Can't activate Windows 8 Pro on OEM laptop after re-install with Win 8 Enterprise

I received my work laptop with Windows 8 Pro pre-installed.

A few months down the line something happened, and the IT dept. formatted my laptop, and re-installed Windows 8 using their own VL disc.

I didn't realize this until the Win 10 upgrade came, and then I decided format, and re-install using a Windows 8 OEM disc.

The problem is that now I can't activate my copy of Win 8 Pro, and the error it gives is 'Error code: 0x8007007B: The filename, directory name or volume label syntax is incorrect.'

I also can't activate by phone, and after running slui 4 it tells me 'Can't activate Windows by phone, contact your sys admin.'

So now I can't figure out where the problem is. Here's a list of potential issues, but I'm not sure if any of them matter:

• Formatted original Windows 8 Pro OEM, partitioned drive.
• Installed Windows 8 Enterprise VLK
• Installed Windows 7 Pro on other partition (dev testing, not activated)

The sticker at the back of the laptop says Windows 8 Pro, but of course the key is in the BIOS. I downloaded a tool to give me the keys, but there were 4 different keys/options. I used the default one, but I did try the others too (which failed).

Another thing I noticed is that when I re-installed Windows 8 Pro OEM, it asked for the key, which I assume would automatically find by itself, but didn't.

Any ideas?

Edit: So I get into work this morning, and I see it's activated. But once I run cmd /c "slmgr /dli", it tells me its a VOLUME_KMSCLIENT license. So did I use the incorrect key? Did the tool I run give me the key for the currently installed version of Windows Enterprise or something?

Short:

The way volume licensing works is that companies get a single Volume license for all their machines - on top, with the condition that the existing machines that they want to manager under the VL, will/ must have their own licenses; cheaper if OEM, as compared to retail.

Confirming Your Information:

• Company owned Work laptop with OEM Windows 8 Pro
• Company has Volume license

This is my guess as I am not sure what your Sys Admins did:

They added your OEM/ Machine & license to their Volume license management system. So, from now on they take charge of managing that OEM license.

You might have to now go through your Sys Admins to do anything on this machine when it comes to OEM/ Volume/ Enterprise windows installs.

Quite possibly your only way to bypass this, if at all possible and not advisable given that its a work machine, is a Retail license; which will be expensive and not worth.

Observer the messages you are getting:

'Can't activate Windows by phone, contact your sys admin.'

it tells me its a VOLUME_KMSCLIENT license

Once a machine's OEM license is part of volume licensing, then it has to be managed & activated via the Volume mechanism that the Admins use. Microsoft hands off the support & drama to the Admins. They have to then do it for you or go through Enterprise/ Business support. Also, if your company does not have Volume license for Windows 10 as yet, then that may constrain you.

From what I remember, there are 2 main ways enterprise licenses are managed: VLSC and MAK. In MAK you can activate each by yourself, in VLSC it has to be activated by the Companys KMS servers. So, stop installing yourself. Give the machine to Admins, let them install & activate it their way - as they have already brought this OEM license under their VLSC KMS management.

I'll try to post links to specific articles on this some time later. I figured this might help you save the time & effort.

PS: If it starts working as you mentioned below and if it continues to work, it will be thanks to your companies KMS.

PPS: I do not know how / if at all possible to disassociate an OEM license from VLSC once added to it. Say for instance, if/ when a company sells or gets rid of the machine, then the OEM license goes with the machine and there should be some way to point out that the VLSC should not manage that machine anymore.