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I have installed Windows 8 RTM in my PC and I have started using it. I wanted to know how I should convert this existing version of Windows 8 in retail version. Do I have to buy new product or will I need to download some content from internet that will unlock the retail version in Windows 8 RTM? Does anybody have any idea about it?
Actually the Windows 8 RTM that you are using consists of the Windows 8 retail versions too. It is just locked and you can unlock it by changing the product key of the OS. This can be done when the Windows 8 retail version is released in the market for purchase. You must have got some product keys along with the pack of Windows 8 RTM with it. After you unlock the Windows 8 retail version, you will see Windows 8 Pro installed in your computer. I think that the date for release of the Windows 8 retail version is October 26, it means you will have to use Windows 8 RTM till that time and then use the product key to activate Windows 8 to retail version. Here is the screenshot how the operating system’s information will look like after activating the Windows 8 retail version.
At present you don’t use any of the product key that came along with the Windows 8 RTM. But when the Windows 8 retail version is out, you can activate it. Let me tell you how to activate the retail version. First you have to go in ‘Run’ by pressing Windows + R. Here you will need to type slui.exe 3 and click on OK. Below in this window you will find a text box where you will need to enter the 25 digit product key. Once you put in the product key, you can press the Activate button and start the Windows 8 retail version. You will find a text saying this might take a few minutes to activate and so on. Then there will be a notification saying - Thanks you are all done. Thus, Windows 8 retail version will be activated.
There is another method for activating the Windows 8 retail version in your system. You will need to have administrator’s access in Windows 8 RTM to do this. You will have to access the Elevated Command Prompt. This command prompt looks like usual command prompt, but can provide you administrator level access. Here in this command prompt, you have to type the following command:
slmgr.vbs /ipk *****-*****-*****-*****-*****
In this command, instead of ‘*’ formation put the 25 digit product key that came along with Windows 8 RTM and then press enter. Then you will get a notification saying, ‘Installed product key <product key> successfully’. Click on OK and then you can close the elevated command prompt.
I think that on the day of release, Windows should release a small application in which we can just insert the product key and it will do all the activation process by itself. I don’t have much technical knowledge and I fear that if I try to manually activate the Windows 8 retail version from Windows 8 RTM, then I might mess up the things and disable Windows 8 badly. If this is not possible at least some sort of online support should be provided, I think it will help many other users like me.