Could he use a Edited EI.CFG and PID.txt with en_windows_8_1_pro_vl_x64_dvd_2971948.iso to install Pro retail Edited EI.CFG: [EditionID] Professional [Channel] _Default [VL] 0 PID.txt: [PID] Value=PUT SERIAL HERE ENDING IN C9WKB And upgrade to WMC using default key ending JK7QT TESTED AND NOT WORKING, NO WAY TO UPGRADE .
Just a small observation... maybe it doesn't mean anything at all. I copied these two files at three different times, after shutting down/restarting, and I compared them with a checksum. I noticed that tokens.dat is always the same, while data.dat is always different. Anyway, in the following weeks I'll try to use them on two different PCs and see how it goes. Oh and thanks for this guide! (Perhaps it would make sense to also add there that one shouldn't use the pro_vl 8.1 iso.)
I'm activated!!!! Thanks Kelorgo!!! The reason it didn't work before (I am ashamed to say) was a stupid mistake of mine (low diskspace), so my second attempt worked fine! So after 2 full setup 8.0/ add WMC/ upgrade to 8.1 runs, and another 8.1Pro install/ add WMC run, I guess I now shifted approx. 20gb around, for a nice 200kb zip file (containing the .dat files). I actually think it's pretty stupid that no diskspace warning is given before attempting the 8.1 upgrade, but of course this was my own error. I even tried switching off Defender before the upgrade (but that resulted in the not very helpful error message: "Something went wrong")... This reminded me a bit of my attempt to carry out an updaterun in Auditmode (Enterprise version of 8.1) last week, which is no longer possible in 8.1. In this case, there's no error either, your PC just sits there "Searching for updates" without any information about what's wrong. So now I'll try making a "8.1ProWMC" .wim, like I did last year with 8.0. I guess it's the same procedure? I know Ambidav's howto still works, so I guess I can mount the (ProWMC) .wim, install my free key with /Set-Productkey and replace the .dat files, to have a (PC-bound) pre-activated .wim/ iso? Thanks again for all your help...
The procedure should be the same, but the result may not fully work. Microsoft changed something in 8.1, which means that just copying in *.dat files (which contain online activation info) is not always enough to have an activated system. You may have to activate online again afterwards. This shouldn't be an issue, as you can reactivate the same key or tokens on the same PC seemingly unlimited number of times. (The situation is different with tokens containing phone activation info). Let us know how it works out.
The new "Preactivated/ Auto activating Win8.1ProWMC" .wim works like a charm!!!!! The last part actually went relatively quickly and without major hickups. I'm now writing from an activated 8.1ProWMC! The hardest part was actually setting the ProfessionalWMC tag with: ImageX /flags "ProfessionalWMC" /info install.wim 1 "Windows 8.1 ProWMC" "Windows 8.1 ProWMC" I couldn't find the right imagex.exe anywhere (in W8.1)?!! Luckily I had a version tucked away somewhere, can't remember where that one's from exactly, but wasn't ImageX removed in Windows 8.1? Then what is the new method of setting that ProfessionalWMC flag? This is what I did, in a nutshell: Mount 8.1 Retail Pro/Core (index 1=Pro), Enable NetFX3, Set-Edition: ProfessionalWMC, Copy new .dat files, Set-Productkey (Free WMC promo nov. 2012), Unmount, ImageX /Flags etc. Thanks Kelorgo! (Now if I only can get rid of that new animation at the end of setup. I use JFX's WinNTSetup for all installs, and it can remove the previous setup animation, but it seems 8.1 introduces a new one)
Thanks. I thought setting the flag might be possible with the latest DISM already, but I guess I'm wrong. Actually, JFX also has a nice tool to download only the necessary tools from the huge ADK iso (pretty clever tool actually). Just google for GetWAIKTools. Well, that version didn't work for me a few minutes ago, but that might have been the sheer excitement...
Congrats! ... Same here ... can also confirm that an *unused* free WMC upgrade key does not work ... I'm guessing MS must have blacklisted all keys that were unactivated after the offer deadline. Once again big thanks to the original OP for such a well written post
My W8_WMC activated (non KMS) did not work. It did not accept my activated WMC key. I realized that I did not stop sppsvc when I copied the tokens. Was that the problem?
Thanks confirming the unused keys thing. Saves me another testrun :flowers2:And yes, the OP did a very, very, very nice job!
What I would like to know is that will an existing activated W8_WMC can be upgraded to W8.1_WMC similarly in the same way as an KMS activated W8_WMC? Based on the same principle, it should, but it didn't.
If your W8 with WMC was activated online using the WMC upgrade key from MS, the same key can be used following the OP's instructions.
I thought WMC upgrade keys weren't tied to specific computers? If I bought a genuine WMC key I could enter it on ANY machine, right?
That is what I expected, but I have tried a few times already and each time it refuses to accept my activated W8_WMC key. And each time it fails, I went back to fresh install W8_WMC with the same key and W8 tokens in order to try again, it activates my W8_WMC.
That's not the purpose of this thread. Of course if you had bought a WMC key from MS, you can use it for any machine with valid activation (provided that your W8 meets the requirement). The thread discusses how a previously activated WMC key (mainly the free ones from MS and applied to KMS-activated Windows 8) can be utilized to activate Windows 8.1 with WMC.
When you say a "fresh install W8_WMC with the same key", do you mean you've used your own key to activate W8_WMC? You shouldn't have. You have to use the generic ones to produce "generic" tokens/data to be used for W8.1_WMC at a later stage per the instructions.