Are the free Windows 8 Media Center keys no longer available?


Recommended Posts

Just got my Windows 7 laptop, got the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and ready to install. Went to the Microsoft webpage (http://windows.micro...8/feature-packs) to get the free Media Center key, it keeps telling me "We couldn't process your order." I have tried even a fresh gmail address and get the same error.

Anyone else have this problem or know if Microsoft has stopped dishing out the keys? Site says until Jan. 31, 2013. If anyone might have a unused Media Center key, I'd appreciate it.

I just tried that page and got:

Thank you

Your product key will be emailed to you within 72 hours. If the email doesn?t arrive in your inbox, be sure to check your junk email folder.

After entering in the email address and completing the captcha. Might want to try again?

I just created another gmail account, put in the email address and captcha, hit "Send my product key" and get same thing (We couldn't process your order.). Guess I'll try at home.

I get the "We couldn't process your order." message too. I've seen people talk about using this to register their pirate copy so it seems likely that they have stopped giving out keys.

I've just tried with a new email and I`m getting the same now (Im in UK)

----

We couldn't process your order.

Terms & Conditions

I was told by a colleague to contact Microsoft customer service after creating a request right before Christmas that hadn't been processed - after a little information exchange, I was given a key over the phone.

http://support.micro...bers/en-us?FR=1

There must be something up with the site at the moment, because it worked some time back in December for a copy I had purchased for someone, but it has since been failing attempts since my last try a little over a week ago.

Full disclosure, I am an MS employee, but even I had to call the phone # :).

I find it very amusing how people cannot get it. It?s a marketing strategy that works for Microsoft. Its like fishing. Throw in the free stuff , give a little time then take a big scoop. So now whoever had try windows 8 pro will most likely not downgrade. So whats the best solution for all you pirate? buy the OS. Ha ha ha

Still unable to get anything other than the can't process your order message. *shakes fist at Microsoft* No one with a spare key feeling generous? Trying to get the extra value out of paying for the upgrade LOL. :D

I haven't gotten mine either, but no matter to me. It is Free after all so if it never comes, whatever. :) Not like I paid them for it. If that was the case, then yeah, would be upset.

Got my key today but it doesn't work. So, not sure if it is my PC or not (OEM install from Toshiba).

So, hopefully people will get thiers soon since mine just came in 11 minutes ago. :)

Got my key today but it doesn't work. So, not sure if it is my PC or not (OEM install from Toshiba).

So, hopefully people will get thiers soon since mine just came in 11 minutes ago. :)

Is your Win8 the Pro version? I believe the key only works on the Pro version not the "core" version.

Is your Win8 the Pro version? I believe the key only works on the Pro version not the "core" version.

After I tried the key it was THENthat I read the email. You are right - it doesn't work unless I have Pro. So, I have a useless key unless of course I can find a taker. But not sure if I could do that here or not via PM. :)

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Ummmm that is what is it supposed to do. Just turn if off in settings if you do not want it analyzing your open tabs. Chrome does the same thing with Gemini. Sarfari will do the samething after Apple's AI and even more so with the release of their 27 versions that is now powered by Googles LLM/ML models. Understanding why it is doing it and how it can help you vs jumping to some conspiracy theroy is a much better approach. As long as it can be turned off, all is good. Yes the default should be off but the a lot of people would never discover these features.
    • Just another reason (aside from many others) not to use Edge. Firefox 153.0b5 DEx64 has a similar feature added recently in prior builds that I will turn off at some point when I get around to it. It's the new "Something looks suspicious" page that pops up here and there. It cleverly hides itself between web pages that I've actually visited; as a result, you know, of selecting a web page and telling the browser where to go. The interesting thing is that it does not produce these warnings from pages that I, as the only intelligent user of the browser in my system, have ever directed the browser to open! What seems to be happening is that the browser looks at all the goofy ad links on a web page I do actually open and selects one that "looks suspicious" and then creates the "something looks suspicious" web page, which is neatly inserted, as mentioned, between web pages my RB ("real brain") has directed the browser to load in a session. The thing is, I usually look at links I am considering to follow before I ask the browser to load them, and in cases I have noticed where the link does indeed look suspicious, most of the time I will choose to not follow the link at all. Doesn't everyone do this or something similar? I am picky about what I voluntarily load... (I don't like links that start off fine, with a site designaiton that seems normal enough but then is followed by indecipherable alphanumeric strings many, many lines long, etc. I tend to reject those because they look suspicious. They may not be, but I don't care... I'll stay with Firefox, of course, if for no other reason than they usually let you turn off the junk you don't like. And because it isn't Edge... But at some point Microsoft will come to realize that putting your bookmarks on the left side is a Good Thing for a lot of people, just as Microsoft discovered when it had the bright idea of nailing the Windows taskbar to the bottom of the screen, when for decades Microsoft browsers had left that placement up to the user. They have finally reversed the obscenity of that decision. Finally.
    • Google was using the old CATPCHAs data to train their LLMs. What is the say they won't use this camera data of users to train their LLM? these companies need some strict regulations!
    • Depends on what you need. Might be a bit clearer on what you plan to do with it. Sort of a waste if you get the newest and greatest, but don't know how to use it.
  • Recent Achievements

    • 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
    • First Post
      carols23 earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      Tom Willson earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      513
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      258
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      94
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!