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Did you customize the install media in anyway? Unattended Answer File is frequently used in earlier versions of Windows to avoid entering key or any other choices needed.
Joe
Junior Member
I'm trying to install Win 8 Pro. After a few mins into the beginning of the install, I receive the following error "Windows cannot read the <Productkey> setting from the unattend answer file." Pretty much all the solutions I've come across during a search deal with this error and installing in a VMware environment. I'm not doing that. This is a clean install. I also tried to install by burning the image to a USB drive and still received the same error. My DVD burner is good. I was able to get to the Win 7 setup screen on two different disks. I also tried the install by booting my DvD burner from both the P4 and uEFI with the same results. Not sure it would matter but my MB is a Asus p8p67 deluxe and BIOS is updated.
Senior Member
Did you customize the install media in anyway? Unattended Answer File is frequently used in earlier versions of Windows to avoid entering key or any other choices needed.
Joe
Junior Member
Thread Starter No. I didn't touch anything. I just downloaded the ISO and burned it onto the disk.
Senior Member
Windows 8 will ask for the License Key just after telling it where to install, did your install do that?
Using the Download for Windows 8 Pro downloads the install files and an .iso is created during this process. Is this the .iso to which you refer, or did you actually download one?
Is there anything about your system that might be a little different, like perhaps an Enterprise type computer?
Junior Member
Thread Starter The Win 8 Pro is downloaded as an iso. I installing this on my home PC. As for the install, I'll get through the initial splash screen and it hits a setup screen that I get the error. Never get to anything related to install configuration.
Senior Member
You might try a flash drive just in case there is a problem with the DVD making process. Allow the download utility to make the flash drive and if the download is good, the install should work.
But the message you are getting, still is a little strange....I have not seen such a message on any of my installs. As Joe mentions, it seems the install thinks it is supposed to be doing an unattended install, do I have no idea where that comes from.
Junior Member
Thread Starter As stated in the initial post, already tried a USB install. I did do a search on this error and most deal with Win 8 install in virtual but this doesn't make since.
Tier 2 Moderator
Just curious, did you receive the Activation Key via email from your purchase?
Did you use the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant?
The other may be a bad ISO burn.
Junior Member
Thread Starter The key was printed out on the screen after I checked out. No upgrade assistant as I'm doing a clean install. I would bet that there's nothing wrong with the iso as the iso is free and considering there are quite a few students having access to the Win 8 download someone would have said something by now to get it fixed. This is a free download from my college. I've used several of these downloads to include the Win 7 Pro I'm currently using.
Senior Member
Considering we now know this was not a normal download and install, was there anything else you were supposed to download with the specialized .iso? Maybe another file, or access to a web site needed to input the license key?
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