Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro Pack (Win 8.1 to Win 8.1 Pro Upgrade) - Key Card

I installed the windows with no problems and the License key worked no problem.

I would give this a 5 star, but the price. I could not get a new laptop without Windows 8 on it, at least where I was looking for laptops. My laptop (a Dell) came with Windows 8 and I had heard all these horror stories about it and was actually a bit leery. Got my Dell laptop from Costco because they have a no questions ask policy on returning things and there is a Costco near me.Upon getting my laptop, I upgraded from 8 to 8.1 because it says for me to upgrade to the 8.1 Pro, I needed 8.1. It took awhile, maybe an hour or so (I was busy with other things, so I wasn't really timing this) to upgrade from 8 to 8.1.I wished that they offered 8.1 Pro in the product key online without sending it to me, so I could've upgrade to 8.1 Pro all in the same day, but had to wait until Tues (I ordered Fri afternoon) to get the product key. As another reviewer said, the hardest part was typing in the 25 digit product key, which isn't hard.I didn't time how long it took to upgrade, but I saw it start to upgrade and within a few minutes, it was all complete. No issues.Each of the two upgrades I did for this computer weren't too bad. I know I could've purchased the product key at Microsoft, but they were charging a lot more than the $99 (includes tax, free shippiing), I think the price was like $199 or something like that. And even though I got a $25 coupon to use at the Microsoft store, that still wasn't less than Amazon.To do all the updates for Windows 8, however, to catch it up, did take awhile. So, by the time I upgraded to the 8.1 Pro, all the required updates for Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 regular were all done.Since my system is brand new with an Intel i7 core, 1 TB HDD, 8 GB RAM, that does help. I'm sure if I attempted to do this to my old Sony Vaio that is 7.5 yrs old, it would've crashed my system or it might have blown up. So maybe those that are having problems, maybe they haven't done all the other prior updates that they needed, something wrong with the system or heck, I don't know.And, as with another user, I still think the $99 I paid was steep and Microsoft could've offered the Pro version at $40-50 would've been better.Windows 8, 8.1, 8.1 Pro is quite different than Windows 7 or XP, which are the other systems we are running on our other computers in our home. This laptop does have a touchscreen, and if you don't have a touchscreen, you might not like Windows 8 as much. As for me, we have an iPhone, so that introduced me to the touchscreen thing and frankly, I am liking this.I will update my review after I use the 8.1 Pro. The 8.1 is fine and I have no real issues with it yet.

I do not have anything good to say about Windows 8.XX. Very, very unfortunately all middle and high end new notebooks are sold running it.It is not only diffucult to to use, mixes the phone and computer interfaces, but is also exteremely intrusive. It is as if Microsoft is watching and recording everything I do. It is worse than Orwell's "1984". What is Microsoft doing with all the data by the way...My notebook will be downgraded to Widnows 7 (the downgrade has been intentionally made very difficult and complicated by Microsoft) and if Windows is developed further into the software it is now I am taking it down from all my family's computing devices.Microsoft, please think a bit about Windows and decide what you want to sell - OS for notebooks and PCs OR for mobile phones. I do not want to have both on my notebook.

This allowed me to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to 8.1 Pro. It went pretty smoothly but took quite awhile. I'm not sure I like the requirement to have a Microsoft account to use many of the apps though. And they want me to upgrade all my other PCs to Windows 10. Not likely. I really feel the upgrade was overly expensive as well.

InstallationIn the onset it appears to be simple. But in fact it can be a nightmare as was my case. After entering the product key a progress bar started going back and forth giving the impression it was progress. Then a message appeared. "Install failed, contact MS" and it exited. MS must have a contest on who can have the shortest most ambiguous messages or they are a message budget.As FYI, my system was Windows 8 that I did the free upgrade to 8.1.I contacted MS, I told them after several reboots, when I attempted to play a DVD, an message appeared that the media center was missing some video (note video) files. After a long discussion the MS support said "Because I did an upgrade, I did not have a 8.1 license key. I had to pay another $100 for the 8.1 license key." I hung up.I then called the laptop manufacturer. Similar response, except this time "the license key is in the BIOS it can not be changed. You are stuck forever with windows 8." I hung up.Then by accident I opened the desktop and noticed a message appear about dolby sound. I had sound so I was going to ignore it. But then thought. Why not? I re-installed the sound (note sound not video) card driver and the dolby drivers. As in it cann't hurt. But I will try it anyhow.Now the media center worked just fine. No report of missing "video" files.Post installation.I wanted a simple DVD player like is on the mac's. Insert DVD and play, menu, forward, backward, and so on. Simple buttons. It seems MS decided lets see how complicated they could make the interface and added lots of useless gui objects.It works, but in hind sight, it was a bad purchase. Oh and the media center only plays DVD's not Blu-Ray. I will have to get a 3rd party software package if I want to play them as well.

If you need to upgrade this is a Great Product it only took 25 minutes to upgrade a new computer that had Windows 8.1 on it and it took about 40 minutes to upgrade a Windows 7 that had a multitude of problems with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 - the Windows 8.1 Pro solved all the issues I was having with the Windows 7 upgraded computer, now it works perfectly. The same goes for 2 other computers that had Windows Vista Premium on them. They are working perfectly now with Windows 8.1 Pro and the network works great now that the problem computers (the Vistas and the Windows 7) have the Windows 8.1 Pro on them and so do their attached shared devices. I had wasted a lot of money finding this out the hard way buy buy just Windows 8 a costly mistake and I was ready to throw them away with all the problems upgrading to just Windows 8 caused but that is now past history.

Very satisfied, Met my needs and wasn't a difficult learning curve.

Was dubious at first - a legit MS key for under a fiver?? But, was worth a punt as I needed to run some old software windows 8.1 prof as it would not run correctly on Windows 10. Made the purchase and the delivery timeline stated within 1-2 weeks. Decided to go ahead downloading and setting up the Windows 8 install onto a USB flash drive (direct from Microsoft) despite this possible delay. By the time this process had completed, the install key had been sent to my email. So, don't believe the delivery time - in my case it only took a matter of hours. Windows 8.1 installed, setup and activated ok.Thank Media Center! Fast delivery, product exactly as described, great price - five stars!

Download great installation fine, excellent quality and choice

Very happy with purchase! Exactly as described and fast shipping!

Good