Although the installation appears to work ok, when you try to activate your copy of Windows 8 it will flat-out refuse to acknowledge your legitimate Windows product key. I have no idea why Microsoft have put this block in, other than to cause headaches for legitimate customers.
Happily, there is a work around - posted by someone going by the handle BinaryInk on the Windows forum and re-posted here for posterity:
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
If you already entered your key, check the activation: for me it was already activated and I needed to do nothing more. If not, type in activate windows and type in the key; it should work. Also, do yourself a favor and export this key from regedit and save it somewhere if you ever are required to do another clean install. I know I did.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how to do this: "export this key from regedit"
Thanks
raul
This worked for me. Thanks for the clear instructions.
ReplyDeleteNote that my copy of Windows 8 Upgrade installed on a clean hard disk worked for a week before I was told I had an invalid key for Activation.