Windows 8 will not allow a 30 days grace period for activation

22 Aug 12 23:35 by Kerry56 in category Windows 8

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Microsoft has removed the 30 day grace period for installations in Windows 8. Previously, in Windows 7, customers were given this period of time to provide a legitimate product key and register the operating system. With Windows 8, everyone installing the operating system must enter a 25 character key, else the installation process will stop.

The 30 day loophole provided some interesting ways of using Windows 7, including having the upgrade version install over itself and save a great deal of money over buying the full retail version. With the grace period, you could also make temporary installations for quick tests of software compatibility. Those options seem to be gone now with Win 8.

If the computer is connected to the internet during installation, Windows 8 will automatically check the key and confirm its authenticity. There doesn’t seem to be any information available yet for those computers that aren’t connected. Only those using a systems builder version or upgrade version of Win 8 will be affected. Computers made by OEM’s like Dell and HP will come pre-activated.

At least one site has already listed some instructions on how to get around this need for a key during installation. You can see their fix here.

And you can read more on the story at ComputerWorld.

9 Comments on Windows 8 will not allow a 30 days grace period for activation

olddancer: Posts: 288; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 00:40

Not surpising. With Windoze 8 Microsoft seems to be doing absolutely everything in their power to annoy and frustrate consumers. What happens if Windoze 8 doesn't happen to have drivers for your NIC?

ChristineBCW: Posts: 1351; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 12:40

Old, I think we'll all learn how "Up yers!" sounds.

Well, I haven't seen NIC-driver issues but I'm sure we'll hear about them. Of course, "phone it in" is going to be their answer.

But the one thing I preferred about a pre-activation time was loading software and making sure everything that NEEDED a sequence-of-installs was loaded in proper order. Otherwise, I'd often wipe out an Install & do a Quick Format, and re-load Windows again. Pre-activation.

Which was fine. "Getting it right" seemed like a good deal. Now, with Activation required, how long will it be before MS stuffs an hour's worth of WinUpdates down my throat before I can install any of MY software?!! It may take a few months for MS to come up with that many fixes, but they will...

DrageMester: Posts: 19904; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 13:47

Micosoft's Chief Sithware Architect made this statement...

Attachment 242972 Attachment 242973

ChristineBCW: Posts: 1351; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 14:43

It's useless to pray. We all know they'll change the deal. Whether folks end up using Muc's, or Linughs, it's always going to change.

I'd like to take one of these new WHAT IS AN O.S. 101 classes and see where "browsers" and "cutsey mouse themes" fit in with memory allocation, accessing hardware and writing bits & bytes.

Kenshin: Posts: 13166; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 15:02

Mac OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6.x interated with iTunes and iCloud are making Apple a more valuable company than Microsoft in 1999 when Bill Gates was still its CEO. That was when Windows 98 SE was very popular - part of the reason being Microsoft nearly officially allowed a lot of Chinese to use pirated Windows 95/98 - and Windows 2000 beta versions looked even better.

Apple cannot sustain this rate of growth for long and this may be the only moment for Apple to increase Mac OS/iOS share to a more significant level. Even Samsung would want to license Mac OS X and iOS for future tablet and phone products. A few million Surface RT tablets armed with non-Intel CPU and Windows 8 with a tiny built-in keyboard and with its own Office will make Apple reconsider the legacy of Steve Jobs, but it now seems Surface RT will cost US$199 only when bought on the condition of 2-year contract.

tmc8080: Posts: 981; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 15:03

Pre-activated or not.. the activation verification process is continual.. and will phone home lots of times over the course of ownership-- well at least the legit versions will... the cracked versions will be neutered in short course...

voxsmart: Posts: 228; Posted on: 23 Aug 12 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrageMester

Micosoft's Chief Sithware Architect made this statement...

Attachment 242972 Attachment 242973

DrageMester, that is so right! Every time I read the news here, I see yet another privilege removed from Windows 8.

DeadMan: Posts: 1631; Posted on: 24 Aug 12 02:06

It's a smart move by MS for this reason. It's harder to run a patch/hack to activate when you can't get past the installation to run it. The good thing about Win7 (for pirates) was that you could install Win7 and using the grace period login, go to your favorite hacking site and download the latest patch to activate it. Now you will have to find someway to install the patch before or during the installation. Possibly ruining your nice clean Win8 DVD image.

whatever_gong82: Posts: 232; Posted on: 27 Aug 12 20:04

I've never had issues with Windows activation at all, whether with Windows 98SE, Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista (ugh!!) or even Windows 7.

My only problem was the various Microsoft Updates you had to deal with.

Windows 8 will not allow a 30 days grace period for activation

9 Comments on Windows 8 will not allow a 30 days grace period for activation

Windows 8 will not allow a 30 days grace period for activation

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