Windows 8.1 product code. Activators for Windows and Office. Error during activation

After installing the operating system, activation must be performed. This procedure is needed both on the licensed version of the product and on the pirated version. If you do not activate the OS on time, then you will face some inconveniences, and subsequently a complete shutdown of the PC until reinstallation. In this article you will learn how to activate Windows 8 with a key and without a license.

After installing the original image or any other build of the operating system, the user is given a trial period of 30 days. During the term, you can use the full OS and all functionality. This time is given to activate the OS with a key or a special program. If this is not done, then:

• A message indicating the need for activation will appear on the desktop. It can be removed only after entering the Win 8 key;
• you will not be able to change the visual design of the operating system (wallpapers, themes, screensavers);
• the possibilities for setting parameters in the “Control Panel” are limited;
• it is impossible to enable automatic updates;
• your computer or laptop will restart on its own every 12 hours;
• The OS will stop booting after several days of warnings.

Now you understand how important it is to have Windows 8 activated. Let's look at all the methods.

When you don't need to activate the OS yourself

If you purchased a laptop with a pre-installed operating system, then when restoring to factory settings you will not have to re-enter the key. If you are completely reinstalling Windows, be sure to download the distribution kit of the exact version that was originally installed. In this case, activation will occur automatically. This is due to the fact that the manufacturer “sews” license data into the processor BIOS.

Official activation

The first time you can enter an activation code is during the installation of Windows 8. In the installation menu, you will be required to enter a 25-digit product key. If we are talking about a laptop with a pre-installed OS, as in the previous case, then you can skip this point.

If you have not activated Windows 8 at this stage, you can do this after installation. To do this, you must have the original OS of any build installed: Preview Build 9200, 9600, etc.

First you need to open “Computer Properties”:

1. Open File Explorer using the icon on the taskbar.

1. Right-click on “This PC” and go to “Properties”.

1. There should be a corresponding inscription in the “Windows Activation” column. Click on the button marked in the screenshot. Next, click on “Activate”.

1. Now enter the 25-digit code. After entering, automatic verification will begin.

1. If the code works, then in the properties window you will see the following message:

Entering the key by phone

You can carry out the activation procedure using your mobile phone. First you need to do some things on the command line:

1. Right-click on the “Start” icon and select “Command Prompt (Administrator).”

1. First enter the command:

Where X are the symbols of the license key). Then press Enter.

1. Now open Computer Properties again following the instructions described above. At the bottom, click on the “Learn more about Windows activation” button.

1. In the window that opens, select the marked button.

1. Select your country and click “Next”.

1. Next, dial the Microsoft phone number listed in window (1). The call is free of charge. The answering machine will ask you to indicate the type of license (“1” – individual, “2” – corporate). You will then be asked to enter the numbers displayed in block “2” on your mobile phone. If the verification was successful, click on “1”, confirming the use of this copy on one computer. Then the answering machine will dictate 6 blocks of numbers that must be entered correctly in the field numbered “3”. To complete the procedure, click on the “Activate” button.

The described methods for activating the operating system are considered official. They are suitable for Home, Professional or Enterprise versions of Windows 8 (32/64 bit). Below you can find out how to activate a copy of the OS without a license key.

Trial period extension

The Windows 8 operating system provides the user with a 30-day trial period. You can update it as needed. This way you get a full-fledged OS, but it becomes necessary to regularly perform the following operation:

1. Right-click on the “Start” icon and select “Command Prompt (Administrator)”.

1. At the command prompt, enter:

And press Enter key to run.

1. After this, restart your computer. Launch Command Prompt again with administrator rights and type:

On the screen you will see the number of days until the end of the trial period. If your activation fails, no one is stopping you from performing this procedure again. This method is suitable for professional and home versions of the OS with 32/64 bits.

Using the activator

The most common activation option is to use a special utility. Windows 8 and 10 use KMS servers to verify the license key. The utility allows you to “deceive” the system and emulate a server on your computer, and then delete it. One such program is KMS Auto. It can be downloaded from the developers' website http://kms-activator.net.

This application is a comprehensive tool for activating software from Microsoft. With its help, you can restore the system's functionality even after the trial period ends. Before using KMS Activator, it is recommended to disable your antivirus and Windows Defender. Due to a software conflict, you risk seeing an error on the screen with code 0x8007007b or another. Therefore, disable real-time protection in advance and download the activator. Then run the program and follow these steps:

1. On the main screen, click the “Activation” button.

1. Next, select the “Activate Windows” button.

1. After clicking, the utility will begin to activate the operating system, as evidenced by the status window at the bottom.

If you were unable to activate the OS automatically, try doing it manually:

1. Open the "System" tab. Press button “1”, then “2”. You can also choose the activation method if “Auto” does not bring results.

1. After this, restart your computer. With KMS Auto you can also get the full version of the Microsoft Office software package.

Another program with similar functionality is Microsoft Toolkit (download link – http://microsofttoolkit.co/). After launch, click on the Windows icon in the corner of the window:

Then go to the “Activation” tab and click on the “Activate” button:

Both utilities do not require installation - you can copy one of them to a USB flash drive in advance and immediately use the functionality after installing Windows 8.

KMS Auto and Microsoft Toolkit are universal: they support all builds of “seven”, “eight” and “tens” for 32 and 64 bits.

Conclusion

If you are using a licensed copy of the software, then you will not need third-party programs: enter the key during installation, use a phone call, or simply enter the code in the OS interface.

With pirated assemblies it is a little more complicated. You will need to disable the standard antivirus and download one of the described utilities. Otherwise, the procedure takes no more than a minute and a minimum of actions on the part of the user.

Video

Be sure to check out the video provided. With its help, you can step by step understand all the actions from the instructions and watch their implementation for a clear example.

Do you have a Windows 8 license key and want to use it when activating Windows 8.1, but it doesn't work? Or do you want to perform a clean installation of a new operating system without entering a key? Then read how to do it?

Download Windows 8.1 using a Windows 8 key

To install Windows 8.1 using a pure eight key, follow these steps:

• We create an ISO system image using the Media Creation Tool or download it from the official Microsoft website.
• We start installing Windows 8 on our PC. As soon as the system starts loading (at stage 2-3%), you need to close the installer window.
• Now go to the developer’s website again and click “Download Windows1”. The OS will begin loading. There is no need to enter the key. This way you deceive the system that you already have a previous version of Windows.

• After the files are downloaded, the program will prompt you to create an installation disk or flash drive. We choose the appropriate option. We recommend choosing a flash drive, since you can then add the desired file to the image.

• However, using this image, the system activation key will still have to be entered.

Install Windows 8.1 without a key

Now that you have created an installation flash drive according to the above example, we perform the following simple steps.

• Open notepad and enter the following code:

Professional
Retail
0

• There should be no spaces before or at the end of characters. If you are installing a non-Professional version of Windows1, the first two lines can be deleted.
• Save the file with the name and extension “cfg”.

• This file must be copied and placed in the “sources” folder of the distribution. The UltraISO program is perfect for this. You can also use Total Commander.

• Now you can run the distribution. Windows1 will install successfully without a key. However, after 30 days the key will have to be entered. During this time, you can evaluate the operating system or find a suitable key.

Many people are prompted to read this material by a very standard and common situation: you once bought a laptop with a licensed Windows 7 or 8 operating system installed. After a certain time, due to the need to reinstall Windows or for any other reason, you need the activation key that was indicated on the sticker , which is located on the bottom of the laptop, but over the months and years of use of the laptop, it has long been worn out or completely peeled off. What should I do?

If your PC is running Windows with an activated license key, then “getting” it from the operating system will not be difficult. If by icon My computer right click and open Properties, then below we will only see code of product, and not the activation key itself. It is also important to distinguish between what you need to get - just the code that was indicated on a special sticker or the code for Windows 8, which is in the computer's BIOS.

Screenshot of My Computer properties

For Win8 from BIOS using RWEverything

To extract the OEM license key Windows 8 From the BIOS of a laptop or desktop computer, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with it - in it we looked at how to use a program to get a key for Win8 from a new type of BIOS: UEFI. This method is also relevant for those who are trying to recover the key if another OS was installed instead of the licensed Windows 8 “from the store”.

Screenshot of the RWEverything program

Windows activation key in AIDA64

If you need an activation key for an installed and working system, you can use the program we are already familiar with to fully diagnose your PC - go ahead, get acquainted, download and install. Then run the program and open the tab operating system. In chapter License information in field Product Key and the required Windows activation code will be indicated.

Screenshot of the AIDA64 program

In AIDA64, as in RWEverything, you can see the key hardcoded into the BIOS. To do this, go to the tab Motherboard, then ACPI. In chapter Description of the table we'll find MSDM and in the field SLS Data The 25-character Windows activation code we need will be written.

AIDA64 screen

Finding an activation key via KeyFinder

A simple utility from Magical Jelly Bean. This small program does not take up much space and provides only the bare minimum of information, but that is exactly what we need. You can download KeyFinder from here (the official website of the developers), it is available in two versions - the free one is enough for us. Download, install, launch. In the left window, select the software for which you need to find out the activation key - in this case we are interested in Windows 7 Home Premium. CD Key and there is the required code.

Screenshot of KeyFinder

Instead of a conclusion

This list could be continued endlessly, since there are at least a dozen more popular utilities for solving the same problem, but I believe that the set provided will be enough for you. There are also various scripts on the Internet that use VBScript or PowerShell to extract keys without installing unnecessary programs. Everyone chooses the method that is more convenient for them.

Previously, if you bought a computer or laptop with Windows pre-installed, you could find its license key on a secure sticker located on the bottom cover or back panel. With the release of Windows 8/10, Microsoft began placing a sticker with information that a licensed operating system was installed on the device, without putting registration data on it.

Let's consider how a user can find out the key for Windows 8 and 10 installed on his device.

ProduKey program

The utility is developed and supported by Nirsoft, which specializes in releasing a wide range of applications, each of which is designed to solve a narrow range of problems. For example, ProduKey allows you to find out the registration code of Windows 10 installed on your computer. However, it does not support all types of licenses. In addition to ten, the utility works in “seven” and “eight”.

• Download the application from the official developer page.

• Unpack the archive with the utility or run it directly from the archive.

After this, ProduKey will show the license key of Windows 8 and earlier editions installed on the computer.

If the program window is empty, try clicking on the “Refresh” icon located in the toolbar. If nothing has changed, then you are using an unlicensed or unactivated Windows 8.

Product Key Viewer

A program released specifically for the G8, the only function of which is to allow the user to see the license key of the operating system being used.

As with the previous utility, working with Product Key Viewer is extremely simple: download the application in archived form and run it (you can directly from the archive). The program window will display the license key for Windows 8 - 10 used on the computer.

The only button other than the one that closes the window allows you to copy text to the clipboard.

Some antivirus programs perceive Product Key Viewer as a malicious application. It is recommended to download it only from the developer’s website or trusted resources.

ShowKeyPlus

A universal program that runs on Windows 10 and 8. Like the previous ones, it has only one goal - to help the user find out the key used on the computer. In addition to extracting license data from the installed operating system, ShowKeyPlus will detect the license code of any “ten” from any specified directory, for example, Windows.old.

In addition to the key, the application displays information about the preinstalled operating system and the name of the OS currently in use (in this example, this is a preliminary version of Windows 10 for Insider project participants).

Find out OEM with UEFI

If, when you purchased your PC, Windows 10 was pre-installed on it, and you need to find out its key stored in UEFI, use the command interpreter.

• We launch the command line using a convenient method.
• Enter the command in it:

• and press “Enter”.

The resulting key will not necessarily match the current one, which you found out using the applications described above. It can be used to restore pre-installed Windows.

If you own a computer with Windows 8 and want to find out its license key, you can use the RWEverything application.

If you are working on an operating system pre-installed by the developer, it is better to use one of the programs above. When Windows 7/10 was installed on your computer, and you just need the code of the “native” OS, the RWEverything application will help you find it out. It will extract this ID from the UEFI memory chips and also provide other information about the I/O system being used.

• We go to the manufacturer’s website and download the version of the utility that corresponds to the bit depth integrated on the Windows 8 PC.

• Extract the application files to a convenient directory.
• Launch the executable file.

If you use Windows 8, you can upgrade to Windows 8.1 completely free using the Windows Store. But other users already need to purchase a license, meaning those who have Vista, for example. Even at the development stage, it was announced that users would be able to use the 8.0 key to install 8.1. However, this rule does not work after the official release. If you enter the 8 key when installing 8.1, it will not accept it and will give you an error.

In my opinion, this is done so that most users switch to 8.1 by updating the system, rather than performing a clean installation again. The update method through the store, in my opinion, is not the most convenient. The best and legal way is to install Windows 8.1 using a shared product key and then activate it with a genuine Windows 8.0 key. What is a shared product key? This is like a dummy key, it will help install the operating system, but cannot be used to activate it. These public keys are legal and can be found on the Microsoft website at: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx or use the ones I indicated below:

• Core/Home = 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
• Core/Home N=6NPQ8-PK64X-W4WMM-MF84V-RGB89
• Core/Home Single Language = Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC
• Professional = XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB
• Professional N=JRBBN-4Q997-H4RM2-H3B7W-Q68KC
• Professional with Media Center = GBFNG-2X3TC-8R27F-RMKYB-JK7QT
• Enterprise = MHF9N-XY6XB-WVXMC-BTDCT-MKKG7
• Enterprise N = TT4HM-HN7YT-62K67-RGRQJ-JFFXW

Installing Windows 8.1 in pictures: