Techy Stuff Help!

[Tredman]

Bought myself a new HDD earlier, well went for a SSD instead but anyway...

Just gone on the above link and it says you can't use the ISO file and that method for a clean install, it's just to update Windows 8 to 8.1 but bypassing Microsoft's store.

You can try this:

http://www.redmondpie.com/download-windows-8-iso-x86-x64-file-directly-from-microsoft/

Tbh the easiest easy is to just download it on a torrent, but that obviously isn't entirely legal and you would need to make sure you got an unmodified iso

 

[MARKakaJIM]

You can try this:

http://www.redmondpie.com/download-windows-8-iso-x86-x64-file-directly-from-microsoft/

Tbh the easiest easy is to just download it on a torrent, but that obviously isn't entirely legal and you would need to make sure you got an unmodified iso

Thanks! This would be a whole lot easier if they just provided the disc when you bought the product like in the good ol' days, i can't even use my PC to make the create the boot disc because it's 32 bit so now i've got to go and steal my mother's laptop to get it sorted, right nightmare!

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Now I have another issue, as if it wasn't bad enough already, can't seem to find the Windows 8 product key anywhere on the laptop or in the box.

 

[Tredman]

Now I have another issue, as if it wasn't bad enough already, can't seem to find the Windows 8 product key anywhere on the laptop or in the box.

It's usually on the bottom of the laptop...I think though with windows 8 it's hard coded into the bios (or whatever it's called now). It should be on the paperwork which came with the laptop too.

If you can get an install disk made you shouldn't need it though.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

You need it just to make an install disc by the looks of things.

First page of the Windows installer thing that you use to create a boot disc asks for the product code. As you say though, it's apparently coded into the motherboard or something now though and no hard copy is provided.

Closest thing to a solution I've found, which I'm going to attempt now, is installing a Windows 8 trial to get the machine going again and hopefully be able to retrieve the product code. Then I can make myself a proper boot disc and hopefully get it going properly.

It shouldn't be this hard to reinstall software you already own.

 

[machin05]

If the laptop came with it pre-installed you can get the code from the manufacturer. It'll then use the TPM chip to activate it with Microsoft once you're online, or sutin.

 

[Tredman]

You need it just to make an install disc by the looks of things.

First page of the Windows installer thing that you use to create a boot disc asks for the product code. As you say though, it's apparently coded into the motherboard or something now though and no hard copy is provided.

Closest thing to a solution I've found, which I'm going to attempt now, is installing a Windows 8 trial to get the machine going again and hopefully be able to retrieve the product code. Then I can make myself a proper boot disc and hopefully get it going properly.

It shouldn't be this hard to reinstall software you already own.

The trial will be fine, iirc that's what I used on my old phone first

 

[Tredman]

You need it just to make an install disc by the looks of things.

First page of the Windows installer thing that you use to create a boot disc asks for the product code. As you say though, it's apparently coded into the motherboard or something now though and no hard copy is provided.

Closest thing to a solution I've found, which I'm going to attempt now, is installing a Windows 8 trial to get the machine going again and hopefully be able to retrieve the product code. Then I can make myself a proper boot disc and hopefully get it going properly.

It shouldn't be this hard to reinstall software you already own.

The trial will be fine, iirc that's what I used on my old pc first

 

[MARKakaJIM]

It took forever to download the trial last night so by the time it'd finished and i'd burnt it to a disc i'd got bored/tired and gone to bed, hopefully it'll work no bother tonight or tomorrow and then should be able to sort the proper version of Windows through my machine without too much hassle.

 

[Boozad]

The Product ID should be in the battery compartment.

Everything else you'll need is in here.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

No product code anywhere.

 

[The Bear]

There used to be a small program you could download which would ID your product code from your registry. I'm pretty sure I used it once before.

Something like this - https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

 

[MARKakaJIM]

There used to be a small program you could download which would ID your product code from your registry. I'm pretty sure I used it once before.

Something like this - https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Yeah i'd seen things like that but i couldn't use that on my laptop until i'd installed some OS on there to begin with, this imbedded product key idea seems really fucking stupid.

I've managed to successfully install a trial version of Windows 8 on here now anyway so that's my next step now, get one of those programs to dig out the product key and install a proper version, creating myself a boot disk in the process so i can avoid this whole sorry mess if the worst happens again.

 

[Tredman]

You shouldn't need to reinstall, the trial version is the same as the full version.

It may even be activated already if you've connected to the internet after install - right click on computer and choose properties, scroll down to see if it says activated.

Sent from my Surface Pro 3 using Tapatalk

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Awesome, I'll have a look when I get home and check.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Doesn't seem to have validated itself into the full version of Windows 8, saying my license will expire towards the end of January.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Used a program to dig out a product key that gets me past the first part of the Windows 8 installer i'd dowloaded but then on the next page it says it can't be downloaded because Windows 8 isn't available for online purchase in my country/region, just bounces me from one problem to another!

 

[Boozad]

Did you read any of the tutorial I linked for you?

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Did you read any of the tutorial I linked for you?

There's nothing there that helps.

 

[Boozad]

There's nothing there that helps.

Yeah right, that MVP's extensive tutorial has helped tens of thousands of people reinstall Windows 8, you won't find a more complete tutorial. Of course you're different.