Hello all. I am looking at reinstalling windows on my computer. I previously would install and setup windows 8 and then add features to input the free WMC upgrade key that microsoft was giving away. Does this still work? Is there a better or alternate way to install 8 pro w/WMC? This will be for a completly fresh install as I am replacing a hard drive and can not backup my old activation. I think I had 8 pro vl activated somehow then installed WMC. How can I do this currently. I have a unused WMC key in my email still yet.
Yes Windows 8.1 ProWMC Key method still works and you can follow these setps 1) You need to download a copy of Windows 8.1 with ProWMC ESD Image from Microsoft or If you have Windows 8.1 Pro DVD ISO/Image then you can upgrade it to ProWMC 2) You need the ProWMC Key (Free/Paid) which should have been activated at least once 3) You need to backup the existing Activation Tokens with CDKey or You need to Integrate Windows 8.1 Pro WMC Generic Tokens and perform a clean install of OS once and get it activated either through phone/online method 4) Integrate the Windows 8.1 Pro WMC Pre-Activated Tokens with CDKey 5) Create a DVD ISO Image 6) Clean Install the OS without the network connection and see your system OS will be activated. These above steps can be preformed using my ToolKit which you can find it in my signature or else you can do it manually too. Note: Since you are planning to change the Hard Drive, then the Activation may break am not sure.
If the key was already activated before they fixed it the Key can be used like a legit key, install Windows and add WMC, will activate just fine not need to backup tokes or deactivate network etc unless you want to make a pre-activated copy for your current hardware.
I don't have a key for windows pro by itself since it was volume license activated and when I try to install from that ISO with WMC integrated it tells me the key can only be used to add features to windows. Can I just find a regular key online somewhere and try slmgr to install my old key?
Do you think I can install from a wmc iso Then slmgr in my free key and call to activate it that way?
Well I too have only a WMC Pro Key and I do use the above method to activate a Windows 8.1 Pro WMC OS or to make a Pre-Activated Windows 8.1 Pro WMC DVD.
The OP has specified that he has activated the WMC key on Pro VL workaround which was been fixed now and also the OP doesn't have a Pro Retail Key. The Windows 8.1 Pro WMC won't accept WMC Key while installing the OS So the better way is to use the Windows 8.1 Pro WMC Generic Activation tokens with Activated Pro WMC Key and then activate it through online/offline and if the OP doesn't want to repeat the whole process again each time he can make a Pre-Activated DVD like I said in the above post.
All im saying that this still works, i've been using it just fine afterall. You don't even need any Pro key or token just the WMC key, no WMC iso required. Then again im deploying Windows with dism, has never failed. Code: dism /apply-image... dism /image:W:\ /Set-Edition:ProfessionalWMC dism /image:W:\ /Disable-Feature:MediaCenter dism /image:W:\ /Set-ProductKey:XXXX
Sorry this is new terminology to me. What is the generic activation token? I have a WMC iso I can install from and a key that lets the installation go through but won't activate. Are the tokens something that I would need to download somewhere or generate somehow using the key I have. Then I assume I just call them up?
If am correct, I think you are referring to Windows 8.1 Pro WMC Keys and not Windows 8.0 Pro WMC Keys. I was referring to Windows 8.0 Pro WMC Keys to install Windows 8.1 Pro WMC OS.
I have failed in 8.1 with 3rd update I have failed in 8.1 with 3rd update. This process was alright previously.
I did recently deployed OS for my brother's system which uses a Pro WMC Free Key with it's activation tokens using the same method I have specified above and the OS got activated upon install without any internet connection or phone activation. I do use the same method for another 4 PC's too and they all will be activated state upon install and requires no online/phone activation again or no internet connection to auto-activate. Only if you have made changes to system hardware then the activation will break
So am I, Use 8.0 WMC Key (that was free, already activated once) and use it on 8.1 Pro WMC installation, has never failed for me.
I have an un-activated 8.0 Pro Media Center Pack key (retail, not free). And have keys for both 8.0 Pro and 8.1 Pro (retail ISO's). Is the info in this thread going to be the best way for me to get an install going with 8.1 Pro + the 8.0 WMC key?
I know this is a somewhat older thread and I've read through it once already and I'm still not sure how to proceed so I will lay my situation out and hopefully someone can tell me how I might be able to proceed. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro (the 1st version, not the RT ARM-powered one but the Core i5 CPU). It came with Windows 8 Pro from the factory, and I can install Windows 8.1 Pro (using the ISO I got from Microsoft directly) and it will activate just fine with 8.1, but I can if necessary get the Windows 8 Pro ISO as well. I have a few of those Windows Media Center free keys that were given out years ago but I never used any of them So, of course I just installed Windows 8.1 Pro cleanly to the device, not an upgrade, a completely fresh clean installation from the 8.1 ISO (off a USB 3.0 stick created with Rufus for UEFI of course) and it activated without any issues - I did not have to enter a Product Key at any point in the process whatsoever and it was activated after the install before it ever went online which is fine. Then I realized I still had those free WMC keys (which I now realize may be useless since the time period where they could be used/activated is long since past). I decided to make use of one of them and of course it did the upgrade to 8.1 Pro with Media Center which is what's running at this moment and of course that is not activated. I apologize for being late to this 8 and 8.1 party because I never used the OS in the past at all so this is all a learning experience for me. I'm going to reinstall 8 or 8.1 here 'cause I have to obviously start over again since I can't get this activated and I'm not interested in any type of hacks or anything - this tablet is licensed for 8, and the 8.1 upgrade works but I chose to clean install that OS and it works fine (but of course Windows Update doesn't work so I have to figure that one out as well and get it updated - too bad simplix never made an Update Pack for 8/8.1, geez). My end goal is simple: I'd like to have Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center installed on this tablet and activated if that is indeed still possible. If it's not then so be it, I'll survive without WMC. I don't actually want to use Windows 10 Pro on this (but I have installed that and it now has a digital license locked in so I can run that OS without issues, I'd just prefer not to do it). tl;dr I've got a Surface Pro, licensed for 8/8.1, want to get 8.1 Pro with Media Center installed and activated, I have some free WMC keys from years ago, can I do this with what I have or will it require some creative thinking and another method? Thanks for any assistance, it's greatly appreciated. I do suppose I need to track down the 8.1 Pro with Media Center installation ISO as well, perhaps that's something I'll need to get this done, so I'll go find that someplace and see what happens while I'm hoping for someone to offer any help.
sorry JeanYuhs. you are several years late on the free unused 8.x wmc keys as they won't work now as Carlos had pointed out