Windows Activation WTF?!!!

[Compton_effect]

You have to be ****ing kidding me!
My Primary drive crashed on me, so I'm busy setting up a new one. (A very impressive 2 TB hybrid drive)
Now Previously I'd upgraded from Windows 7 to 8, and then to 8.1.
So I still had the Windows 8 installs, and ran those. It seems that my key is a upgrade key - I can't activate windows with it. So I would need to install Windows 7, then upgrade again to 8, and then to 8.1.

Really Microsoft? The time and complexity is slowly making this look like a second choice to Ubuntu.

 

[Rickster]

Crack it, you have the right.

 

[Fudzy]

Would this link help?

http://lifehacker.com/5984278/how-to-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-8-with-an-upgrade-disc

 

[Arthur]

I agree it's a major pain. My sympathies, man.

It was precisely this ball-ache that many years ago prompted me to invest in a decent disk imaging tool. I now use Acronis Backup Advanced on all my systems. You'll never have to reinstall Windows again.

Just today I imaged the Win10 preview and then restored the Win8.1 image on my work machine. The restore took 6 minutes.

 

[vinodh]

Use the Windows 8.1 iso to install. Use a generic KMS from Microsoft to get past the product key screen. Once Windows installs, use the upgrade key as per normal to activate. The KMS keys are from here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

 

[ponder]

MS, turning legal users into pirates

 

[Compton_effect]

One registry edit later, and I could do a over the phone activation.
Pathetic, I tell you.

 

[House]

MS, turning legal users into pirates

They do, the ****ers!

 

[Park@82]

One registry edit later, and I could do a over the phone activation.
Pathetic, I tell you.

Share please. I don't have to do this yet but might need to in future. I also bought an upgrade from 7 to 8 :/

 

[Compton_effect]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/windows-8-pro-upgrade-product-key-cant-be-used-to/1726d238-98fb-4634-a468-04645a8ee097?page=11

1. Run the registry editor (regedit)
2. Find the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE
3. Change the value for 'MediaBootInstall' from 1 to 0
4. Open an elevated command prompt (run as admin)
5. Run the following command: slmgr -rearm
6. Reboot

 

[HavocXphere]

This seems relevant too:

http://www.howtogeek.com/187525/how-to-perform-a-clean-install-of-windows-8.1-with-a-windows-8-key/


Will have to make a plan here soon too...I'm seriously not going to bother with that upgrade non-sense.

 

[ponder]

Will have to make a plan here soon too...I'm seriously not going to bother with that upgrade non-sense.

Just do the ei.cfg file thing. You can even edit the iso files and save them so it's fine for future use as well.

 

[Compton_effect]

Like I said. All this running around for what is basically a Home Server is really too much.
Next Time I'm just selling the pc and getting a decent NAS like the Thecus N2310.

 

[grim]

Crack it, you have the right.

No you don't.

 

[Rickster]

No you don't.

Well if they expect OP to buy a new licence, they can suck a lemon.

 

[TEXTILE GUY]

No you don't.

Screw that man .... I have had a similar issue and have had to buy new licenses ....
When the dude from MS tells you YOUR key is in use by someone else ... namely YOU and they wont authenticate then screw them.

 

[mic_y]

Like I said. All this running around for what is basically a Home Server is really too much.
Next Time I'm just selling the pc and getting a decent NAS like the Thecus N2310.

if its for a NAS, then use FreeNAS Way better than any Thecus or other OTB NAS. The plugins system finally doesnt require a Phd in *Nix and once the extensibility is amazing.

 

[DarthCat]

wait for windows 10

 

[rinorobert]

MS, turning legal users into pirates

And they wonder why....