Windows 8 activation

[EpicNaz]

hello everyone

 

I just got a new ssd which I would be using for windows. I had to reinstall windows and now I cant activate it because it says my key is invalid and that I had to have previous windows installed before I can use that key. I think my windows 8 copy is only the upgrade version and not the version. My question is, do I just buy a key for windows 8 and will that make my windows 8 a activated as a full version.

 

I'm really confused with windows 8.

[Mbarton]

Your going to have to buy a new key. Or you could copy the os that has the key on it to your new ssd.

[Leonsst]

Install Windows 7 > do install upgrade > profit

[EpicNaz]

I DID IT

So I was pondering on the idea that my windows key is only the upgrade version, having windows 8 installed and working but not activated, I thought to my self,

""""HMMMMM, DOES IT COUNT AS AN UPGRADE IF I REINSTALLED WINDOWS 8????"""""

and so I put the idea to work and yep it does work

[GoodBytes]

If you clean install Windows 8 (or 7), with an upgrade copy of Windows, there is a registry tweak where you change a 1 to a 0, to indicated that previous version of Windows was installed.

So for next time:

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/ in the registry, change MediaBootInstall from a 1 t0 a 0.

Then to refresh the activation system, simply open the command prompt as Admin, and type: slmgr /rearm, and restart your system.

Activation will now work with your product key.

The above applies to Windows 7 and 8. Vista does not support this. It was added for easier time to re-install for when people change their HDD's or just need to re-install.