FYI You can activate Windows 8.1 RTM with your Windows 8 pro UPGRADE key

Hi everyone,

As topic says.

So I bought a windows 8 pro upgrade when win8 was just released, which meant that to activate windows8 I had to upgrade from windows7. If I installed windows8 from scratch/clean I could not use my serial key as it registered as not being an upgrade.

However with Windows 8.1 around the corner (and already floating around on the internet, not really hard to get the install if you want it) I came across an interesting post (can't remember where sorry), which stated that the win8 upgrade key now worked as a full key on win8.1

I have tested this and can confirm this is the case, Clean install of windows 8.1 pro is now legit and fully activated using my win8 pro upgrade license serial.

I don't know if this is common knowledge by now but I didn't see a post about it (sorry didn't look that hard either).

Conclusion:
Windows 8.1 is meant to be a free upgrade from windows8 through the app store. My point is just that you do not have to go out and buy a full windows8 license to activate your windows 8.1 if you want to do a clean install, you can get the win8 upgrade cheaper and be all good.

I hope all this makes sense

 

Well, you could always do a install from the Windows 8 upgrade disc. You just needed to follow this How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 8 with an Upgrade Disc

Seems a bit early to say for Windows 8.1, as only the preview is availible. And the final version maybe different in this area.

 

Not correct.

Yes you could always install win8 upgrade as a clean install, but doing so you cannot activate it using your upgrade license key.

And windows 8.1 RTM IS final... and like I mentioned, it is not publicly available through the app store yet, but it was shipped to OEM partners etc weeks ago. You can download it from a lot of places, and it the same version being "released" in about 3-4 weeks.

 

I bet you that you will see the exact same build number when its publicly available as the RTM has. This has been the case for every microsoft OS release since I started running the betas... so around winxp

And alright.. so there is a way.

If you want to start a fight, be my guest.. I am purely providing people with information. what ever, no wonder I have been away from these forums for years.

 

Thanks Indrek. Well said.

The differences between RTM and the version released to end users may be the same, or it may differ in little areas like activation. Microsoft has time to plug this hole if they think they need to.

Here is another post where he says Microsoft is still working on the final Windows 8.1 http://windowsitpro.com/paul-thurrotts-wininfo/microsoft-confirms-windows-81-rtm

Specifically he says " Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed that Windows 8.1 had reached the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) milestone, a phase in development in which the product in question is typically considered complete. But the firm also confirmed my report that it would continue updating Windows 8.1 between RTM and general availability (GA), and for this reason it is not providing early access to the "complete" RTM bits."

Whatever is meant by the "complete RTM bits" part.

Btw, the author of the post goes on to say he doesn't understand why Microsoft doesn't release it to everyone now. He clearly doesn't understand how the computer manufacturers work and how important that relationship is to Microsoft. The OEMs need time to test on thier hardware, report issues, wait for fixes, test upgrades, train support, etc. Source: I used to work for an OEM.

 

Alright guys, you win the technicality war this time.

However I still believe it's very interesting and handy for the average dude to know that they can get Windows 8.1 "final" or what ever, most will never know the difference and activate it without problems. It runs perfectly fine for me at least.

And the reason I take things personally is because within 2 posts, like always, simple threads with a simple message gets totally derailed in super technical nit picky info that 99% of the world couldn't care less about and the overall intend and point with the thread gets lost instantly.

I don't really care beyond the fact that yet again it was a waste of time to provide a few interested with some maybe useful information

Have fun and enjoy the weekend

 

I think I will slowly back away from this thread.

 

Thomas, I think you are verreacting and reading your last post I understand that it is your normal acting which is bad.
You gave info that people can activate RTM Windows 8.1. While someone else decided worth noting that it is not final bug-free windows yet, so "99% of people" wouldn'get confused thinking that the final is here and questining why doesn' bad Microsoft release it. You also didn't know that while all you need for that is just reading this thread and voila, you are same techy who you hate.

 

Modern OS's are too big to be 100% "bug free". That said, any last-second showstoppers will be specific to particular hardware, and the OEM will handle it. I doubt the Win8.1 that people install in the winter will be any different than what RTM'd, unless they feel some need to shim in a different driver for a network card or something else that won't let Windows Update run.

One of these showstoppers is the OA3.0 activation, which in 8.1 just happens to be.. well.. broken/different. Expect firmware updates to tweak the activation mechanisms. OA3.1 anybody?