Click OK to acknowledge that Windows 8 has been activated. Type slmgr.vbs -ato and then press Enter. Once you have a valid MAK in the system, it’s time to activate. Double check that you have a valid MAK and then try the command line again. If you happen to stumble upon this invalid product key message don’t fret. If you enter an incorrect product key, a dialog box will pop up stating that the product key is invalid. (An example of this command line is slmgr.vbs -ipk AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE)Ĭlick OK when prompted that the product key was installed successfully. Click Command Prompt (Admin) from the popup menu.Ĭlick Yes if you’re prompted by the UAC to Elevate.Īt the command prompt type: slmgr.vbs -ipk then press Enter. But for now, it’s time to get this show on the road.įirst, move the cursor to the lower left hot corner and perform a right-click. However, even if you don’t have Internet access you can still change the product key now and activate it later. Be sure the PC is connected to the Internet, otherwise the activation portion of this exercise is doomed to fail.

With your valid MAK at the ready, login to the Windows 8 PC using an account that has administrative privileges. Using the Command Line to Change the Product Key in Windows 8

Today we’re going to tackle both methods. Don’t fret! Microsoft provides two fairly easy mechanisms to perform this task: one from the command line and the other from the GUI. The dilemma is how to get the embedded GLVK out and the valid MAK in so that the Microsoft Activation Servers will be friendly and activate your PC.

Unfortunately, if you try and activate a PC using a GVLK through Microsoft’s Activation Servers you’ll find yourself presented with an “I don’t think so” -type message: When using a MAK, PCs normally connect to a Microsoft Activation Server to activate. But what if you don’t use KMS? If you have an MSDN, Technet, or Windows InTune subscription you may very well rely on a Multiple Activation Key (MAK) to activate your Windows 8 PC. This works great if your environment uses a Key Management Service (KMS) Host to activate your PC. A generic volume license key (GVLK) is embedded in the volume license versions of Windows 8 media.

Check windows 8 serial number