On Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:16:04 +0800, "Mr. Man-wai Chang" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running >MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

Why would you do a clean installation of Windows 10, do updates to it,
then upgrade to Windows 10 rather than doing what you call a "last
resort," simply doing a clean installation of 10?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe

running "as admin"?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Mr. Man-wai Chang <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

Huh? If you already have a Windows 10 ISO, then why can't you just use
*that* to *upgrade* - not clean install - to Windows 10?

That's what I did with my wife's Windows 8.1 system.

BTW, do you really have Windows *8* or is it 8.1? If really 8, that
may be the/a cause that the Media Creation Tool is failing.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 3/26/2023 12:16 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

It's some silly comms issue.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/media-creation-tool-error-code-0x80072f8f-0x20000/4f8bbe1c-b5af-4cc9-958e-c6c8f3f0b524

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-to-enable-tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-as-default-secure-protocols-in-winhttp-in-windows-c4bd73d2-31d7-761e-0178-11268bb10392#bkmk_easy

"Some server that the MediaCreationTool21H2.exe tries to talk to
apparently no longer speaks the old TLS 1.0 security protocol,
but Windows 7 SP1 still has the newer TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 disabled
by default, resulting in this error code right at the start. So I had
to first run the "Easy fix 51044" MSI to make a few registry changes
to enable the more recent TLS versions, and then Media Creation Tool
- error code 0X80072F8F - 0X20000 no longer appeared."

This is presumably a Win7 SP1 link.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/5/0658B1A7-6D2E-474F-BC2C-D69E5B9E9A68/MicrosoftEasyFix51044.msi

This tells you roughly what it is trying to do. We can use this as
a hint as to what to check on Windows 8.1 .

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/247500/tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-easy-fix-download-missing

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp]
"DefaultSecureProtocols"=dword:00000AA8

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp]
"DefaultSecureProtocols"=dword:00000AA8

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings] \___ Mine
"SecureProtocols"=dword:00000A80 /

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
"SecureProtocols"=dword:00000A80

I think just the one I could find, does the job. Because some other keys reference
"SecureProtocols" for the information they need, rather than a hexadecimal numeric value.

Tested with:

Name: MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe
Size: 19463448 bytes (18 MiB)
SHA1: 1BF5F814FFE801B4E6F118E829C0D2821D78A60A

[Picture]

https://i.postimg.cc/nhcG28vS/mediacreationtool-on-win81.gif

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

T24gMy8yNi8yMDIzIDg6NTAgUE0sIGtudXR0bGUgd3JvdGU6DQo+IE9uIDMvMjYvMjAyMyAx MjoxNiBQTSwgTXIuIE1hbi13YWkgQ2hhbmcgd3JvdGU6DQo+Pg0KPj4gSXQncyBhIEhQIEVu dnkgSDkgUEMgYnVuZGxlZCB3aXRoIFdpbmRvd3MgOCBIb21lLg0KPj4NCj4+IFRyeWluZyB0 byB1cGdyYWRlIHRvIFdpbiAxMCBieSBkb3dubG9hZGluZyBhbmQgcnVubmluZw0KPj4gTWVk aWFDcmVhdGlvblRvb2wyMkgyLmV4ZSwgYWx3YXlzIGZhaWxlZCB3aXRoIGVycm9yDQo+PiAw eDgwMDcyZjhmLTB4MjAwMDAwLg0KPj4NCj4+IEFscmVhZHkgaW5zdGFsbGVkIGFsbCBuZWNl c3NhcnkgV2luIDggdXBkYXRlcy4gUHJpb3IgdG8NCj4+IHRoaXMsIEkgaGF2ZSBkb25lIGEg ZmFjdG9yeSByZXNldC4gU28gaXRzIFdpbiA4IGlzIGNsZWFuLg0KPj4NCj4+IENhbiB0aGUg cHJvYmxlbSBiZSBzb2x2ZWQ/DQo+Pg0KPj4gKE15IGxhc3QgcmVzb3J0IHdpbGwgZG8gYSBj bGVhbiBpbnN0YWxsIHVzaW5nIFdpbiAxMCBJU08hKQ0KPiBEdW1iIHF1ZXN0aW9uOg0KPiAN Cj4gV2luZG93cyAxMSBpcyB0aGUgY3VycmVudCB2ZXJzaW9uIG9mIHRoZSBPUy7CoCBXaW5k b3dzIDExIHdpbGwgbm90IA0KPiBpbnN0YWxsIG9uIG9sZGVyIENQVS7CoMKgIEkgYmVsZWl2 ZSB0aGUgRW52eSBIOSBjb21lcyB3aXRoIGEgdGhpcmQgDQo+IGdlbmVyYXRpb24gaTcgcHJv Y2Vzc29yLCBhbmQgaXMgdG9vIG9sZA0KPiANCj4gQXJlIHlvdSBzdXJlIHlvdSBoYXZlIHRo ZSBNZWRpYSBDcmVhdGlvbiB0b29sIGZvciBXaW5kb3dzIDEwIGFuZCBub3QgdGhlIA0KPiBv bmUgZm9yIFdpbmRvd3MgMTE/DQpodHRwczovL3d3dy5taWNyb3NvZnQuY29tL2VuLXVzL3Nv ZnR3YXJlLWRvd25sb2FkL3dpbmRvd3MxMA0K

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 3/26/2023 12:16 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

Dumb question:

Windows 11 is the current version of the OS. Windows 11 will not
install on older CPU. I beleive the Envy H9 comes with a third
generation i7 processor, and is too old

Are you sure you have the Media Creation tool for Windows 10 and not the
one for Windows 11?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Paul wrote on 3/26/2023 12:12 PM:

On 3/26/2023 12:16 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running
MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

It's some silly comms issue.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/media-creation-tool-error-code-0x80072f8f-0x20000/4f8bbe1c-b5af-4cc9-958e-c6c8f3f0b524

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-to-enable-tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-as-default-secure-protocols-in-winhttp-in-windows-c4bd73d2-31d7-761e-0178-11268bb10392#bkmk_easy

  "Some server that the MediaCreationTool21H2.exe tries to talk to
   apparently no longer speaks the old TLS 1.0 security protocol,
   but Windows 7 SP1 still has the newer TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 disabled
   by default, resulting in this error code right at the start. So I had
   to first run the "Easy fix 51044" MSI to make a few registry changes
   to enable the more recent TLS versions, and then Media Creation Tool
   - error code 0X80072F8F - 0X20000 no longer appeared."

This is presumably a Win7 SP1 link.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/5/0658B1A7-6D2E-474F-BC2C-D69E5B9E9A68/MicrosoftEasyFix51044.msi

This tells you roughly what it is trying to do. We can use this as
a hint as to what to check on Windows 8.1 .

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/247500/tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-easy-fix-download-missing

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\WinHttp]
"DefaultSecureProtocols"=dword:00000AA8

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\WinHttp]
"DefaultSecureProtocols"=dword:00000AA8

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]    \___ Mine
"SecureProtocols"=dword:00000A80
/

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
"SecureProtocols"=dword:00000A80

I think just the one I could find, does the job. Because some other keys reference
"SecureProtocols" for the information they need, rather than a
hexadecimal numeric value.

Tested with:

Name: MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe
Size: 19463448 bytes (18 MiB)
SHA1: 1BF5F814FFE801B4E6F118E829C0D2821D78A60A

   [Picture]

   https://i.postimg.cc/nhcG28vS/mediacreationtool-on-win81.gif

  Paul

For Win 8.1(needed to upgrade to Win10)
Why not just ensure TLS 1.0/1.1 is enabled in Control Panel/Internet Options/Advanced Tab?

--
...w¡ñ§±¤ñ

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 3/26/2023 8:55 PM, knuttle wrote:

On 3/26/2023 8:50 PM, knuttle wrote:

On 3/26/2023 12:16 PM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running
MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

Already installed all necessary Win 8 updates. Prior to
this, I have done a factory reset. So its Win 8 is clean.

Can the problem be solved?

(My last resort will do a clean install using Win 10 ISO!)

Dumb question:

Windows 11 is the current version of the OS.  Windows 11 will not install on older CPU.
I beleive the Envy H9 comes with a third generation i7 processor, and is too old

Are you sure you have the Media Creation tool for Windows 10 and not the one for Windows 11?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

He has media. He installs these OSes a lot.

So this is mainly about "engine details" rather than
a particular result. I'm pretty sure there are Windows 10
DVDs on his coffee table in the apartment.

And he should be doing this from Windows 8.1 Home,
rather than Windows 8.0 .

But since the operation is not progressing to the
point of showing a dialog, it's failing too early for
these other details to matter.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 12:26 am, Andy Burns wrote:

Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running
MediaCreationTool22H2.exe

running "as admin"?

It will automatically ask for Admin privilege!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 12:30 am, Ken Blake wrote:

Why would you do a clean installation of Windows 10, do updates to it,
then upgrade to Windows 10 rather than doing what you call a "last
resort," simply doing a clean installation of 10?

In-place upgrade... there are some free HP software that don't have an installers, but installed from the factory image.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 8:39 am, ...w¡ñ§±¤ñ wrote:

For Win 8.1(needed to upgrade to Win10)
Why not just ensure TLS 1.0/1.1 is enabled in Control Panel/Internet Options/Advanced Tab?

Win 8 doers have TLS 1.2...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 2:45 am, Frank Slootweg wrote:

Huh? If you already have a Windows 10 ISO, then why can't you just use *that* to *upgrade* - not clean install - to Windows 10?

That's what I did with my wife's Windows 8.1 system.

BTW, do you really have Windows *8* or is it 8.1? If really 8, that
may be the/a cause that the Media Creation Tool is failing.

In-place upgrade... there are some free HP software that don't have an installers, but installed from the factory image.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 9:46 am, Paul wrote:

He has media. He installs these OSes a lot.

Yes, Your Honor!

So this is mainly about "engine details" rather than
a particular result. I'm pretty sure there are Windows 10
DVDs on his coffee table in the apartment.

And he should be doing this from Windows 8.1 Home,
rather than Windows 8.0 .

Um... maybe I should upgrade to 8.1 first? Ok... experiement time! :)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 3:12 am, Paul wrote:

This is presumably a Win7 SP1 link.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/5/0658B1A7-6D2E-474F-BC2C-D69E5B9E9A68/MicrosoftEasyFix51044.msi

Not applicable to Win 8 when I executed that patch.

This tells you roughly what it is trying to do. We can use this as
a hint as to what to check on Windows 8.1 .

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/247500/tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-easy-fix-download-missing

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
...
I think just the one I could find, does the job. Because some other keys reference
"SecureProtocols" for the information they need, rather than a hexadecimal numeric value.

Tested with:

Name: MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe
Size: 19463448 bytes (18 MiB)
SHA1: 1BF5F814FFE801B4E6F118E829C0D2821D78A60A

Didn't work. Same error when executing MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe. I
did reboot the PC after applying the registries.

I know both Win 8 and Win 8.1 have reached end-of-life, and I suppose
the upgrade path to Win 10 should still work. :)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 12:16 am, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

I forgot that there is a SETUP.EXE in the official ISO
of all Windows. So we don't have to upgrade with the Media
Creation Tool. Sorry!

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 4:17 pm, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 27/3/2023 12:16 am, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running
MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

I forgot that there is a SETUP.EXE in the official ISO
of all Windows. So we don't have to upgrade with the Media
Creation Tool. Sorry!

unfortunately, there were problems after the upgrade. At least, the
Windows Defender could not be started. The error message was "“Your IT Administrator Has Limited Access”... Well...

I better go the clean install route, after recovering the product key of
Win 8 in the factory image.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 3/27/2023 3:09 AM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 27/3/2023 3:12 am, Paul wrote:

This is presumably a Win7 SP1 link.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/5/0658B1A7-6D2E-474F-BC2C-D69E5B9E9A68/MicrosoftEasyFix51044.msi

Not applicable to Win 8 when I executed that patch.

This tells you roughly what it is trying to do. We can use this as
a hint as to what to check on Windows 8.1 .

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/247500/tls-1-1-and-tls-1-2-easy-fix-download-missing

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
...
I think just the one I could find, does the job. Because some other keys reference
"SecureProtocols" for the information they need, rather than a hexadecimal numeric value.

Tested with:

Name: MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe
Size: 19463448 bytes (18 MiB)
SHA1: 1BF5F814FFE801B4E6F118E829C0D2821D78A60A

Didn't work. Same error when executing MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe. I did reboot the PC after applying the registries.

I know both Win 8 and Win 8.1 have reached end-of-life, and I suppose the upgrade path to Win 10 should still work. :)

The qualifying OSes for Free Upgrade

Win7 SP1
Win8.1

You should still be able to run MediaCreationTool22H2-W10.exe
to fetch an ISO9660 file, for making media "for another PC".
This works as long as the .NET for it is installed in the OS,
and that places a bound on which Windows OSes can order media.

But the program should refuse to install Windows 10 directly if your OS is:

Win8.0

I feel you should still have been offered a menu option.

On the machine where you are executing this, does Windows Update work ? Or not ?

Windows Update should suffer from the same communications problem as the program,
if that is the problem.

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 3/27/2023 9:11 AM, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 27/3/2023 4:17 pm, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

On 27/3/2023 12:16 am, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a HP Envy H9 PC bundled with Windows 8 Home.

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 by downloading and running
MediaCreationTool22H2.exe, always failed with error
0x80072f8f-0x200000.

I forgot that there is a SETUP.EXE in the official ISO
of all Windows. So we don't have to upgrade with the Media
Creation Tool. Sorry!

unfortunately, there were problems after the upgrade. At least, the Windows Defender could not be started. The error message was "“Your IT Administrator Has Limited Access”... Well...

I better go the clean install route, after recovering the product key of Win 8 in the factory image.

If it really is a Win8 machine, the license key is in the
ACPI MSDM table.

if it is a Win7 machine, the HP Royalty OEM OS is enabled
by finding that the ACPI HP SLIC table is present. In such a case,
the key in the OS is "bogus" and not suited to activating
the machine. Windows 10 should be able to determine some
of these conditions for itself, and activate anyway.

Using Linux you can check for an MSDM table.

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-find-windows-10-oem-product-key-command/

sudo strings /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

or use acpidump

If the machine is Refurbished by an official refurbisher,
then the key is in the Registry. There might not be a
COA sticker on the machine, after an official refurbisher
has scratched the sticker off the machine. If a COA sticker
was present, *that* is good for installing Windows 10.
But that key may not be the current license key in the
computer.

Before giving up on the machine entirely, as it currently
stands, turn it on again and boot and see if the policy
has reverted on its own. I went through this charade just
yesterday with a Win10 virtual machine. First, it claimed
my administrator had done something. I installed Win10
over top, and it still showed a bad status. But after
a bit of Windows Update activity, it seemed to correct
itself, and Windows Defender was then running again.

This is hardly good operating policy for a computer to
just be doing weird stuff on its own. There should at
least be a dialog saying "we screwed up your settings
for you on purpose".

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 27/3/2023 10:42 pm, Paul wrote:

If it really is a Win8 machine, the license key is in the
ACPI MSDM table.

It's a Win 8 machine. I used ProduKey to retrieve its
product key.

Using Linux you can check for an MSDM table.

https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-find-windows-10-oem-product-key-command/

sudo strings /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

or use acpidump

Never tried this before...

If the machine is Refurbished by an official refurbisher,
then the key is in the Registry. There might not be a
COA sticker on the machine, after an official refurbisher
has scratched the sticker off the machine. If a COA sticker
was present, *that* is good for installing Windows 10.
But that key may not be the current license key in the
computer.

There is no COA sticker with this HP Envy H9.

Before giving up on the machine entirely, as it currently
stands, turn it on again and boot and see if the policy
has reverted on its own. I went through this charade just
yesterday with a Win10 virtual machine. First, it claimed
my administrator had done something. I installed Win10
over top, and it still showed a bad status. But after
a bit of Windows Update activity, it seemed to correct
itself, and Windows Defender was then running again.

I will keep the original SSD containing the broken
Win 10 upgrade and the HP recovery partition till I had
time to probe further about that “Your IT Administrator
Has Limited Access”. It's really strange.... never seen
it before.

I am now using a spare hard disk to install Win 11 on
it, hoping that I could activate Win 11 using the
retrieved Win 8 product key. I had to switch to CSM mode.
The UEFI mode of the HP Envy H9 BIOS kept ignoring my UEFI
bootable USB.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 28/3/2023 12:16 am, Mr. Man-wai Chang wrote:

It's a Win 8 machine. I used ProduKey to retrieve its
product key.

....

I am now using a spare hard disk to install Win 11 on
it, hoping that I could activate Win 11 using the
retrieved Win 8 product key. I had to switch to CSM mode.
The UEFI mode of the HP Envy H9 BIOS kept ignoring my UEFI
bootable USB.

OK, the extracted product key got activated.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)