Windows 8.1 will not activate

Spudzzmurphy

This week I downloaded Windows 8 OS on my second drive for duel boot with Windows 7,
I then updated to Windows 8.1 with no problems,but my Windows 8 reg/key will not activate Windows 8.1,it says in Windows PC that Windows is not activated.Can someone please advise on this issue.

Overheal

you may have screwed up, only because microsoft screwed this up so badly. Assuming you did not activate Windows 8.0 before installing 8.1?

Short version is Microsoft's pressure to PR the crap out of Windows 8 caused them to brand the first service pack as 8.1. The problem with that is they re-pressed all new DVDs and issued all new batches of keys for that launch.

It also meant - and I had to find this out in the pissy way too, from one of their support reps - that a windows 8.0 key will not activate windows 8.1 and vice versa. To install windows 8.1, I can't just go to a Windows 8.1 DVD, I *have* to install 8.0, activate it, then install 8.1.

Spudzzmurphy

Overheal wrote: »

you may have screwed up, only because microsoft screwed this up so badly. Assuming you did not activate Windows 8.0 before installing 8.1?

Short version is Microsoft's pressure to PR the crap out of Windows 8 caused them to brand the first service pack as 8.1. The problem with that is they re-pressed all new DVDs and issued all new batches of keys for that launch.

It also meant - and I had to find this out in the pissy way too, from one of their support reps - that a windows 8.0 key will not activate windows 8.1 and vice versa. To install windows 8.1, I can't just go to a Windows 8.1 DVD, I *have* to install 8.0, activate it, then install 8.1.
Cheers !!

Got it sorted today,I reinstalled Windows 8 OS from ISO then done a full update,and then downloaded 8.1 upgrade after the updates were finished just a word of warning to anyone, as I was downloading the upgrade the download stayed on 82% for over half an hour,was just about to reboot when it started to run again,so be patient when downloading.
By the way my Windows 8 Key which I had for over a year before I used it did upgrade me to Windows 8.1,but as you said you do need to upgrade from Windows 8.

Cheers!!

Overheal

Windows update progress % has a historical tendency to hang for long periods of time. Not sure what causes the issue, but its a normal occurrence on all hardware that I've seen, and working for Best Buy I ran updates on a lot of different makes and models.

Capt'n Midnight

Overheal wrote: »

Windows update progress % has a historical tendency to hang for long periods of time.

I see you sorted it by doing an OS upgrade but here's one for future reference:

Is this a machine which came with Windows 8.0 preinstalled? If so, use Get_win8key to dump the key from your UEFI and try activating with that. Should work fine.

I've regularly activated a clean install of 8.1 with an 8.0 key without real issues. The only one is that if installing from disc, you can't use your 8.0 product key during the initial setup, but you can change it afterwards.

Spudzzmurphy

Karsini wrote: »

I see you sorted it by doing an OS upgrade but here's one for future reference:

Is this a machine which came with Windows 8.0 preinstalled? If so, use Get_win8key to dump the key from your UEFI and try activating with that. Should work fine.

I've regularly activated a clean install of 8.1 with an 8.0 key without real issues. The only one is that if installing from disc, you can't use your 8.0 product key during the initial setup, but you can change it afterwards.

No this pc came with Windows 7 home preinstalled.
Just looking forward to Windows 9 now,if it can inprove on Windows 8.1 to a small extent I would be happy.I am sorry I did not install Windows 8 when I first received it,the difference it has made to my Laptop speed is really good,and I am running on a Core i7 processor,multi tasking is far easier once you get the run of Windows 8.

PropJoe10

Spudzzmurphy wrote: »

No this pc came with Windows 7 home preinstalled.
Just looking forward to Windows 9 now,if it can inprove on Windows 8.1 to a small extent I would be happy.I am sorry I did not install Windows 8 when I first received it,the difference it has made to my Laptop speed is really good,and I am running on a Core i7 processor,multi tasking is far easier once you get the run of Windows 8.

Windows 8.1 is great when Classic Shell is installed alright, definitely runs a lot lighter than 7 does. If they can keep the upward trajectory when they release Windows 9, its sure to be a winner. 8 was pretty bad when they first released it but 8.1 really cleaned it up alot