Windows 8.1 Product Key and Activation

Anonymous
2013-11-22T04:35:23+00:00

About a week ago, I downloaded Windows 8.1 from MS Store. This was an upgrade for Windows 8 which came installed on my new HP PC.

The download was successful and Win 8.1 installed. However, Win 8.1 did not get activated and I keep getting a reminder screen to Activate Win 8.1.

This Activate Screen asks me to enter a Product Key. It gives me an error code of 0xc004c003 which states that the activation server has blocked my product key. It also gives the last five(5) characters of the blocked product key.

Well, I never entered a product key during the upgrade so I'm not sure where the product key came from.

I did a web search for the last five characters of the product key and it appears to be all over the web.

I used an application that showed the last fifteen(15) characters of the product key in my PC for Win 8.1 and they match the product key that I found all over the web.

It's no wonder that MS has blocked this key.

My question is. How do I activate Windows 8.1 since I have no product key.  MS Store did not provide a key with the download.

Dennis J. Ferrier

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Licensing and activation

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-09-07T10:39:16+00:00

    I HAVE TIRED EVERYTHING AND IT DOES NOT WORK .IT SAID I NEED NEW PRODUCT KEY . I TIRED TO DOWNLOAD WINDOWS 10  AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. IT STOP AND SAID NEED NEW PRODUCT KEY MIND IT OUT DATE. NEW PRODUCT KEY IS 100.00 DOLLARS THAT BULL ****.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-07T10:25:15+00:00

    I TIRED AT AND IT DID NOT WORK. TECH SUPPORT TOLD ME I NEED A NEW PRODUCT KEY. MY KEY IS OUT DATE

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-06T23:21:13+00:00

    The activation key is a 25 character alphanumeric string, can't imagine what the binary key you have could be.

    Your issues with Best Buy (there's a false description if ever I heard one) are covered by the law but OEM licenses require that the system manufacturer provides support for Windows not Microsoft.

    Contacts and other data are stored in files on the computer, it just requires a technician who know what they are doing (that rules out Best Buy) to know which files to transfer. Contacts are not stored in the cloud unless you use a webmail service instead of a mail client on the PC.

    Cloud based storage is probably more safe than any system you could possibly implement is a home network. Clustered servers, on the fly regular backups and fully updated and patched systems leaves very little to chance.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-09-06T19:29:41+00:00

    O baby, Now I found what my troubles were. Bought new computer, I was given a 15  character product key from Best Buy with 1's and 0's in it. Some people tell me that this is not a real MS Key. Then I upgraded for the free upgrade for windows 10.  Windows 10m would not activate automatically, nor would it active manually. ASUS computer help line had no record of the proper Product Key.  I  debated with BB Tech Geek People for over a week, Took Computer into store. Best Buy could not fix. BB considered replacing the computer. however the computer was no longer stoked by Best Buy, So they did a system restore. With two exceptions, I got all of my programs back. By The way MS does not store the Email contacts in a manner that can be easily copied  carried forward, when my old computer died, it took all my E-Mail contacts with it,. Now that this things  such as product keys and contacts are stored in the cloud in a computer room far away, may Heaven have mercy on us.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-09-05T19:59:27+00:00

    Please forward the email you get for this response and ask them if they might take a few minutes of their time to explain what they did to fix your system.

    The link will be included already, but, just so they can see it in its entirety :

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_install/windows-81-product-key-and-activation/53c94388-00d4-4556-8760-2b9d824680ab?page=6&msgId=9d9dec7a-7037-4983-b3d3-d817610d5063

    As the more solutions that get posted in places like this... The better off everyone is.

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