Change productkey Windows 8.1 Technet-edition to retail; how-to?

[kiddingguy]

Just wondering... how can I change my productkey of Windows 8.1 Technet edition to Windows 8.1 Retail without reinstalling Windows 8.1 and all my programs?

[Brandon H Supervisor]

you could try using the "change activation key" option in the System window. if that doesn't work then you probably can't

 

i'm not sure why you'd want to though as they're both pretty much the same anyway

[kiddingguy]

The Change activation key doesn't work.

Microsoft is cancelling TechNet, and I guess they will "blacklist" the activation keys, so in order to have a working Windows 8.1 I need to change the keys (though the versions are identical indeed)

[+BudMan MVC]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2750773

"Change product key" link is not available in Windows 8 or in Windows Server 2012

The link gives some gui ways, but this seems to me the quickest way

In an elevated prompt

slmgr.vbs /ipk <Your product key>

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

Open a Command Prompt with Administrator rights, and type: slmgr.vbs -ipk AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE

 

Note: the A-E letters are your product key.

 

Your Technet keys will still work fine long after Technet is gone however.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

The Change activation key doesn't work.

Microsoft is cancelling TechNet, and I guess they will "blacklist" the activation keys, so in order to have a working Windows 8.1 I need to change the keys (though the versions are identical indeed)

that's not fully true. if you've already activated windows with the key it'll stay activated. same as if a technet account were to expire normally. you just won't be able to easily reinstall with that key if you need to later down the road

 

MS isn't going to just deactivate possibly thousands of computers just because a technet key was used

[Roger H. Veteran]

You may not be able to use a "retail" key with your current install based on the install image. Some images don't work with certain keys even if they are valid retail purchased keys.

[kiddingguy]

The slmgr command doesn't work...

[Lord Method Man]

I would really stop trying. Windows isn't going to stop working once TechNet shuts down. You may encounter problems using the TechNet key when doing a new install with it in which case you can use your new Retail key then.

[DeaconFrost88]

I thought Microsoft already released a statement saying the keys legally purchased through TechNet wouldn't be deactivated at all.  I made sure to copy all of mine to a spreadsheet in a safe place.

[Eric Veteran]

Make sure:

1. Your time and date are correct.

2. You're running the script from an admin-elevated prompt.

3. It's not an evaluation version. They cannot be activated with a retail key at all.

[kiddingguy]

Can maybe this help: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7759642/reset-windows-activation-remove-license-key ?

[Odom Member]

According to our TAM, the keys for the products you have from your Technet account remain valid even after Technet is shut down. You can still re-install all the applications and Windows versions.

[Lord Method Man]

According to our TAM, the keys for the products you have from your Technet account remain valid even after Technet is shut down. You can still re-install all the applications and Windows versions.

 

Yes ^^

 

OP why do you insist on doing this??

[+BudMan MVC]

The slmgr command doesn't work...

 

Well seems you have other issues then -- so if you just run say slmgr.vbs /?  what do you get?

 

[kiddingguy]

I managed to change the key via:

 

Open a command prompt as an Administrator.

• 1. Enter slmgr /upk and wait for this to complete. This will uninstall the current product key from Windows and put it into an unlicensed state.

• 2. Enter slmgr /cpky and wait for this to complete. This will remove the product key from the registry if it's still there.

• 4. Enter slmgr /rearm and wait for this to complete. This is to reset the Windows activation timers so the new users will be prompted to activate Windows when they put in the key.

  This should put the system back to a pre-key state.