Before and after the official release of Windows 8 there were a lot of people looking for methods to activate their copy of Windows 8 without paying for it. Illegal Key Management Servers (KMS) were setup that could be used to activate Windows 8 for at least a while. There was also a method found that converted a pirate copy into a full legal copy by using an illegal KMS together with a Windows Media Center (WMC) key. Microsoft provides these WMC keys until January 31st 2013, so early buyers of Windows 8 are able to get WMC for free Once the KMS + WMC key method got onto tech sites, many users benefited from it. But those who have activated Windows 8 this way are now complaining on forums that the operating system is no longer activated. An unactivated/deactivated Windows 8 installation can be easily recognized by watermarks on the desktop that tell you you’re using an inactivated copy. Many users who installed updates for Windows 8 found their computer to show these watermarks again. Once the updates KB2792009, KB2790920, KB2788350 and KB2785094 are installed the fun is over. According to the Microsoft website these updates fixes an issue with streaming video from WMC to the Xbox, improve Bluetooth audio playback quality and resolve an issue with the Windows Store when an app is installed to multiple accounts on the same computer. The website does not state anything about deactivating illegitimate activated installations of the operating system
But still good to give this the widest possible dissemination. I guess the follow-up question is: now what? And especially, after Feb. 01 when prices go up significantly.
Its interesting MS is still not blocking kms activated win8 installs (without wmc). Surely if they can block it on win7, they can on win8 too. Wonder what they are waiting for.
I have installed all the updates mentioned (KB2792009, KB2790920, KB2788350 and KB2785094) and nothing has happened. Still activated using KMS+WMC key, so...
others aswell but he's not the first to report that the update kills activation maybe a especified one is marked and others dont? maybe related to with data file used on the swap? or maybe the ones that didn't swap at all, KMS activated and added the WMC key
More or less all people using the data.dat method are being deactivated. I have win8 activated with kms ( key later blocked ) but still activated... Seems if you have activated without data.dat and "at that time a valid key" you stay activated ??
Er....? Let see! At the moment I'm in the process to build an Windows To Go Pro (instead of Enterprise) USB 3.0 HDD which I'll activate using an KMS Server from MDL!! After done that and windows 8 Pro starts as W2G, I'll apply ALL available Updates and see it get unactivated again.
Yep, same here. Two test system in VM and my physical machine are updated with these updates and still activated .
I do wonder - perhaps the activations that are 'dying' on us are from the modified ISO's with the integrated WMC (and that only needed the WMC key to get installed)?
Installed the Windows To Go drive using a Pro ISO and all working well. Activated using KMS for both Windows 8 Pro VL and Office 15. Downloaded after activation all Updates, installed them and Windows is still activated. Let see tomorrow and the next few days all is still OK. Also will test the next few days the Pro W2G with other computers a mine and see the Activation will not be gone. With the Enterprise version it's not a problem but this is the first test with the Pro version as W2G.
I have a machine I installed using a self created ISO with WMC in it, all windows updates up-to-date and still activated, no issues so far.
perhaps MS cut off date is the issue . i.e WMC serials only get blacklisted after certain date. So fresh serials sent and coded by M$ will get activation /deactivation gremlins.
Afaik it´s not the WMC-Keys which are blacklisted, it´s the way previous activation of Windows was done (e.g. KMS or MAK). These informations are stored in the tokens files and can be identified by MS.
AFAIK a KMS activation of Windows (here a WinTo Go) will only last for 180 days and so it has to be reniewed every 6 months: is this correct ? Why did you post this in a thread called "the end of illegal activation" ? I am looking forward about your experience: does the activation of a “Pro W2G” stay while roaming the USB stick to other computers ? BTW could you please give more details the hardware (USB stick) you used to build your W2G
I have installed all updates, still activated. The only time it became deactivated was when I installed Black Ops 2 and Steam, I tried to restore activation with Advanced Tokens but got an error, rebooted tried to restore it again, no luck. Then I was going to restart in safe mode to restore activation, but forgot you cannot just do so with the F8 key in Windows 8, I just let it boot up and was going to tell it to reboot in safe mode but checked and it showed up as activated, no issues since. But here is the strange part, it used to show as activated on 11-19-2012, now since that it is showing up as activated on 1-10-2013, and I have no idea why, unless it connected to M$ severs and reactivated over them. Any thoughts anyone?
1.: It's an illegal Activation using an illegal way of to activate Windows 8. KMS activation is good for up to 180 day's and need to reactivate before that period ends. 2.: It's a USB 3.0 external HDD 750GB. As I wrote I'll start to test on other computers except my own to see the activation will "hold" or not. Need a few days for to do that.