[Guide] Installing Windows 8.1 from MSDN on DELL Latitude 10 Essentials tablet

The biggest changes in Windows 8.1 are coming to Metro interface and that is a notable upgrade for tablet users. But since Microsoft isn't releasing the update for another month, I was desperate. I wanted to try out the one available on MSDN.

I talked about how you can activate Windows 8.1 using your Windows 8 key in this post. But I didn't know what the key that DELL used in my tablet. They usually paste a sticker with the key on the body of the PC. But they didn't do that for my tablet. That's a good thing actually. That would have looked horrible. So I had to find a way to extract the key that they have used in the installation that shipped with the tablet.

The OEM key was easy to find. I used this VB Script. It saved a text file with the key and product ID in the same folder as the folder you ran the script from. (like below)

Product Name: Windows 8.1 Pro
Product ID: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Installed Key: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

The other issue with the tablet was that I didn't want to break the recovery functionality. So I decided to install it as an update - "keep all my files and settings" option. Since I didn't have any applications installed (not apps), I wouldn't have any dangling folders in Program Files. Windows folder will be backed up as Windows.old though. You cannot delete it the normal way. You have to use Disk Cleanup to get rid of Windows.old and other setup related file.

Remember, you still cannot install Windows 8.1 with your Windows 8 key. So you have to use the method 1 of this post to install with the default Windows 8.1 key, then change the key to the one you extracted from the VB Script (i.e. the Windows 8.1 key).

That worked really well!

In case you forgot to extract the OEM key before upgrading, you might still be able to find the OEM key. The key is usually embedded in BIOS, and you "should be able to" read it using this application, but it didn't work for me on my tablet. (Go to this link and read the part from "But if not". I could not get it to read the ACPI tables. So in that case, you can use Recovery or Refresh to go back to the original state, and use the VB Script to extract the OEM key.

[Guide] Installing and activating Windows 8.1 on the desktop with the original Windows 8 key

Even though Windows 8.1 has RTMed, Microsoft isn't releasing it to public until 18th of October. However, they have made it possible for the MSDN/TechNet Subscribers to download it. They are not releasing it as an individual update though. They are releasing Windows 8.1 as a whole.

Since I have MSDN at work, I could download it. It seems that you cannot install it using the Windows 8 key you own. You need to get a key for Windows 8.1. But as far as we all know, it would be a free update. It seems that is the case only if you download the update via Windows Store.

But, I wanted to use the original Windows 8 key that I own. Of course I won't be "stealing" a key from the office. The issue is, the setup would prompt you to enter the key at the beginning of the install process, and unlike Windows Vista and Windows 7, you cannot skip it.

However, there are a couple of workarounds.

1. Use the default key at the time of install and change to the original key after the setup is done.

Use the corresponding key from below. It will let you install Windows 8.1, but you cannot activate. It's a good thing that the installer doesn't try to activate at the time of install.

Windows 8: 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
Windows 8 Pro: XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB

After you are done, you can go to PC Settings and change the key to your original Windows 8 key. Then you can activate. If it fails to activate, reboot and try. Else, you can activate via phone. (Skype too).

2. Edit the ISO file so that the installer doesn't ask for a key and input the original key after the setup is done.

Open the ISO file in UltraISO (download trial) or any other ISO editing software. Download this file (file name: ei.cfg), and copy it to the Sources folder. Save the ISO file.

The contents of the file is as follows.

[Channel]
_Default
[VL]
0

Now you can use this ISO file as you would use the original ISO file: burn a DVD, mount and run setup then and there, make a bootable USB flash drive etc etc. Afterwards, install Windows and you won't be prompted to enter a key.

After you are done, you can go to PC Settings and change the key to your original Windows 8 key. (Online or Phone)

That's all. Enjoy Windows 8.1.

Edit:
Even if you are not a MSDN/TechNet subscriber, you can find a leaked ISO file "if you know where to look". Make sure it is an untouched ISO file though, because otherwise there could be (most definitely would be) malware embedded on it. Compare the hash codes (MD5) with an original ISO from MSDN and you are good.

[Article] Managed to install Windows 8 on my Dell Latitude 10 tablet after all

It's yet another blog post about my tablet woes. It's almost ready to be sent for repairs but there was one issue. I never mentioned to them (Dell support) that I had Windows 8.1 Preview installed on my tablet. While I don't think that is the cause of all the issues I've been having, especially the touch screen issue, there was a good chance they would put the blame on me if I mentioned it to them. They'll just say they cannot support Windows 8.1 especially on Preview state, and that I'm on my own. They are all the same. They never accept it as their fault. Neither do we, but hey, the customer is always right.

So as a last resort onmy end, I wanted to re-install Windows and see what will happen. I tried to boot off the bootable Windows 8 32bit USB stick that I just created but for some reason the POST screen never allowed me to change the boot device nor get into BIOS. Usually it shows a message saying press F2 to enter BIOS and press F12 for boot options. I don't know why it didn't show them. 

Forgot to mention one thing though. Since I didn't have the touch screen working, I had to connect my G15 keyboard to the sole USB port on the tablet and plug in the mouse and the USB stick to the two USB ports on the keyboard. Thank goodness for these new gaming keyboards coming with USB ports. And mine isn't new either. I've had it for 4 years and I got it second hand too. But the darn thing only has USB1.1 ports so it was horrendously slow.