I had to chuckle after resolving a major annoyance with MS/Win8 and a new SSD. The info below might help someone else with a similar issue.
Loaded a new 256Gb SSD with my existing Win8 disks, bought from OfficeWorks some time in the not too distant past. The OS loaded without any problems apart from looking like it was stalled for a few minutes. I did note that the install didn't ask to see a previous version and couldn't remember whether the version I had was full or upgrade.
After downloading 700Mb of update my new OS proclaimed that it was time to validate. I carefully entered the supplied key and was rewarded with a message telling me the key was "invalid". Also I had just one real option presented..... buy another licence!!!
Missing was the "phone a microsoft friend to activate" option.
Dr Google was able to tell me that running the command SLUI 4 would promptly bring up the relevant "phone a friend" at Microsoft information.
On the phone to Microsoft, I was quickly answered by a gent sounding very Pakistani, for ease of reference let's just call him Jidrup....
I explained that I had just loaded the OS and that I had previously loaded and activated the same disk without problems but had removed the install because I simply didn't like the OS.
After reading back the lengthy validation code, Judrup's reply " I"m sorry sir but you have an illegal copy, you will have to return the software to the store you bought it from and sort it out."
After half an hour on the phone and insisting that my copy was not in fact illegal, Jidrup decided to transfer me to an Australian support technician. I reminded Jidrup that it was after all the weekend and that I doubted that anyone would be there.
"Of course Sir, your are completely correct ring back during office hours on Monday Morning."
I pointed out to Jidrup that I had a day Job and I couldn't afford to go without pay due to Microsoft's incompetance.
"Of course Sir, I understand completely, ring as soon as you get home from work and we will put you through to our US technicians."
Monday morning I rang again, answered by another operator who sounded identical to the first. Same explanation, same response.
"Please sir listen to me, go to www.microsoft.com/youwontgetananswerhere"
Went to the specified page, nothing of relevance to my problem. I asked Jidrup II how I could ascertain whether I had incorrectly entered the validation key, Judrup II of course issued some instructions, none of which bore any resemblance to the screens on my OS and sounded suspiciously like XP parameters. After admitting he didn't have a clue, Jidrup II transferred me to the Australian support area at which time I gave up as I had to get to work.
Later today I decided to consult Dr Google again, his advice had been more useful than the MS support specialists after all.
I discovered that by using the afformentioned SLUI command this time as SLUI 3 allowed changing of the product key. I again entered the product key and Voila instead of a cryptic error code I had the answer in Plain english, my copy was in fact an upgrade copy, despite the fact that there was no indication on the packaging. (the key still wouldn't work)
So how to get the activation done without having to start again, install W7 and upgrade that install, which would have been hours of work.
Again Dr Google came up with a solution, by entering a registry change the OS would accept the key.
Navigate to the registry entry Hkey_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current_Version/Setup/00BE find MediaBootInstall and change the 1 to 0. Reboot then reactivate, and it worked like a charm.
The problem in the final analysis was almost entirely of my own doing, however my software should have been labelled as Upgrade or at least should have prompted me for a previous version disk or key before install.
Microsofts response was entirely innaccurate, their support totally inadequate, their product knowledge substandard, my copy of W8 was fully legal and valid.
I now have a fully functional W8 install which boots faster than the POST takes from the motherboard, unfortunately I have 3.7 odd Gb of download to update to 8.1 done through MS's woefull store rather than being able to download a copy and save for later use.
Edit, looks as though it may be possible to save an 8.1 ISO once downloaded.
Hopefully this info might help someone else with similar issues.
Last edited by acropolite; 08-03-2014 at 02:18 PM.
Had a related issue recently. Work ordered a laptop which came with Win8 SP1. We have ordered before and gotten what was required. This time when I went to add it to the Domain it promptly replied that 'This edition does not support domains' ie it was a 'Home Edition' not a 'Pro'.
Again no indication on the documentation or packaging. It has only taken me about 6 weeks to get an upgrade sorted with the supplier which still has some peculiar issues.
Be carefull what you order, you may not get what you think you have.
I've found that with Telstra Bogpond support, it's best to give an unintelligible answers to their voice guidance systems, a few such answers and you're usually transferred directly to an English speaking automaton (at least that's what the Philipino operatives sound like to me....)
8.1 is now downloaded and installed, although I didn't get any option to save an ISO as indicated, one thing MS are good at is inconsistency in builds and releases. Now for the mammoth task of reinstalling everything else.
But i'm not sure whether to clone from the HDD to SSD, or literally re-install - and maybe even reinstall Win7.
I can't see any problem with that but you'll have to image the drive and restore the disk signature (identity) back on the SSD, especially if it contains a boot partition.
@ Mike, just curious, what happens when you try to open control panel, does it stall? Apparently this is a common issue, which I have on my almost clean 8.1 install along with problems with the right click context menu and skydrive.exe crashes.
I haven't been able to find a fix for any of the issues.
8.1 update from W8 appears to be problematic, I had similar problems when I tried to update my laptop, ended up rolling it back to 8.0.
Last edited by acropolite; 26-02-2014 at 05:47 PM.
Just a follow up on that indexing issue, to turn it off type services.msc from the search box or run command
then select Windows Search, Right click & select Properties, STOP the service, then Disable. Works a treat!
Must be something in the air. Yesterday I've felt like a ping-pong ball between Telstra and FOXTEL.
