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I received my work laptop with Windows 8 Pro pre-installed.

A few months down the line something happened, and the IT dept. formatted my laptop, and re-installed Windows 8 using their own VL disc.

I didn't realize this until the Win 10 upgrade came, and then I decided format, and re-install using a Windows 8 OEM disc.

The problem is that now I can't activate my copy of Win 8 Pro, and the error it gives is 'Error code: 0x8007007B: The filename, directory name or volume label syntax is incorrect.'

I also can't activate by phone, and after running slui 4 it tells me 'Can't activate Windows by phone, contact your sys admin.'

So now I can't figure out where the problem is. Here's a list of potential issues, but I'm not sure if any of them matter:

  • Formatted original Windows 8 Pro OEM, partitioned drive.
  • Installed Windows 8 Enterprise VLK
  • Installed Windows 7 Pro on other partition (dev testing, not activated)

The sticker at the back of the laptop says Windows 8 Pro, but of course the key is in the BIOS. I downloaded a tool to give me the keys, but there were 4 different keys/options. I used the default one, but I did try the others too (which failed).

Another thing I noticed is that when I re-installed Windows 8 Pro OEM, it asked for the key, which I assume would automatically find by itself, but didn't.

Any ideas?

Edit: So I get into work this morning, and I see it's activated. But once I run cmd /c "slmgr /dli", it tells me its a VOLUME_KMSCLIENT license. So did I use the incorrect key? Did the tool I run give me the key for the currently installed version of Windows Enterprise or something?

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  • Why are you downloading the key, the key, isn't required to install Windows 10. It can only be used to install the same version of Windows 8 that the machine came with and even then the installer will automatically detect the key
    – Ramhound
    Aug 30, 2015 at 14:57
  • If you read my post properly, you'll notice that I said I can't upgrade to Windows 10 because the current version of Windows 8 that is installed is a Volume License, which isn't eligible for the update. I need to re-install Windows 8 Pro with an OEM license. Aug 31, 2015 at 5:44
  • Have you looked for the Windows sticker on the computer that shows what the pre-installed key was? Does it no longer exist?
    – DrZoo
    Aug 31, 2015 at 5:47
  • @DrZoo: The laptop probably has the key in the BIOS. There will likely be a "Windows 8" sticker WITHOUT any mention of a key.
    – zaTricky
    Oct 22, 2015 at 8:19

1 Answer 1

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Short:

The way volume licensing works is that companies get a single Volume license for all their machines - on top, with the condition that the existing machines that they want to manager under the VL, will/ must have their own licenses; cheaper if OEM, as compared to retail.

Confirming Your Information:

  • Company owned Work laptop with OEM Windows 8 Pro
  • Company has Volume license

This is my guess as I am not sure what your Sys Admins did:

They added your OEM/ Machine & license to their Volume license management system. So, from now on they take charge of managing that OEM license.

You might have to now go through your Sys Admins to do anything on this machine when it comes to OEM/ Volume/ Enterprise windows installs.

Quite possibly your only way to bypass this, if at all possible and not advisable given that its a work machine, is a Retail license; which will be expensive and not worth.

Observer the messages you are getting:

'Can't activate Windows by phone, contact your sys admin.'

it tells me its a VOLUME_KMSCLIENT license

Once a machine's OEM license is part of volume licensing, then it has to be managed & activated via the Volume mechanism that the Admins use. Microsoft hands off the support & drama to the Admins. They have to then do it for you or go through Enterprise/ Business support. Also, if your company does not have Volume license for Windows 10 as yet, then that may constrain you.

From what I remember, there are 2 main ways enterprise licenses are managed: VLSC and MAK. In MAK you can activate each by yourself, in VLSC it has to be activated by the Companys KMS servers. So, stop installing yourself. Give the machine to Admins, let them install & activate it their way - as they have already brought this OEM license under their VLSC KMS management.

I'll try to post links to specific articles on this some time later. I figured this might help you save the time & effort.

PS: If it starts working as you mentioned below and if it continues to work, it will be thanks to your companies KMS.

PPS: I do not know how / if at all possible to disassociate an OEM license from VLSC once added to it. Say for instance, if/ when a company sells or gets rid of the machine, then the OEM license goes with the machine and there should be some way to point out that the VLSC should not manage that machine anymore.

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  • When I spoke to them about it, all they said was that they just used a VL installation disk to install Windows 8 Enterprise. They didn't necessarily do anything with the old installation or the OEM key, they just formatted and re-installed. Aug 31, 2015 at 6:08
  • This is my thought, once a machine's OEM license is part of volume licensing, then it has to be managed & activated via the Volume mechanism that the Admins use. Microsoft hands off the support & drama to the Admins. They have to then do it for you or go through Enterprise/ Business support. Also, if your company does not have Volume license for Windows 10 as yet, then that may constrain you
    – Alex S
    Aug 31, 2015 at 6:13
  • From what I remember, there are 2 main ways enterprise licenses are managed: VLSC and MAK. In MAK you can activate each by yourself, in VLSC it has to be activated by the Companys KMS servers. So, stop installing yourself. Give the machine to Admins, let them install & activate it their way - as they have already brought this OEM license under their VLSC KMS management.
    – Alex S
    Aug 31, 2015 at 6:16
  • If the OEM license now falls under the VL KMS server management, then is it still possible to activate the machine under the OEM license, or is it always VL licensed? As you said, I don't want to have to buy my own retail license just for this. Aug 31, 2015 at 6:43
  • I doubt it. Once it becomes VLSC managed I think you have go through the companys VLSC, unless they/ MS/ VLSC have a way to remove the machine/ OEM from VLSC. PS: Dont waste your time. Hand off machine to SysAdmins and get them to install activate etc.
    – Alex S
    Aug 31, 2015 at 6:46

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