Windows 8 Media Center product key

I just found the Media Center product key I got from M$ back in 2012. Does anyone know if there is any way to get the actual Media Center itself? This could come in handy.

That would be the Holy Grail of PC DVR software if it existed but it does not.
It can only be installed under Windows 8, like this

* If you have a key for the Windows 8 Media Center Pack: Right click on This PC > Properties > Get more features with a new edition of Windows > I already have a product key… >
The computer will reboot several times by itself before finally settling in… with a Desktop Watermark in the lower right corner > Activate Windows (again) > Refresh and Watermark will disappear.

So it can still be had from M$ if I already have a product key? I know someone who has 8.1 that might like to have it.

That depends if the key was bought for ten dollars (they are no longer sold) or if it was obtained for free from MS during the brief period after Windows 8.0 was released and people could sign up with Microsoft to get the Media Center Key for free.

If it was bought for $10, then you might be still able to use it to activate the Media Center.
If it is one of the free keys that was given out, then you cannot use it now for the first time because they had a deadline by which they were supposed to be initially activated.
I found this out the hard way because I used my emails to sign up and get those free keys but they only activated during the promotional period, and could not (initially) activate after that.



Microsoft does *not* want people using Windows Media Center any more.
It's a matter of speculation on why, but they do not want you _easily_ recording TV - that's something that can _easily_ be done only with Windows Media Center, incredibly, and no other software... other software as you know requires jumping through multiple hoops.

I used it when I had the Developer's Preview of W8, so it has been activated. I found the key today in an old email. Seemed like a stroke of luck and I didn't want to waste it.

Excellent.