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No windows 8 key with new notebook ?

P

PCVSnotebook

Junior Member
Hi,

I have this problem , I bought this new Asus Notebook (the Vivo book), and with Windows 8...

The problem here is that I can not find the key anywhere .. I want to replace the Harddisk with SSD , and need to install a fresh Windows 8 pro , and I cant locate the Key anywhere (I am using my retail Windows 8 disk for that) ...

Asus didnt come with any recovery disks .. Just pre installed Windows 8 .. and has a hidden partition of 16G for the system Back up... and I cant use it at all , I have to remove it and install the SSD ... and it doesn't work from USB3 case as well ... the auto recover, so I had to use the Windows 8 DVD I have , and I just need the key . Looking at the System , there is a key but it is covered by ***** and I cant locate it ...

Is there a way to find the key ? I read somewhere , windows 8 stores it in the Bios .. but where and how ? I dont want to waste 16G on SSD as well the SSD is too small for that.
 
Yazoo said:
windows 8 OEM comes with no sticker. Supposedly key is embedded in BIOS and windows installer gets it from there. or run Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to get the product key.
Click to expand...
MJBK is unnecessary. The key is very much embedded in the BIOS, and when the Windows 8 installer sees it, it will automatically set itself as the right version and load that key. Reinstalling Windows has been reduced to finding media and running it.

As for reinstall options, most Windows devices come with a way to create recovery media from the recovery partition. If that doesn't work, then you'll need to track down a Windows 8 disc, flash drive, etc. Any one (of the right bitness) will do.
 
the key is in the bios. It rewrites itself when its activated online. OA3 must be activated online.

Just like office 2013, your o/s is tied to that motherboard and only that motherboard 😉

chew on that one.
 
Emulex said:
the key is in the bios. It rewrites itself when its activated online. OA3 must be activated online.

Just like office 2013, your o/s is tied to that motherboard and only that motherboard 😉

chew on that one.
Click to expand...

So..new mb = sol?

Guess either your given a number of installs or you have to call MS and get it re-set?
 
OEM activation 3.0 has no product key to type in. The unique product key gets programmed into the BIOS of each unit
 
The key is embedded in the BIOS.

Technically, you shouldn't ever need to use the key. If you need to reinstall Windows 8 (and you are using the correct media), it will automatically fetch the key from the BIOS.

Also, when repair shops replace a motherboard, a new key will be embedded into that motherboard and registered with Microsoft automatically, and the old key from the old motherboard will be de-activated.
 
atguy10 said:
Also, when repair shops replace a motherboard, a new key will be embedded into that motherboard and registered with Microsoft automatically, and the old key from the old motherboard will be de-activated.
Click to expand...
Any idea where to get the tools, in order to extract a product key from an old motherboard, and inject it into a new mobo?

(And how does that work, when the old mobo has failed completely? How do you run the extractor?)
 
The tools are only available to authorized repair shops. You might find them via Google.

From my understanding, there would be no need to retrieve the old key from the old motherboard. Microsoft stores your activation statistics in their database. When you boot up the first time after a motherboard swap, your computer sends the new key to Microsoft and they remove the old key from their database.

Microsoft has a way to figure out which key is tied to which motherboard.
 
if the laptop has come with OEM License, there should windows8 label on your laptop.
When buying a laptop, opt for OS CD which willbe addon cost. Recover CD helps only to recover the corrupted OS but do not make any fresh installation.

You can download trial version of the OS and then activate it by using your OEM key.
 
knev said:
if the laptop has come with OEM License, there should windows8 label on your laptop.
When buying a laptop, opt for OS CD which willbe addon cost. Recover CD helps only to recover the corrupted OS but do not make any fresh installation.

You can download trial version of the OS and then activate it by using your OEM key.
Click to expand...

Define fresh installations. Factory fresh defaults is what they are suppose to do, bareboned default driver OS installs, no.
 
atguy10 said:
The tools are only available to authorized repair shops. You might find them via Google.

From my understanding, there would be no need to retrieve the old key from the old motherboard. Microsoft stores your activation statistics in their database. When you boot up the first time after a motherboard swap, your computer sends the new key to Microsoft and they remove the old key from their database.

Microsoft has a way to figure out which key is tied to which motherboard.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's that complex. At least with Windows 7 it is just a key in the bios that the OEM install/restore looks for and if found windows activates. No reporting back to the mothership...
 
knev said:
if the laptop has come with OEM License, there should windows8 label on your laptop.
When buying a laptop, opt for OS CD which willbe addon cost. Recover CD helps only to recover the corrupted OS but do not make any fresh installation.

You can download trial version of the OS and then activate it by using your OEM key.
Click to expand...

Please don't just make stuff up as you go along.
 
atguy10 said:
The key is embedded in the BIOS.

Technically, you shouldn't ever need to use the key. If you need to reinstall Windows 8 (and you are using the correct media), it will automatically fetch the key from the BIOS.

Also, when repair shops replace a motherboard, a new key will be embedded into that motherboard and registered with Microsoft automatically, and the old key from the old motherboard will be de-activated.
Click to expand...

So what happens if you want to install a different version of the OS? For example, if it came with Windows 8 "Home" or whatever the non-Pro one is called, and I want to install Pro?
 
douglasb said:
So what happens if you want to install a different version of the OS? For example, if it came with Windows 8 "Home" or whatever the non-Pro one is called, and I want to install Pro?
Click to expand...

If you were installing a different version of the OS it wouldn't be the OEM version anymore so it will prompt you to enter your newly purchased key.
 
douglasb said:
So what happens if you want to install a different version of the OS? For example, if it came with Windows 8 "Home" or whatever the non-Pro one is called, and I want to install Pro?
Click to expand...
You upgrade using the Pro Pack. In fact that's basically the only way that will work, as if you try to install Pro, the Windows installer will see the BIOS key for Core and install that instead.
 
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