No, you cannot install Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 product key.
No, you cannot install Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 product key.
You have Windows 8 Pro installed on your OEM PC and are preparing to upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro. You want to remove Windows 8 before replacing the motherboard, drive, or case. To uninstall Windows 8, use the built-in settings to delete it, then reinstall Windows 8.1 without an optical drive by following the installation steps carefully.
You can set up Windows 8 and then upgrade to 8.1 at no cost in the store. (If it functions) You can also install it using a USB drive.
I activated Windows 8.1 with a Windows 8 key 3 days ago. No problems with the activiation (did not help my ssd seems to be broken i did clean install in the hope problems would be over, but constant corrupt data and programms wont start anymore so ordered new ssd will arrive soon and i hope after that everything is fine again) But before Windows 8.1 was installed already (i installed 8.1 clean but originally it was a Win8 PC that was updated on Win8.1 via the store, maybe it is necessary that you do that once and after that the product key just works with 8.1 im not sure of that)
And how do i remove my old windows 8? I cant format my ssd with windows on it...
Insert your boot medium alongside the Windows 8.1 installer and begin. Adjust the boot sequence or access the boot menu using the correct key (usually between F8 and F12) during post-checks. Consider using the UEFI installer if available. This allows you to format your existing boot medium. If you don’t have one, visit the provided link.
You can place your files directly inside windows.old once the installation completes. Without enough space—like 30 GB—you’ll need to format or move it to another drive.