Why is there a watermark in Windows 8?

By UncleSpellbinder
in Microsoft (Windows)

 Share

Recommended Posts

Mentor

UncleSpellbinder

Posted
Posted

I just got back from Office Depot with a new HP Pavilion 23. It's up and runnung. Came with Windows 8 pre-installed. Why is there a watermark on the lower right corner?

Can it be removed? It's REALLY annoying.

Mentor

UncleSpellbinder

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Bottom right corner it says

Windows 8

Build 9200

I'll get a screenshot as soon as I can...

AH! Never mind. I just completed a Window Update and it dissappeared. Odd.

Grand Master

TPreston

Posted
Posted

Is it part of the background? I've never heard of a Windows 8 watermark.

Change the background to a solid color and then post a screen shot.

Its there if you dont activate enterprise his oem might have messed up the bios oem activation.

Go into system properties or do a slmgr.vbs /dlv to make sure you are activated. It goes away (and returns) even if you are not activated

Grand Master

neufuse Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

I just got back from Office Depot with a new HP Pavilion 23. It's up and runnung. Came with Windows 8 pre-installed. Why is there a watermark on the lower right corner?

Can it be removed? It's REALLY annoying.

screen shot? I've never seen a watermark on any OEM systems, only beta software had them and software that was not activated

Proficient

Churma

Posted
Posted

I have seen this all the time on OEM I have been deploying. Most do not come activated from the factory which I suppose is some new anti piracy method or simply Microsoft new rules. For those not seeing OEM with this it is possible those units are tested before leaving the assembly plant.

Just go to your main start windows and type windows activation, click on settings, activate, reboot, and your done. You will need to be online to do this. I have not tried offline activation yet, I am sure you can do this to, you just have to call in to Microsoft.

Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

Usually removes itself after activation. I tend to find that doing Windows updates should kick start it or make sure that it's able to get through a network proxy if you have one.

Grand Master

Aergan

Posted
Posted

Should be fine. It will come back though if you restore the system to it's OEM default state (I'm talking about a restore DVD / partition and not the "Refresh my PC" option in Windows 8).

Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

Have you activate the Windows? If not, that's why you have the watermark on there. After you activate it, it will go away.

OEM has the key in the BIOS no activation needed on the user part.

Grand Master

Ambroos

Posted
Posted

OEM has the key in the BIOS no activation needed on the user part.

Not anymore since Windows 8. The mechanism has changed, each machine now has a unique key in the BIOS that needs to be activated through Microsoft and is only valid for that specific machine. They did that to stop Windows Loader-like piracy options for Windows 8.

Grand Master

+LogicalApex MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

Not anymore since Windows 8. The mechanism has changed, each machine now has a unique key in the BIOS that needs to be activated through Microsoft and is only valid for that specific machine. They did that to stop Windows Loader-like piracy options for Windows 8.

You just said the same thing I said ;)

Proficient

nyolc8

Posted
Posted

My watermark dissapeared only when I restarted my pc after I activated it. Then when I applied the WMC key for about a month ago, the watermark appeared again then dissapeared after some time without restart.

Grand Master

TAZMINATOR

Posted
Posted

OEM has the key in the BIOS no activation needed on the user part.

Sometimes it doesn't get activated automatically... which is why you have to activate it manually. If not working. then activation system is messed up and the user will have to contact retailer or Microsoft for activation problem.

Don't forget that you have to be online in order to activate the Windows. If you install Windows without internet access, watermark will show until you activate it via internet as soon as you get internet enabled...

My laptops are OEM... I have to activate them manually. My newest laptop was activated automatically because I enabled internet connection during Windows 8 installation.

If you do not have internet access at all, you have to call Microsoft to have it activated via phone which they give you numbers that you enter it on the screen so it can be activated without internet.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Meta is reusing old DDR4 RAM in its servers instead of buying new hardware

      By pookie62 · Posted

      Good think I still have SDRAM and FP RAM sitting around.
    • Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker with Google apps is now at its lowest price with 47% off

      By Fiza Ali · Posted

      Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker with Google apps is now at its lowest price with 47% off by Fiza Ali Amazon is currently offering the Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker at its all-time low price with a 47% discount. The device features an AMOLED touchscreen display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 that should offer improved scratch resistance and durability. The Charge 6 is equipped with a range of sensors including an optical heart rate sensor, a 3-axis accelerometer, built-in GPS with GLONASS support, red and infrared sensors for SpO2 monitoring, a skin temperature sensor, an ambient light sensor, a vibration motor, NFC, and multipurpose electrical sensors compatible with the ECG and EDA Scan apps. Heart rate is recorded every second during exercise tracking and every five seconds during normal daily use. The device requires the Google Health app for setup and synchronisation. Furthermore, Bluetooth provides wireless connectivity for syncing and communication with devices running Apple iOS 16.4 or later and Android 11.0 or later. The tracker stores up to 7 days of minute-by-minute activity data and retains daily activity totals for the previous 30 days. In terms of water resistance, the Fitbit Charge 6 has a 5 ATM rating that should make it suitable for swimming and water activities. The tracker operates in temperatures ranging from 14°F to 113°F and at altitudes of up to 28,000 feet. Moreover, the included Infinity band is made from a flexible silicone material and features a loop-and-peg fastening. The small band fits wrists measuring 5.1 to 6.7 inches, while the large band fits wrists measuring 6.7 to 8.3 inches. Both small and large bands are included in the box. When it comes to battery performance, the Fitbit Charge 6 should deliver up to 7 days of battery life under typical usage conditions. Features such as the Always-On Display, built-in GPS, and SpO2 monitoring increase power consumption and may require more frequent charging. The rechargeable lithium-polymer battery should take approximately two hours to charge from empty to full. Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker with Google Apps: $85.45 (Amazon US) - 47% off Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Google's new hand-wave reCAPTCHA can be bypassed with a stock photo

      By Jdoe25 · Posted

      google, meta, microsoft, true cancers of modern society
    • TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28

      By Copernic · Posted

      TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. Features added since version 3.17: Enhanced speed graph. New multi-threaded copy engine. Support for copying to multiple targets. Queue system for managing multiple copy operations. Support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. TeraCopy entry in the modern Windows Explorer context menu. Integrated toolbar in the title bar. Why receive LocalSend transfers with TeraCopy? Handle file conflicts: Skip, overwrite, or rename files when a file with the same name already exists. LocalSend always creates another copy, which can waste time and disk space, especially when resuming an interrupted transfer. Filter unwanted files: Apply ignore lists or remove files manually before accepting a transfer, so unnecessary files are not downloaded. Better performance on fast networks: In tests over a 10 Gbps connection, TeraCopy received files several times faster than the standard LocalSend app on Windows. TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 changelog: Fixed a bug where Overwrite behaved as Overwrite All during same-drive move operations. AdvancedInstaller fixed the installer’s security vulnerability: EXE Bootstrapper resolved the %appdata% location incorrectly for the System account. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 | 14.6 MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Microsoft finally launches WSL Containers in public preview

      By BlueScreenJunky · Posted

      First exciting thing to come to Windows in a long time ! This is the kind of things they should focus on, instead of cramming as much AI as they can in everything.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      269
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      97
    5. 5
      macoman
      61
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!