I have a laptop that came PRE Installed with Windows 8, I reinstalled Windows 8 using a pro disc and I have a legitimate product key (OEM) but its saying I cannot use this key as it does not match the version of Windows 8 that is installed on this computer. Is there any tool I can use to forcibly change the product key that it picked up during install to the one I have that came with the disc I used to install Windows 8 Pro?
Before you can install the new key, you need to remove the old key using: slmgr /upk Then slmgr /ipk with the new key.
I recieved no error during install in fact it never prompted me for a key during install, it just pulled the key from the laptop and used it. The error in my other post is observed when I try to activate my pro key. However, I called M$ and found out that my key has reached its lock limit, it's at 11 activations and theres no way to activate it any more from what they have told me, however I doubt that as I could probably install it on my Envy 17 (A laptop that does prompt for key during install) and then force activation through phone. I had actually tried this as well, this also yields the same error as posted above :\
If you are able to get it activated again then you should backup the activation. If you are using your legitiamatly purchased laptop/product key combo then there should be no issue activating it again but who knows.
I don't see that key getting activated again at this point, I'm actually pretty steamed about it, dude on the phone tried to tell me he was the manager/supervisor when I asked for a manager/supervisor after I had been transferred to him, I then asked for Steve Balmer .
I could be wrong but from experience when installing from a "Pro" disk it will still install the core edition on W8. All computers that come with Win8 preinstalled are core editions and the key is embedded in the BIOS (UFEI BIOS), so even if you install using the Pro disk it still installs the core edition because its picking up the key from the BIOS, which explains why you didn't get a prompt for the key. This was the case with my PC and what i had to do was disable secure boot and enable legacy support in the BIOS. Confirm the edition of windows in system properties , do you see that it says "Windows 8 Pro" under Windows editions like in the image > if not you have the wrong edition installed.
Gotcha, yeah it's showing as Windows 8 (No pro nothing after) and Toolkit is showing as core and will not install any other key aside from Core :\
have you installed auto KMS? if you did then click E-Z activator please disable antivirus and firewall temporary Before you do the steps to complete the operation
Auto kms switched the core edition from retail to kms then activated the core edition, did nothing along the lines of pro, when I try to inject the pro kms key in to windows, it gives a SKU not found.
And I got it activated, seems like "Activated 11 times", "Locked", "Can NEVER be activated again" are all lies, I was able to activate over the phone... Again, for the third time and 12th activation.