Where can I get a Windows 8 side-loading product key?

Question

I have Windows 8 available through MSDN, as such, I have access to a lot of things such as volume licensing, though for now I'm just using the regular single-license Windows 8 Enterprise.

I've tried to get side-loading to work without having a developer license but I can't. Looking over some things on the internet seems to indicate that you need "a side-loading product key". Where can I get such a thing?

Answer 1

An Enterprise SKU is not required. You can side-load on Windows RT or Windows 8 Pro if you've activated a Sideloading Product Key. Details on how to get such a key are not yet available.

Check the below links:

How to Add and Remove Apps
Managing Client Access to the Windows Store
Windows ADK Release Notes

Technet support

Answer 2

Side-loading apps requires generating a Windows 8 side-loading key. This can be done using PowerShell.

1. Open the start screen
2. Type in powershell
3. Right-click on Windows PowerShell
4. Click Run as administrator

Once PowerShell opens, type in the following and hit enter:

Show-WindowsDeveloperLicenseRegistration

(Alternatively, you can type Show-Wi and then hit Tab to auto-complete.)

This will open a dialog asking if you agree to the Windows 8 Developer License:

Agree to the license (if you choose to do so), and then you will be prompted to log in to a Microsoft account:

Once your account is verified, you will see the following message saying that you now have a developer license, and stating the expiration date. You will have to run this process again after the expiration date.

You can now close PowerShell. If you want to check your developer license status later, you can use the following PowerShell command:

Get-WindowsDeveloperLicense

It will return an object stating whether the license is valid, and what the expiration date is. You can also remove/deactivate the developer license using the following PowerShell command:

Unregister-WindowsDeveloperLicense

For more documentation and details, see this TechNet article.

Answer 3

There are three ways to enable sideloading apps on Windows 8:

• Join the computer to a domain. Once joined to a domain, group policy settings can be used to allow sideloading.
• Install a developer license. But these expire, and are only to be used for development and testing.
• Install a sideloading product key.

Where do you get a sideloading product key?

Unfortunately, sideloading product keys are intended only for corporate/organizational customers to use for internal deployments, and are available through the volume licensing program.

From the Volume Licensing Guide for Windows 8:

Medium or enterprise sized customers with Software Assurance for Windows or Windows VDA subscriptions in the following Volume Licensing programs will be granted Enterprise Sideloading rights and provided with the MAK keys as an SA benefit at no additional cost. ...

Other customers who want to deploy custom line of business Windows 8 apps may purchase Enterprise Sideloading licenses and MAK keys through Volume Licensing.

The Microsoft Product List for volume licensing programs lists a 100-pack of keys available for purchase, and shows exactly which programs the keys are available through:

Program                     Licenses Available  Available as
Availability                   for Purchase     an SA Benefit
--------------------------  ------------------  -------------
Open License                        x   
Select/Select Plus                  x                 x
Enterprise Agreement / EAS                            x
EES                                                   x

So what do you do if you're not an organization?

One option is to purchase a 100-pack of keys through a Microsoft reseller for around $3000, like this guy did. Whether or not resellers are meant to be selling these to individuals is unclear, and you're going to have to really want it for that much cash, but at least you'll have enough to share with your friends.

In a nutshell, if it's for your company, get your Microsoft account manager to hook you up, and if you're doing it on your own, that's what the Store is for.