If you don’t know how activate Windows 8 legally right from the start do not worry! because this post is for you. You will find all the information related to the OS installation process in a simple way.
But the first thing you will have to know are all the W8 licenses that exist and how each one differs. This will help you choose the best alternative for you.
On the other hand, we will explain the procedure for purchase a license and activate it in W8. When you finish reading You will learn about the risks of activating Windows 8 using pirated user licenses.
Windows 8 Licenses What are all the ones that exist and how are they different?
A Windows 8 license it is a contract between Microsoft and the user which expressly authorizes the use of the operating system and establishes the basis of rights and obligations of the parties. This virtual contract It is done through the delivery of a 25-digit alphanumeric code, which can be accessed in different ways. That is, by means of a digital license or a physical product key, which we will explain later how to get them.
From the above arises the classification of the type of Windows 8 license that you can acquire, which we present below:
- OEM: These licenses are the most common you can find, since they are pre-installed at the factory when you buy a new computer at any computer store. From this it arises that they can only be used and installed on that computer, so if you decide to change (in the future) the motherboard, the license will lose validity due to its non-transferability feature.
- Retail or RTL: in this case, the licenses are delivered physically by means of a DVD disc or with a download link of the ISO image of the operating system, this type of sale is carried out by official stores and e-commerce portals. It differs from an OEM license because it can be used on any computer, so its price is much higher. Within this group, there are usually different editions that allow the incorporation of more tools.
- Volume Licensing or GVLK: If you buy five or more licenses, you will be able to use this category of operating system activation, so they are intended for SMEs and large companies. They are also not transferable and are generally limited according to the type of edition that is purchased.
- Licenses for upgrade: something we mentioned before. This type of Windows licenses is used to migrate from a previous version to the current one, in this case if your computer has Windows 7 you can update it to Win8 using this license. You must bear in mind that since there is W10 Microsoft will force you to go to this latest version.
Learn step by step how to acquire a Windows 8 license to activate the operating system
As we told you before, you can purchase a Windows 8 license by means of a digital license or a product key. We will explain how to get each one.
You will use a digital license when:
- You have updated the operating system from Windows 7 version to W8 edition.
- You have purchased an upgrade or the whole OS in the Microsoft store.
- You are a member of the Windows Insider program.
Instead, you will use a license with a product key, whenever:
- Bought a team that comes pre-installed the operating system.
- Acquire a digital copy to an authorized retailer.
- Have a license by volume.
- Compres in Microsoft Store a license that will arrive by email.
You should not forget that to install Windows 8 you will need a product key with the format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX. If you don’t get it by email or via DVD you will have to get it from a label or certificate of authenticity affixed somewhere on your new equipment. Instead, if you have a volume license you will need to contact technical support from Microsoft by entering its official page https://support.microsoft.com/es-es/all-products.
To activate your Windows 8 license you will have to do this step by step:
Connect your computer to the Internet
The first thing you will have to do is access the Internet so that the operating system can be activated online. This will help you solve possible activation problems if you do not find a requirement that the wizard will request or you have questions about a topic.
Access your computer’s settings
To enter the setup menu you must press the button Start located at the bottom left of the screen and represented with the logo of Windows. Next, you will have to write PC setup and select the name of this tool when it appears in the list of results.
Activate Windows
What you will have to do now is select the option Activate Windows. This will lead you to have to enter the product key of the operating system in a field, you should not forget that you have to write the numbers and letters in the same order in which you received them. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, nothing bad will happen!
You just have to pay attention and write all the time you need to do it right. Once you have written the 25 digit password the installation wizard will be activated. That is, you will start to see successive screens that will ask you to enter the type of language, configure the time and date, write or create a Microsoft account and choose other provider tools. The steps are simple and intuitive, so you should not have problems in this matter.
If you wish, you can activate W8 over the phone. To do this, when you have pressed the option Activate Windows you will have to click on Contact customer support for help and then enter the password for the administrator user equipment. Next, you must select your location and then choose the button Next so that the telephone number of your region appears.
What are the risks of activating Windows 8 using pirated user licenses?
If you are thinking of activating a pirated Windows 8 user license, you should be careful because you will run the following risks:
- The updates released by Microsoft they are constant and include security patches that provide protection against new threats from viruses and other harmful programs. If you have a pirated license, you will never be able to update the OS, so your computer will be in danger of being attacked.
- You will not have access to technical support for any inconvenience or damage to the operating system.
- The updates or upgrades also improve performance and correct errors Windows 8. You will not have this with a pirate license either.
- By last, and perhaps most important of all is that, you run the risk of installing not only the operating system, but also spyware or malware who will know and have access to all your information and will be able to operate the equipment at will.