Windows 8 Win 8 beta wants key number, so it won't install

[vinoman]

Win 8 beta wants key number, so it won't install [solved]

I just burned the iso of Win 8 Consumer Review 64bit and booted it up to install on my hard drive that was formated to ntfs, just like the Developers Preview last year, but this time the install didn't let me select the hard drive and acted like this is a final version with a key number. It's the BETA! How are you supposed to install it? It doesn't give you any options. Is this a bug?

You shouldn't need any key number for this beta.

How do you install it?

 

[Trouble]

If you use the Download button from here Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview you will get the Setup.exe file that when ran will generate a product key for you. It will also help you create a bootable DVD or USB thumb drive for the install. Write down that product key during the install, you can then abort that installation and use the product key for the ISO install that you evidently already have. As this is a pre-release version please be cautious as to how you go about the installation and avoid upgrading your current OS, ideally you may wish to test on a non production machine, virtual machine, dual boot scenario or a completely separate drive installed and used for this purpose only.

 

[Trouble]

If you look just beneath each ISO Download that is available here Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO formats you will see the product key that you should use for the install. For instance the English 32 and 64 bit version would use this key
Product Key: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J
Actually all language versions apparently use the same product key.
Hope that helps
Randy

 

[vinoman]

If you look just beneath each ISO Download that is available here Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO formats you will see the product key that you should use for the install. For instance the English 32 and 64 bit version would use this key
Product Key: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J
Actually all language versions apparently use the same product key.
Hope that helps
Randy

Thanks. I couldn't run the .exe program because I was on my main hdd which is Linux Mint. I just now ran the program and it generated a key number. And then got out of the setup, since it's going on another hdd.

 

[OldTimer]

Re: Win 8 beta wants key number, so it won't install [solved]

My first attempt at installing the new Win-8 was to boot up the DVD on my old backup PC, that already had Win-7 Ultimate on it.

The PC would not boot from the DVD, but gave me a "Cannot Boot from CD-Code 5" error message.

So I started the install from within Win-7 and was stalled at the KEY window, till I went back to the Download page and found the key there.

Now, Win-8 is installing from within Win-7, but I still don't get that Code 5 BS!

Does anyone know just what that means?

If all I had was a blank hard drive to install Win-8 on, I'd be stuck.