Windows 8.1 OEM key available from Retail ISO source
Windows 8.1 OEM key available from Retail ISO source
Your friend provided an OEM key for Windows 8.1 Pro. You should be able to use it to install the retail version on a new system via a bootable flash drive. However, some users reported issues with using product keys for retail installations, so double-check compatibility and follow official installation steps.
The problem you mentioned likely arose when attempting to enable a retail version of Windows with an OEM product key.
Have you used it before? I haven't worked with an OEM key much, which makes me a bit unsure.
It should function properly even after downloading an ISO from an external source. The SHA1 hash confirms it hasn't changed, so it's essentially safe.
Yes, the retail and OEM ISO versions are essentially the same at this point. It seems there isn't a distinct difference between them, and you can obtain a genuine ISO from Microsoft via their official website.
I can confirm this. The only Windows OS that truly mattered was Windows XP.
I'll just wait until the build parts arrive before trying again.