WTB: Windows 8 WMC Product Key

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TophrHwk

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WTB: Windows 8 WMC Product Key

#1

Post by TophrHwk » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:50 am

Hello All! First time poster, long time lurker. :) I had an activated W8 WMC key that I gave to a friend for his setup a while ago and now my Windows 7 WMC system is acting up and really needs a fresh install. If I have to go through that hassle, I would prefer to do it with Windows 8.1, but I would be unable to perform the Windows 8 in-product update. :( If anyone could help me out, I would sincerely appreciate it. Thank you.

TophrHwk

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#2

Post by TophrHwk » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:02 pm

Anyone? Please.

choliscott

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#3

Post by choliscott » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:22 pm

As others have mentioned in the past, there is no difference in regards to WMC between W7 & W8. Is there a reason that you prefer to go to W8 compared to just staying with 7?

A lot of the add on's run better with W7 compared to 8 & the only extenders that work with W8 is the XB 360, so if you had an Ceton Echo or any other extender, they would no longer work.

Ed 

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#4

Post by Ed  » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:44 pm

I'm all out of extra WMC keys ATM, sorry. :(

I'll have one more whenever I finally upgrade my HTPC from 8.1 to 10, but I haven't had the time and have no idea when that will be.

TophrHwk

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#5

Post by TophrHwk » Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:36 pm

Thank you for your replies. The main reason I want to move to Windows 8.1 is that I want to virtualize my WMC in my ESXi environment and lose the associated Windows 7 hardware. Additionally, my Windows 8.1 license is retail and my current Windows 7 WMC is an OEM license. My WMC setup is pretty straightforward with one XBox360 extender that occasionally gets used in the living room and a RP2B running Kodi on OSMC in the bedroom using ServerWMC as the backend.

Still looking, if any kind soul wants to sell/bequeath a media pack license.... :wave:

Diverge

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#6

Post by Diverge » Thu Dec 10, 2015 9:32 pm

You don't even need an activated windows 8 install to use as a WMC server in ESXI. You'll get activation nags, but they won't bother you since you're using it as a headless server w/ extenders. You can also just mod your win 8 iso so it has WMC on windows install. So you don't need keys for either.

TophrHwk

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#7

Post by TophrHwk » Sun Dec 27, 2015 7:41 pm

Diverge wrote:You don't even need an activated windows 8 install to use as a WMC server in ESXI. You'll get activation nags, but they won't bother you since you're using it as a headless server w/ extenders. You can also just mod your win 8 iso so it has WMC on windows install. So you don't need keys for either.
Thank you for your comments, however, I'm trying to accomplish this legally.

Still looking for a key....

mdavej

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#8

Post by mdavej » Sun Dec 27, 2015 8:40 pm

TophrHwk wrote:
Diverge wrote:You don't even need an activated windows 8 install to use as a WMC server in ESXI. You'll get activation nags, but they won't bother you since you're using it as a headless server w/ extenders. You can also just mod your win 8 iso so it has WMC on windows install. So you don't need keys for either.
Thank you for your comments, however, I'm trying to accomplish this legally.

Still looking for a key....
Since Microsoft themselves wouldn't sell you one even if you threw money at them, I'd say it's ethically ok to bend the rules a little on this now obsolete product. It was free in Win 7. The only reason they even charged for it in Win 8 was to pay for the DVD playback licensing which you aren't even using. When Win 8 first came out, you could get all the WMC licenses you wanted for free anyway.

Long story short, you'll probably never find a license at this point, and Microsoft couldn't care less, so may as well make it work however you can.

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DavidinCT

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#9

Post by DavidinCT » Fri Jan 01, 2016 6:49 pm

TophrHwk wrote:
Diverge wrote:You don't even need an activated windows 8 install to use as a WMC server in ESXI. You'll get activation nags, but they won't bother you since you're using it as a headless server w/ extenders. You can also just mod your win 8 iso so it has WMC on windows install. So you don't need keys for either.
Thank you for your comments, however, I'm trying to accomplish this legally.

Still looking for a key....
Yea, why not just try it with Windows 7 if you cant get a 8.1 WMC key ? As 8.1 goes, if your *only* using it for a headless WMC machine (no 8.1 features or settings), 8.1 is no different. Even less if your using it in a VM for a headless setup (video drivers, video card settings, etc). There are other advanages to using a 7 machine, as 3rd party extenders (cheap extenders)....

I mean if your using it as a front end, and found a way to use 8.1 apps with a remote, then YEA, it would be worth it...

Save yourself a hassle, get a 7 pro/ultimate license, do it again and live with 7, you wont be disappointed..

As Media Center goes, there is NO ADVANAGE in anyway to go to 8.1....None, if anything it's less...

I've had it running for about 3-4 weeks on my HTPC.... it's solid, sure but, tons of 3rd party apps don't run or don't work right under 8.1, it was a NIGHTMARE to get my LPT display working...I had to hack 8.1 for that, on 7 It was a quick install and it worked.
-Dave
Twitter @TheCoolDave

Windows Media Center certified and WMC MVP 2010 - 2012

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