Product Keys and Activation (Standard 8)
7/8/2014
Review the product keys and activation methods available for your Windows Embedded 8 Standard (Standard 8) device.
Windows Embedded 8 Standard (Standard 8) product keys are used to:
- Determine the grace period or evaluation period of an image.
- Generate a product identifier (PID) to identify each unique installation of Standard 8.
Images created without a product key or with a 180-day Evaluation License Key will expire at the end of their trial period and cannot be activated or upgraded. For more information, see Activate a Device Automatically Using a Direct Internet Connection After OOBE.
Product Key Summary
If a device is not activated, that device will enter a notification state and will start to exhibit different behavior. This behavior includes rebooting at stated intervals and the display of an immersive watermark.
Key |
Evaluation period |
Grace period |
Unlicensed behavior |
Direct activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
RTM OEM key |
0 days |
0 days |
Immersive watermark |
Required |
RTM evaluation key |
180 days |
0 days |
Restarts every 20 to 30 minutes Immersive watermark |
Required |
Important
After an image is installed on a device using an evaluation key, that image cannot be upgraded to an RTM OEM key. Instead, a new image must be created and installed using a RTM OEM key. We recommend that you verify the product key type used in your image or configuration file before you use it in production. Images and any configuration file must be re-created to upgrade the license. You cannot upgrade an image by changing the product key.
After the Grace Period Expires
If an image has exceeded its trial period, it is considered to be “out of grace” and the following behaviors will be exhibited:
- The device will restart every 20 to 30 minutes with no warning.
- The Standard 8 logo will be appended with the phrase “Evaluation Copy.”
- The device desktop background will be black.
- The device background will display a message stating the image is not licensed.
- The log file located at %WINDIR%\debug\wlms.log will contain messages that read “The grace period has expired and the system has no license. This computer will shut down.”
Note
The Standard 8 setup process performs several verifications which rely on the device’s date and time settings. To ensure the verifications are accurate, confirm that the device is set to the correct date and time.
Determine the License Details for Your Image
When you create your image, messages are written to the event log located at %WINDIR%\Panther\UnattendGC\setupact.log that state what type of product key is in use for that image. You can review this log after image creation to determine your image’s license details.
You can also use the Windows Software Licensing Management Tool (SLMgr.vbs) to obtain details of the license in your for your image. Enter the following command at an elevated command prompt on the device to obtain the device’s current license information.
Slmgr -dli
The information returned will include the last five characters of the product key used for the device’s image as well as the license status and the length of time remaining until the license expires, if applicable.
Title |
Evaluation image |
Licensed image |
|---|---|---|
Name |
Windows Embedded 8 Standard |
Windows Embedded 8 Standard |
Description |
Windows Operating System – Windows 8, RETAIL channel |
Windows Operating System – Windows 8, VOLUME_BA channel |
Partial Product Key |
<last four digits of key used> |
<last four digits of key used> |
License Status |
Initial grace period |
Licensed |
Time Remaining |
<minutes and days remaining in grace period> |
<not displayed> |
Activation Process
Each device must be activated, and the process of activation encompasses several distinct steps as follows:
- Obtain a product key and apply it to the device.
- Send the product key and the device’s unique information to Microsoft’s activation server. This information is a combination of the OEM ID, product key and the device’s hardware hash, and can be sent by phone, direct Internet connection, or use of a proxy activation tool.
- Microsoft’s activation server replies with a confirmation ID.
For more information about activation, see Activate an Image.