Windows 8.1 is a free upgrade to all Windows 8 users, however, you normally can’t download and install Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 product key. Luckily, you can get around this limitation if you really wish to have a fresh install of Windows 8.1. In this article, we are going to talk about Windows 8.1 Generic Keys and Easily Install it. Let’s begin!
Microsoft also only permits you to download Windows 8.1 installation media with a Windows 8.1 key. So we will show you another trick that allows you to download Windows 8.1 installation media with a valid Windows 8 key.
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Fix-It (Old Version)
The actual problem is that Windows 8.1 product keys are different from the Windows 8 product keys. You can’t enter a Windows 8 product key into the Windows 8.1 installer, just like as you can’t enter a Windows 7 product key into the Windows 8 installer. You also can’t download and install the original version of Windows 8 along with a Windows 8.1 product key.
This actually normally makes sense, but Windows 8.1 is not really a different version of Windows. It is a free upgrade to every single Windows 8 user, so there is actually no reason to introduce a new product key system.
That is the theory, however. In reality, there is actually a way we can get around this limitation. The Windows 8.1 installer refuses to accept the Windows 8 product key and won’t permit us to install Windows 8.1 with it. But, Windows 8.1 will accept the Windows 8 product key if you enter it on the desktop after you install Windows 8.1 — no, we do not know why it works this way. If we had a way of skipping the product key prompt during the installation process and then entering the key later, we could install Windows 8.1 fresh. Luckily, we do have a way to do that. We’ll just need to modify the Windows 8.1 installation media a bit.
Generic key to install Windows 8.1
There are most of the times when you need to install Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 8 for evaluation or testing in a virtual machine such as VirtualBox for example. You may not wish to activate it every time with the licensed product key that you use on a real machine. For that purpose, you can also use generic keys from Microsoft, that will permit you to install the OS. However, won’t allow you to activate it. As long as you have an ISO picture that contains Windows Setup files then you can install the OS using a generic key. If you used Windows 7, you might remember you could install it without even a key. Generic keys for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 8 serve actually the same purpose.
The generic key for Windows 10
There are actually two generic keys that available for Windows 10 at this moment. One is for the average edition and the other is for the Enterprise edition.
You can see these keys are as follows:
- Windows 10 Home:
TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99
- Windows 10 Pro:
VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
- Also for Windows 10 Home Single Language
7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH
- Windows 10 Enterprise:
NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43
The generic key for Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 has actually four different editions that include Windows 8.1 RT, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise. Let’s see those generic keys for basic and Pro editions of Windows 8.1:
- Windows 8.1 standard/non-Pro edition:
334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
- Windows 8.1 Pro:
XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB
- Also Windows 8 Pro with Media Center:
GBFNG-2X3TC-8R27F-RMKYB-JK7QT
The generic key for Windows 8
The RTM release of Windows 8 was also available in the following editions: Windows RT, Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and also Windows 8 Enterprise.
Use these following product keys for them:
- Windows 8 standard or non-Pro edition:
FB4WR-32NVD-4RW79-XQFWH-CYQG3
- Windows 8 Pro:
XKY4K-2NRWR-8F6P2-448RF-CRYQH
- Also Windows 8 Pro with Media Center:
RR3BN-3YY9P-9D7FC-7J4YF-QGJXW
Keep that in mind that these keys can only install Windows for evaluation or testing for a short time. It is not possible for you to activate it unless you enter a genuine key purchased from Microsoft. When you decide to activate your installed OS, you will have to change the generic product key to the actual key you purchased.
Conclusion
Alright, That was all Folks! I hope you guys like this article and also find it helpful to you. Give us your feedback on it. Also if you guys have further queries related to this article. Then let us know in the comments section below. We will get back to you shortly.
Have a Great Day!
