(Free) Windows 8 Media Center Pack FYI

grumpycrab

Most of you will know that Windows8Pro Upgrade £25 buy ends on Thursday (install any time upto 2015!).

But what you may not know is that if you want Media Center for FREE this has to be INTALLED AND ACTIVATED by the end of the month.

Get it from
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/feature-packs
(Scroll down 1 page.)

womble12345

Thanks for letting us know, I just put in my address and it says I will get it within 72 hours, I hope it comes sooner as the offer expires in under 60 hours!

Do you know what will happen if I install Media Center but then have to re-install Windows 8 in the future, I will use the same product key but will be activating it after 31st Jan, will it still work?

grumpycrab

Hopefully it'll arrive soon! It looks like Win8Pro is replaced with Win8ProMediaCenter, the key of which is the media center key. So don't lose it.

Jivesinger

womble12345 wrote: »

Do you know what will happen if I install Media Center but then have to re-install Windows 8 in the future, I will use the same product key but will be activating it after 31st Jan, will it still work?

I suspect you'd need the Windows 8 Product Key to do the initial installation, then the Media Center key to put that back. I'd make sure you hold on to both keys!

womble12345

Media centre product key took about 5 hours to arrive, all works now.
It is interesting that in the control panel it now says that my product key is the media centre one so I wonder if I can just enter that if I have to re-install.

grumpycrab

womble12345 wrote: »

Media centre product key took about 5 hours to arrive, all works now.
It is interesting that in the control panel it now says that my product key is the media centre one so I wonder if I can just enter that if I have to re-install.

That's my understanding too; the Meda Center key IS the key for Win8ProMediaCenter.

Jivesinger

womble12345 wrote: »

It is interesting that in the control panel it now says that my product key is the media centre one so I wonder if I can just enter that if I have to re-install.

grumpycrab wrote: »

That's my understanding too; the Meda Center key IS the key for Win8ProMediaCenter.

Well you may be right, but given the Media Center key was issued free to anyone who filled in the web form, I can't help thinking I'll need a little more than that to reinstall Windows in its entirety, especially as the sort of times you'd do that are after eg. the hard disk dies and gets replaced, so it won't necessarily "know" it's the same computer.

Fifer

Damn. Got my key yesterday but haven't yet installed W8 and I'm going away today until Sunday. I suppose there's nowt I can do?

Jivesinger

Now we're past 31 Jan, the "normal" prices are shown on the Microsoft website.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-8/feature-packs

As long as you have Windows 8 Pro (which will be common for people who upgraded), the Media Centre upgrade is £6.99.

If you just have Windows 8 (which I think will be more common where people bought a PC with Windows 8 installed from new), the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro with Media Center (that is, you get Pro and you get Media Center) is a rather more painful £99.99.

grumpycrab

...and if you still want Windows 8 Pro upgrade its available for about £44 (£190 @Microsoft)
www.hotukdeals.com/deals/windows-8-pro-upgrade-a-box-43-19-amazon-1464504

womble12345

I reinstalled windows8 the other day, when it first asked for license key I tried the media centre one but it didnt work so I used my original windows 8 one. I then added media centre using the key I was given and it worked fine. Therefore I can confirm that you can install the free media centre as long as you originally activated it before the end of january.