to reistall, just restore the image backup.

     
  14. Dos_Probie

    Dos_Probie MDL Senior Member

    Jul 18, 2012
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    #14 Dos_Probie, Jul 18, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
    Code:
    @echo off&&cd %~d0%~p0
     
    :: ### AdminCheck
     reg query "HKU\S-1-5-19" >NUL 2>&1 && (
     goto Begin
     ) || (
            @color 4f
            mode con: cols=80 lines=4
            title, ## Windows 8.1 ADMIN CHECK ##
     ECHO= Right-Click "%~nx0" And Run as Administrator!
     ECHO=
     timeout /t 4 /nobreak>nul
            exit)
    
    :Begin 
    :: Step 1. Install your Free WMC Product Key..
    cscript //nologo "%Windir%\System32\slmgr.vbs" -ipk < Add Your Free WMC Key Here>
    echo Add Your WMC Upgrade Key When Prompted..
    
    :: Step 2. Copy and Paste in your WMC Upgrade Key from Step 1. When Prompted for AnyTimeUpgrade.
    start "" "%Windir%\System32\windowsanytimeupgradeui.exe"
    pause
     
  15. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

    Aug 15, 2012
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    Hmm, not correct :g:. They act as normal Retail Keys do, in case of changed hardware it simply needs to activate via phone. Still using the first key i got in the Free Offer and changed my mainboard and CPU inbetween. After phone activating the key once for the new hardware it now works also online for this machine :cool2:.
     
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  16. kelorgo

    kelorgo MDL Addicted

    Oct 29, 2012
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    #16 kelorgo, Jul 18, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2014
    Sorry to disagree with you, my favourite guide dog, but I believe I am correct.

    Legally: WMC keys are licensed the same way as Windows OEM keys. They are tied to the computer (which is defined as the motherboard). If you change motherboard, you are not entitled to keep using the WMC key.

    Practically: WMC keys don't behave like Windows Retail keys. Retail keys allow a limited number of reactivation over the Internet even with substantially different hardware. The WMC keys don't.

    Phone activation may still work when reusing a WMC key after significant hardware change, but that doesn't mean that it's like a Retail key.

    PS: Yes I'm aware that in Germany, where you are from, it's legal to decouple OEM software from the hardware, and therefore you (and anyone else resident in Germany) are legally allowed to reuse the WMC key on a different computer. This however doesn't apply to most of the world.

    PPS: I admit that using the word "useless" was extreme, as phone activation may still work in practice.
     
  17. PaulDesmond

    PaulDesmond MDL Magnet

    Aug 6, 2009
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    guys, if you need someone to judge over it, let me know :D

    2437818,MRum1fCz2O6_eLuS_9LWpLPsl+_dc+gypBT4ClHIYRv+UjIVlATdWVAH2PXcVDRFR_zFza+bz_F640bMkROhhQ==.jpg
     
  18. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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    #18 s1ave77, Jul 18, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
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  19. Dos_Probie

    Dos_Probie MDL Senior Member

    Jul 18, 2012
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    #19 Dos_Probie, Jul 19, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 20, 2017
  20. murphy78

    murphy78 MDL DISM Enthusiast

    Nov 18, 2012
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    kelorgo is right as far as the number of activation per hardware.
    If you go over that 3-strike limit, you will need to phone activate.
    I think the point s1ave77 was trying to make is just that the phone activation lets you bend the rules a bit and activate on more than one motherboard.

    You're really at the mercy of MS on that end though. They could be hard-asses and just decide that one key per motherboad per year is final.
    If one isn't lucky enough to get phone activation to work, you're better off just using a KMS activator. I mean hell, you already own the legit key; MS just isn't letting you use it.

    I hope they tie these online accounts to keys in the future so people don't have to deal with these hassles. I mean these are legit keys after all.