Installed Windows 8 Upgrade AFTER Formatting HD - any way to activate?

Possible Duplicate:
If I’m performing a an upgrade to Windows 8, do I have to have the previous version installed, or is just having the key enough?

I had an XP system - formatted the HD then ran Windows 8 Upgrade install. Install was fine.

It cannot activate and gives me the 'this is an upgrade' error. Is there ANY way to fix this (MS Support call or something?) before I scrap the entire Windows 8 install, Reinstall XP, then upgrade to Windows 8 the proper way?

I hate to waste the day's worth of config-the-new-os time if not absolutely necessary.

Error was the 0XC004F061 from Windows 8.

Since you did a clean install of Windows 8, you should be able to work around the product activation issue as follows:

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).

2. Navigate to the registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE
   

3. Modify the value MediaBootInstall changing it from 1 to 0.

4. Open a Command Prompt as Administrator.

5. In the Administrator Command Prompt window, run:

   slmgr -rearm
   

6. Restart the computer.

7. Press Win+Q, type Activate Windows into the Search box and press Enter.

8. Now enter your product key.

If you have Windows activated at this point, then stop and enjoy.

If at this point it still refuses to accept the product key, then continue on with:

1. Open a Command Prompt as Administrator.

2. In the Administrator Command Prompt window, run:

   slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
   

   inserting your Product Key instead of XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

3. In the Administrator Command Prompt window, run:

   slmgr -ato
   

Check that Windows is activated now.

If it's STILL not activated (very unlikely), then use the nuclear option:

1. Install a previous version of Windows onto the blank hard drive.

2. Install Windows 8 over this version of Windows. Choose to keep Nothing, and delete the windows.old folder after installation.