Windows 8.1 activation reportedly bypassed, in just one week since launch

Ron

Windows 8.1 Start Screen

The activation process for Windows 8.1, which was rolled out to Windows 8 users as a free update on October 17th, has apparently been bypassed after only one week of availability.

While we here at WinBeta do not condone such an activity, we are simply reporting that this has occurred. In just one week, the activation process for Windows 8.1 has been bypassed via a KMS (Key Management Service) tool. This is the same method that was used to illegally activate Windows 8.

Rather than having to manually activate each copy, a network administrator can install the Key Manage Service which has a number of software licenses attached to it. Computers connected to the network can then activate locally rather than connecting with Microsoft.

Using fake KMS server is a tried and tested method that has been used to bypass product activation for many years, so it should really come as no surprise that the same technique can also be used with Windows 8.1. 

We will not post links on how to bypass activation so do not ask about it in the comments below. For those who have yet to purchase Windows 8.1, you can snag the core edition for $119 and the Pro edition for $199.