When you try to install Windows 8/8.1, it will ask for a product key during the installation process, which cannot be skipped. If you have not bought Windows 8 license but want to try it or you are in a situation where you do not have a product key and want to install Windows 8, here is a way to get around this limitation so you can install Windows 8 without product key.

How to Bypass Product Key When Installing Windows 8/8.1?

1. Follow this guide to download a official copy of Windows 8 / 8.1 directly from Microsoft’s servers.
2. After you’ve downloaded the Windows 8 or 8 ISO image, burn it to a USB flash drive with the freeware ISO2Disc.
3. Open your USB installation drive and navigate to the /sources folder. Look for the ei.cfg file and open it in a text editor such as Notepad. If the file doesn’t already exist, create a new text document and rename it as ei.cfg.
4. Copy and paste the following text into the ei.cfgfile and then save it. Make sure that anything that already exists in the file should be cleared first.
   
   [EditionID]
   Professional

   [Channel]
   Retail

   [VL]
1

   

5. Now go ahead and boot from your USB installation media. This time you will see a Skip button when you are prompted to enter a product key during Windows Setup.