Windows 8.1 Generic Product Keys

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
Messages
21,564
Location
I am omnipresent
Windows 8.1 has some really weird upgrade mechanics associated with it and it's really picky about what kind of product key it will take.
If you find yourself in the position of needing to install Windows 8.1 but only have a Windows 8 product key, as might have happened for PCs sold at retail and upgraded prior to end-user delivery, it turns out there's actually a fix.

You can use generic product key.
Windows 8.1 (Not Pro): 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
Windows 8.1 Pro: XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB

These keys won't activate, but they're useful for making images as well, which is how I found out about them.

Once Windows 8.1 is installed, you can switch back to a Windows 8 product key in System Properties and it will activate like normal.
 

sedrosken

Florida Man
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
1,590
Location
Eglin AFB Area
Good find, Merc. Wish I had that when I reformatted. Then again, I wish M$ made its special OEM version separately available, but then how will they make you buy the recovery media from your OEM and/or pay $$$ for out of warranty repairs? I'm sure that the fiasco involving a reformat of 8.1 voided my warranty. Living up to my title.
 
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