Need help with windows 8 clean install on retail pc.

I haven't read the entire thread - just the first post so forgive me if I cover old ground again...

My understanding is that if you use Retail or OEM System Builder media to do the install on a BIOS-activated (SLP v3) Win8 machine, it should 'just work'. However, I've never had the opportunity to try it.

Have you made sure that you have the same edition media as machine? and the same version? You cannot use Win8.1 media on a Win8 machine, and likewise cannot use Win8Pro media on a Win8 core machine (or vice-versa). Check the Win8 Sticker - is if for Pro or Core? The colour should tell you if the wording doesn't - but I can never remember the colour code.
Note that MSDN media may have problems as well - I believe they/some are now locked so that they demand the Key whatever

If the original drive can be read reliably, ProduKey or Magical Jelly Bean may be able to retrieve the Key remotely if you attach the drive in a USB housing (see the details at ProduKey - Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office/SQL Server )

NoelDP said:

I haven't read the entire thread - just the first post so forgive me if I cover old ground again...

My understanding is that if you use Retail or OEM System Builder media to do the install on a BIOS-activated (SLP v3) Win8 machine, it should 'just work'. However, I've never had the opportunity to try it.

Have you made sure that you have the same edition media as machine? and the same version? You cannot use Win8.1 media on a Win8 machine, and likewise cannot use Win8Pro media on a Win8 core machine (or vice-versa). Check the Win8 Sticker - is if for Pro or Core? The colour should tell you if the wording doesn't - but I can never remember the colour code.
Note that MSDN media may have problems as well - I believe they/some are now locked so that they demand the Key whatever

If the original drive can be read reliably, ProduKey or Magical Jelly Bean may be able to retrieve the Key remotely if you attach the drive in a USB housing (see the details at ProduKey - Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office/SQL Server )

alphanumeric said:

Ok, I just went over this all again. If I read things correctly?
The PC came with Windows 8.1.
The tamper sticker doesn't say Pro so we are assuming its only 8.1 Core.
8.1 Pro was installed because that is what was on hand and that was the only key that would let Windows install.
The OEM key has been retrieved but won't work because its a Core key and Pro is installed.
Andrew is now trying to install Core in a 30 day trial mode so he can try his OEM key again.

If the original install was the regular OEM, not the single language version, the embedded key "should" be used automatically. That makes me think it was the Single language version. If so Andrew will have to hunt up that ISO. If he does get 8.1 Core installed and his OEM key still won't work, I think that would confirm my suspicion. There were one or two other threads like this and I'll see if I can hunt one up.

alphanumeric said:

Windows 8.1 Core/Single Language Installation w/ Win8 key Post #5 may help.

Correct.

Thank you.

I will report my findings as soon as I have time to do this. Thank you everyone.

BTW:

I looked here:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howto...spx#PCPurchase

And discovered the pc does have a genuine Microsoft label tamper evident seal, but not a coa. In fact every pc with windows 8 I have seen does not have a coa sticker. Should they? I mean that is what I was talking about when I said I missed the windows 7 days with the sticker having the key on it. And that page says every windows professional pc should have one. But even on laptops and desktops sold with windows 8 pro installed on it at stores I do not see a coa on them. So what is going on with that?

I thought coa was replaced and no longer used on windows 8 and new pc's going forward. But Microsoft's own page makes me think otherwise.

The color shifting ink though should help me determinate what it really is (but I am positive its 8 core as most new pcs sold are not 8 pro), so the page did help me a little. I will report back when I have time.

alphanumeric said:

ThrashZone said:

I doubt the recovery disk is any different than a oem :/
I also doubt the recovery disk is free either so pick you poison give the money to Newegg or .... or the manufacture that pretty much stacked the deck

I got one of the win-8 upgrade activation keys from Robin I don't believe it works anymore either
Not that I give a hoot but just saying Microsoft might of change the playing field ?

That likely depends on your definition of Recovery. Usually, what you get from the OEM (for a price) just restores an image back to the hard drive. It wipes everything out and restores it to the OOBE. The Out Of the Box Experience. It will be like it was the first time you turned it on. Pick your language etc. All you personal files are gone. All the original OEM preinstalled junk is back too. If you buy an off the shelf System builder (OEM) version you can clean install and pick and chose what gets installed. The downside is you may have to hunt up some drivers etc.

Yep there was a big stink about manufactures not including a recovery disk by default on computer sells in win-7,
The manufactures installed the recovery partition instead
Some got sued eventually Gateway/ Acer because the recovery disk's actually were clean install disks which they didn't want to provide a disk with no junkware

The manufactures were to lazy to make a system recovery disk with all of the junkware on it for free :)
Thus the hdd/ ssd failure vision was thought to be taken care of via a Extended warrantee or when one was purchased in the future ?
Either way it's a complete mess with win-8 because mostly Microsoft made it that way on purpose
Manufactures got a deal on the os that's all they cared about at that time :/
Customer looses in the long run,
Mobo stuck in limbo land :)

Retail Mobo with factory oem How many times has Noel seen that one

No Win8 machine pre-installed by a large manufacturer has a COA sticker - because they are theoretically redundant.
Each machine has the COA built-in to the BIOS (at it's this that the installer is supposed to read and install).

I'm not sure what the situation is with Windows 8/8.1 Retail or OEM System Builder packages, since MS effectively abolished the 'Retail' and Upgrade licenses in Win8. I've never owned or handled a Win8 machine that wasn't from a large manufacturer - and have never bought a Win8 pack other than as an Upgrade download. I *think* COA stickers come with all 'retail OEM System Builder' packs for Win8 - but have no idea what's happening with Win8.1

How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC - Windows Help

Microsoft said:

.....
Resetting your PC reinstalls Windows but deletes your files, settings, and apps—except for the apps that came with your PC
.....
If your PC came with Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, you’ll need the discs or thumb drive that came with your PC. Check the info that came with your PC to see if your PC manufacturer provided these discs or media. In some cases, you might have created them when you first set up your PC.

If you upgraded your PC to Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 with a DVD, use that disc.

If you don’t have Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 media, contact Microsoft Support.
.....

I think Microsoft should be able to help you here. I'd explain that the disk drive went south and you've tried almost every conceivable way you know of to install Win8.1 on a new HD.

You have tried recovery - yes? You'd need to create a recovery USB on another machine to do that though - 'cause your HD is dead ... kaput .. an ex-parrot

Anyway, there are a few tutorials on eightforums that might help, but you're in that vicious circle - no boot drive.

Maybe MS will tell you where to get the ISO without using the OEM key - or how to get the media with an OEM key (could be generic).

You might want to gather some information from your friend (where and when the machine was purchased - your friends full name, maybe some authentication pin or key(I don't recall the setup procedure) if they registered the machine.... nothing personal should be needed). Play end user and ask them 'How do I do that?' questions if they ask you to bring up PC settings or download a file.

If everything checks out on their end, they should give you the means to recover the machine.


Side note: Anyone else get a German language pages on Microsoft?
I've reset my machine language to US English, and looked around in my live profile, and reset the language on a few MS pages....the pages remain in Deutsch.

I'll poke around some more, but if everyone is having this issue ....

Well the Microsoft support link opened in English you posted :/
Nothing else has done any differently today ?

Microsoft did get an ear full a week or 2 ago by me,
I have no idea why they insist on pushing Microsoft mouse and keyboard center on a freaking laptop
Which if loaded wipes out a touchpad settings in properties but still they push it

How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC - Windows Help


Microsoft Support.

Both from your post #65 and they both are in English.

Thanks Mike,

Thanks Jack.

I noticed this last night on one support page, now it seems to be every Microsoft support page. I'll go though my normal trouble shooting when the silly stuff starts.

I'll post what I find - who knows a restart might fix it.

Bill
.

Well that was easy... I removed Microsoft from my 'preserved favorites folder' and also removed *.microsft.com from the IE trusted sites.

I was playing with the Modern IE earlier today, but not yesterday. I'll tack this up to a cookie that got deleted when I removed the protection from MS sites.

All better now!

Thanks again.

NoelDP said:

No Win8 machine pre-installed by a large manufacturer has a COA sticker - because they are theoretically redundant.
Each machine has the COA built-in to the BIOS (at it's this that the installer is supposed to read and install).

I'm not sure what the situation is with Windows 8/8.1 Retail or OEM System Builder packages, since MS effectively abolished the 'Retail' and Upgrade licenses in Win8. I've never owned or handled a Win8 machine that wasn't from a large manufacturer - and have never bought a Win8 pack other than as an Upgrade download. I *think* COA stickers come with all 'retail OEM System Builder' packs for Win8 - but have no idea what's happening with Win8.1

My two laptops have Windows 8 stickers on the bottom that look like Microsoft supplied stickers. They have the Windows logo in them. There is no product code obviously. I just assumed they were the new COA stickers for OEM PC's? otherwise why put them on the bottom?
Mine look like this.


EDIT: I stand corrected, it looks like those labels are a Genuine Microsoft Label (GML) as shown in the link Andrew posted earlier. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howto...spx#PCPurchase Not COA stickers as I had thought.