Server: Linux
Average Desktop PC: Windows
To boot my dustbin: Mac OS
Linux is in a way to much “over-hyped”…
And yes I’m hyped for 10, the love, the true one… 
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DISAGREE
Depends on where you read about linux. 
Windows 10 isn’t free to Windows 8 users who can’t upgrade. 
Eh? I’m on 8.1, and I’ve got the annoying nag to “reserve my download”.
I’m not on 8.1, I’m on 8, I can’t upgrade to 8.1, so I can’t upgrade to 10 for free.
How did you pull that off?
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sent my laptop to hp to get the hard drive replaced, they put some mass license on it, so I can’t upgrade.
This is why I hate having large corps fix stuff-They git it fixed, then break the rest.
Your critical error.
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It’s still under warranty, that’s why.
This doesn’t make any sense. HP slips the product key into your UEFI BIOS on your laptop as part of the activation process which is the norm for computers within the last few years that ship with Windows 8/8.1
Have you made sure your machine has ALL the Windows Updates? If so, go check the Windows Store and see if you have an entry to download the Windows 8.1 upgrade. Its imperative to remember that Microsoft doesn’t deliver this upgrade any other way besides through the Store.
That’s what you’d think, however I can’t upgrade that way, it will not let me. anyway I don’t think I’ll be able to install windows 8.1 in time to get windows 10 for free. (I’d need to get the windows 8.1 install cd online(yes the legal way) and boot off the cd. but since the boot order is screwed & my screen is broke (meaning I can’t get into bios, I’m using an external monitor) I’ll have to hope my parents can get it fixed in time for me to upgrade. I haven’t been able to update windows for awhile now, my windows install is corrupt. (yet still works, for whatever reason, probably have a virus.
Don’t you know? You can’t get windows 8.1 for the app store running on a OEM license.
EDIT: Don’t ask me how HP manages to screw up a windows 8 install when the pc has UEFI. (by putting in a mass license of all things)
Um, I’ve upgraded client Windows 8.0 OEM licenses to 8.1 a few hundred times now in my business. If its not working, then something is wrong with your Windows install. HP may have messed up the Windows install but it isn’t due to OEM licensing…
Also, this isn’t a HP deal regarding mass licensing. When computers get imprinted a Windows product key, the UEFI BIOS contains the proper key (usually within the MSDM section). When HP, Dell, etc mass installs the OS they deploy a master key that gets them to the “setup your PC” screen. After you, as a consumer, answers questions and gets to the Windows desktop, Microsoft’s servers will automatically detect the key contained within that MSDM section of the BIOS and verify your license is legitimate. You can see this in action by having a lot of UEFI WIndows 8 licensed computers run produkey and see how most of them will report the same key, a key that is all B’s (BBBB-BBBB-BBBB-BBBB-BBBB), or the actual BIOS key. Really depends on the board and the manufacturer.
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If you know anyone in college, ask them to pick up a Windows 8.1 disc from their school book store. I am not even kidding, I got Windows 8.1 and Microsoft Office 2013 (“student” licenses on both, of course, but that doesn’t really matter in your case) for a whopping $15.
I would try calling Microsoft licensing division.
Microsoft apparently scans your computer to check for compatible hardware, and if it finds incompatibilities it will disable the update icon. However, when W10 is actually released at the end of July, it will be opened up for everyone. It’ll also still be free, according to their own FAQ 
Maybe my windows install is corrupt, Either way I can’t upgrade to Windows 8.1, it asks me to “Please Contact Your System Administrator” so somehow they put in some different license. If you know anything
about hp laptops, they come with a “Recovery” partition, which I don’t have anymore.
Yep, I’ve got over an year to get this figured out,
That error has nothing to do with licensing…why do you still think so??
Literally, the installer is running into issues upgrading your machine. You can download a Windows 8.1 ISO directly from Microsoft’s servers and reinstall the Operating System on your computer if you don’t want to pay a IT Technician to repair your computer.
Can I ask what SKU of Windows 8 you are on @The_Doctors_Life?
Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro can update using Windows Store so long as it is using an OEM / Retail / based install.
If you are using any other form of licensing, such as Windows 8.1 Pro VL or Windows 8.1 Enterprise, you have to pull down an update ISO from the respective program it was pulled from, like MSDN or BizSpark.
Seeing as you sent it to HP, it is most likely that they gave you an installation where the key was slipped into the BIOS.
If in the rare, unfortunate, unlikely, and rather odd instance that they plopped an installation that they have from VL for some reason, then you might be out of luck.
I doubt the above occurred though. I’m gonna look into this further because the last time I encountered this issue was November of 2013.
This is the issue that I encountered when trying to update. If you enter slmgr.vbs /dli into Command Prompt, you will get this dialog.
I’m using an Multiple Activation Key from MSDN which denies me the capability to update through store. I had to burn another DVD just to update.
Oh, and if you are volume licensed, you will have to pull another upgrade disc down to move from 8.1 to 10 as well.
Edit: If you haven’t already, there are a few Windows Updates that are required before undergoing the 8 to 8.1 process.
Edit 2: If you’ve had your hard drive sent to a manufacturer, they cannot put an OEM key back onto it. Instead, they typically put a VL key that they’ve obtained from Microsoft.
VL = Volume Licensing
All Volume Licensing users are required to pull the Windows 8.1 Update as an ISO down from their respective volume licensing program.
Nothing beats Windows 93.
7 Likes