Delay getting an activation key

[leroys1000]

I don't see why the key wouldn't be usable after january 31.
The add feature has both the option to buy media center
or also has the I already have a key option.
The key option should still work after the deadline as long as
you already have the key as windows reinstalls are needed at times.
I had to reinstall windows 8 like 7 times to finally get all the problems worked out.
Reached the maximum activations of 5 and had to call in a couple of times.
Had to call support once as windows crashed and the activation disappeared.
Got trasfered to india where I could hardly understand the guy,of course.
Hate that.
Windows 8 automatically activates when the computer goes online.
No way to turn that off.
You could disconnect the network,but then you can't get updates,but
it might be a way to work on some problems without activating first.

[foxwood]

I don't see why the key wouldn't be usable after january 31.
The add feature has both the option to buy media center
or also has the I already have a key option.
The key option should still work after the deadline as long as
you already have the key as windows reinstalls are needed at times.

Given that it's free now, but will only be $10 next February, it's not that big a deal, but it wouldn't be that difficult to discard all the unactivated keys, and just keep a record of the activated keys, and the Win8Pro keys that they are associated with. When you try to activate your Media Center key next year, they just have to check if the key has already been activated, and if it has, was it used with the same Win8Pro key that you're trying to apply it to, for a re-install.

If 90% of the "free keys" were not activated, it will probably be worth Microsoft's time purging those unused free keys from the list. If 90% of them have been activated, they could probably just let it slide (especially if it would increase support costs from people calling to try to activate those keys). But for $10, it's probably not that big a deal either way.

[Yogi76]

I'm happy and all is well! Everyone works better than ever. Fast boots, Zippy/Peppy media center, so far so good. (all 8 tuners are working)

I have two Ceton InfiniTV 4 cards and the thing that was holding me back from upgrading was the worry that only 4 tuners would work. The Tuner Salad page still says that it won't work with Win8 and I've seen reports that the Ceton Win8 beta drivers don't enable more that 4 tuners, also. How did you get yours to work?

[leroys1000]

Looks like I won't be able to use my second key
before the deadline.
Who wants it?
I will send a PM to the first responder.
I'll check back in a couple hours.
Gonna play firefall for a while.

[leroys1000]

Key taken.

[Fleadh]

I waited for ages and just got the Microsoft install help guys to do it. they generated a key, logged in and installed media centerfor me. first time I have to say Microsoft was awesome. Then 3 keys arrived to my 3 e-mail addresses like 5 mins later and LOL'd at the timing of my frustration driving me to craziness.

[mdavej]

Just had an interesting experience using one of my many free media center pack keys from last year, so I'm reviving this dead thread. Contrary to popular belief, even though I'm just now activating it, it worked just fine. Many had posted that these keys wouldn't work if they weren't activated by last January, but I have found that this is not the case. So if you have a ton of these keys like I do, may as well give them a try.