OEMs use SLP media which by design will only work with a system that has a matching SLIC table in the BIOS. The difference between SLP and retail media can be as little as a few small unnoticeable files at the OEM's discretion. An OEM key won't work with retail media nor will retail media work with an OEM key because that's just the way Windows was designed. It's partly a concession to reduce the support costs of OEMs (and users can't say they lost the key to attempt to get a new one), and partly that the OEM is responsible for providing both media and support to the customer under the terms of the OEM license and OEM's can in turn have profitable contracts to distribute crap-ware.
-----Original Message----- From: Kramer, Jack [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 11:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] Win 8 OEM clean install - media, editions, activation Isn't the OEM key in Win8-specific BIOS not a VL key? Have you tried with retail edition media? (Technet or Volume Licensing portal should be able to get you those ISOs) On Jul 22, 2014, at 11:30 AM, Ben Scott <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 11:01 AM, Richard Stovall <[email protected]> wrote: >> I'm confused. You have VL media, but no VL key? > > I have a Volume License Key. But it's for the license we bought at > work. I'm trying to borrow the media to use with a home PC. Media is > media, but Microsoft *really* frowns upon using a Product Key from one > license with an install from a different license seat. > > Also, the VLK from work is for Pro edition, and this laptop is > licensed for Home. > >>> shipped with Win 8 Home OEM. All I have for Win 8 media is Pro >>> edition. Win 7 let you install any edition from most media. E.g., >>> the Win 7 Pro VLM let you install Win 7 Home. It appears Win 8 made >>> a step backwards in this area. >> >> You're trying to get 8 installed without the cruft, so you're using >> media without the cruft (unlike the Toshiba re-install solution)? > > Correct, but the availability (to me) of the correct edition and > channel of media is also an issue. > > -- Ben > >
