Windows 8 RTM on TechNet Aug 15th

[Phone Man]

But I don't think the part about requiring an active subscription is rumor. The real issue is what exactly happens when you expire? Sounds like your unactivated keys are dead. Its possible that your activated keys may not reinstall and even possible that the installed keys become deactivated?

We really don't know what will happen. In the past, as others have stated the keys are still good even after their sub expired. The new agreement was effective on July 17 for NEW subs and RENEWAL subs. Existing subs prior to that date are bound by the old agreement. My sub expires in October and I probably won't renew, so I will see what happens to my keys. I will probably buy Windows 8 Update at the special price so am not too worried about it.

Jim

 

[Barman58]

It's certainly confusing reading my keys page at the moment, used 6 of 3 etc

 

[ncguy]

Does anyone have any idea how many times a single key can be installed now?

Also, does the 32 and 64 bit versions of W8 use the same key pool?

 

[TanyaC]

It's certainly confusing reading my keys page at the moment, used 6 of 3 etc

+1: I've managed to use 2 of 0 keys. More than a third of the products that I looked at a week or so ago that had 2 keys are now all on 0.

I have technet standard, but I only got one key for Win8 Pro. So was the rumour wrong or right?

 

[ncguy]

It's certainly confusing reading my keys page at the moment, used 6 of 3 etc

+1: I've managed to use 2 of 0 keys. More than a third of the products that I looked at a week or so ago that had 2 keys are now all on 0.

I have technet standard, but I only got one key for Win8 Pro. So was the rumour wrong or right?

I'll bet that W8 key can only be installed once.

 

[Barman58]

Technet keys are generally Multiple use and may be used on up to 10 systems concurrently, I believe that this is the case with Technet Standard.

It has been decided that with packages such as Office, that there will be technet multi use keys for the complete packages but not for the individual components, such as word and excel Etc. this is I believe applied across all Technet Subscription levels except the specialist enterprise volume licences. This will mean a lot of reduction in the "available" packages, but for most people should mean no real reduction.

The legal position is a Difficult one, as people with keys obtained for products under the old system where the contract stated that the keys would not expire on termination of the subscription should still be covered by this contract, at least that's my understanding under English Law. Anything obtained under a new subscription would of course be covered by the new terms.

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Old keys and Old products will still work -- all it means is that you can't get any more new keys for those products.

I notice there is some tidying up going on such as for OLD office versions such as Office XP (still available) there's now a "Static Key" which makes sense for no longer supported products.

If you get 6 out of 0 used it just means you've had 6 (when they were available) but you won't get any more for that product.

Some of the products are still available for download but not via the main download menu - go via "My Product Keys" and you should still find the software.


W8 Enterprise RTM is a 1 key available -- but MULTIPLE ACTIVATION (usually means more than 500 times unless you go totally Bonkers).

Windows 8 (PRO) - doesn't actually say pro but is in fact the PRO version -- 3 keys available (at professional level of TechNet subscription) -- around 10 activations per key -- but there's "no apparent official limit" -- 10 apparently seems the amount people "in the know" usually say are available. I've never needed anything like 10 activations anyway.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[ncguy]

So how many W8 keys will a technet standard get and how many activations of each key? Will the 32 and 64 bit be counted together or separate for key allocations?

 

[DeaconFrost]

You get three keys total. The keys have always been the same for x86 and x64. I've never had to activate enough to know of any limits per key, though.

I have a Standard Account, and I was given three keys total for Windows 8 Pro.

 

[ncguy]

You get three keys total. The keys have always been the same for x86 and x64. I've never had to activate enough to know of any limits per key, though.

I have a Standard Account, and I was given three keys total for Windows 8 Pro.

I'm confused as to how you got 3 keys. It now says you only get 2 and when I just went in 2 was what was offered. It looks like a total of two regardless of 32 or 64 bit. No of activations per key still concerns me since that is still unknown.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I logged in, went to Product Keys and it said 0 of 3. I requested all 3, just so I have them. My account has been valid for 3 years, though, so maybe older accounts, before the Standard name, were given more? Who knows. Keys have always been valid for x86 or x64, so nothing is new there.

 

[kodi]

I have a Technet Standard account that has been valid for 3 years and only received Two keys for Windows 8 (32 and 64 bit combined) and Two keys for Windows 8 N version.

 

[ncguy]

Yes, mine with only two keys is also 3 yrs old. Anyone report on activations per key yet?

 

[TanyaC]

Yes, mine with only two keys is also 3 yrs old. Anyone report on activations per key yet?

I wonder why mine then was only one key? Seems a "standard" subscription is not so standard. Apart from the 40% higher price, I got less keys per product, and now 1 key for WIndows 8 versus the 2 keys other people are getting.

Is it just that M$ Australia are tigher than M$ other places?

I will ring them today. I expect that no-one there will have a clue, but it will be an interesting discussion

 

[richnrockville]

I am not sure what is going on . I downloaded the win8 enterprise and installed the x64 version on one of my portables. I only received one key which I understand for enterprise. But, I can't seem to enter it anyplace.
I see the activate but the program keeps saying that DNS is not valid. Wierd.
I will download the pro version to see if that works better.
I was never asked to enter my product key.

Rich

 

[pparks1]

I am not sure what is going on . I downloaded the win8 enterprise and installed the x64 version on one of my portables. I only received one key which I understand for enterprise. But, I can't seem to enter it anyplace.
I see the activate but the program keeps saying that DNS is not valid. Wierd.
I will download the pro version to see if that works better.
I was never asked to enter my product key.

Rich

It's wierd that Enterprise installed using a KMS key by default. And that key cannot activate, which is why you see the error you see.

Unlike Windows 7 where there was a button to change the product key, Windows 8 doesn't have that option.

Open an elevated command prompt and run
slmgr.vbs -ipk "Your key"

Then, you will be able to activate your key.

 

[pparks1]

Technet Standard gets 2 keys for Win8 (standard and pro), and it gets 1 key for Enterprise (which is a MAK key)

Technet Pro gets 3 keys for Win8 (standard and pro), and it gets 1 key for Enterprise (which is a MAK key)

MSDN gets 5 keys for Win8(standard and pro) and it gets 1 key for Enterprise (which is a MAK key).

The keys don't differentiate between 32bit and 64bit. They are counted the same.


As to the # of activations, MS never really answers that question. But I can confirm from others that they have used the same key to activate the same computer multiple times already and have used the same key on multiple computers to activate them both. < This is for Windows 8...not previous versions of Windows.

 

[kodi]

I have just rechecked my Technet Standard and it ;
Does not allow ANY Enterprise editions
Does not allow Pro and Pro N
Allows Win 8 Standard
Allows Win 8 Standard N
Supplies 2 keys each for the last two mentioned only

 

[richnrockville]

I am not sure what is going on . I downloaded the win8 enterprise and installed the x64 version on one of my portables. I only received one key which I understand for enterprise. But, I can't seem to enter it anyplace.
I see the activate but the program keeps saying that DNS is not valid. Wierd.
I will download the pro version to see if that works better.
I was never asked to enter my product key.

Rich

It's wierd that Enterprise installed using a KMS key by default. And that key cannot activate, which is why you see the error you see.

Unlike Windows 7 where there was a button to change the product key, Windows 8 doesn't have that option.

Open an elevated command prompt and run
slmgr.vbs -ipk "Your key"

Then, you will be able to activate your key.

Thanks, I looked and it never said anything about it being a KMS key.
Rich

 

[DeaconFrost]

I double-checked, and I actually do have a Pro account, so maybe that is why I have three keys for Pro, none for Standard, and one for Enterprise.