trying to find MS license key

[Pants]

I have a Dell Inspiron 15R 5537 that I'm working on. It needs a new HDD and OS reinstall. Since the old HDD is bad, I'm unable to extract the Windows 8 license key from it. The Windows 8 product key is not seen anywhere on the computer. Any ideas on how I should proceed? I might be able to interest the owner in a Linux installation, but I would rather put Windows back on there.

 

[Pants]

Lol.. Ok. Thanks for that pointer. I don't have any Windows 10 installation media. I've been out of the computer repair gig for a couple years and just getting back into it. If the key is embedded then it should just activate Windows 8 then, should it? I do have Windows 8 install media.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

If the key is embedded then it should just activate Windows 8 then, should it? I do have Windows 8 install media.

If it has an 8key on the mobo, then you can use 10 and it'll still activate.

Alternatively, because:

I don't have any Windows 10 installation media.

You can install 8 and then upgrade it to 10... Because:

(friends don't let friends use Windows 8)

 

[wavey]

If your client insists on windows 8 install 8.1 instead, you can download 8.1 and 10 from heidoc.com free of charge. Both will active automatically

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

heidoc.com

.net

 

[wavey]

Make that heidoc.net

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

and if you're serious about getting back into the game then you'll need this a lot.

arguably more than you need pants... If I had to lose my Win10 or my pants... My legs would be cold...

 

[Pants]

Oh great. I'll go get the media for Windows 10 then. Thanks

 

[purdybread]

If this was in the introductions would we be calling the kraken?

 

[purdybread]

Not when the OP has been here for five years and posted more than 1,500 messages!

Wouldn't be in the introductions section then would it?

 

[purdybread]

Sorry nearly forgot my smiley face emoji

 

[fincoder]

You can install 8 and then upgrade it to 10

Why install 8 first?
A clean Windows 10 install will activate automatically based on the embedded Windows 8 key.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

Why install 8 first?
A clean Windows 10 install will activate automatically based on the embedded Windows 8 key.

because OP said:

I don't have any Windows 10 installation media.

So I was trying to figure out a solution that he can act on RIGHT NOW, instead of a "preferred solution" where it may take longer to get the computer back to the customer.

 

[GTP]

So I was trying to figure out a solution that he can act on RIGHT NOW, instead of a "preferred solution" where it may take longer to get the computer back to the customer.

I have no clue as to his internet connection speed but assuming it's half decent it would take less time to download the Win 10 iso and install it than install Winsux 8 - then upgrade to 10 (which is a download anyway..)

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

I have no clue as to his internet connection speed but assuming it's half decent it would take less time to download the Win 10 iso and install it than install Winsux 8 - then upgrade to 10 (which is a download anyway..)

Unless his customer is 70 years old, then it'd be better to install 8 than 10, that way when they come to pickup (or he drop off) and they do not like 10. It's a one-click fix to get back exactly what they had.

I don't know anything about his customer, but the majority of mine hate change....

 

[fincoder]

I was trying to figure out a solution that he can act on RIGHT NOW, instead of a "preferred solution" where it may take longer to get the computer back to the customer.

Fair enough, but in my opinion the Window 10 ISO download and clean install would be faster than a Windows 8 install then in-place upgrade since it's downloading a similar number of gigabytes, and the in-place upgrade is a lot slower than a clean install, and he's going to need the Windows 10 install media every day.

 

[fincoder]

I don't know anything about his customer, but the majority of mine hate change....

Most of my customer prefer 10 over 8, and I think as techs we would all agree that 10 is objectively better than 8, at least now that we know Windows 10 is here to stay and they'll never go back to the full-screen Start and swipe-in charms menu. In my shop, a customer would need to have a good reason (e.g. software compatibility) to remain on Windows 8 after a HDD failure.

The customer was more than likely on Windows 10 anyway. I get very few with 8 coming in any more, unless they've been in storage for a few years or no internet.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

and I think as techs we would all agree that 10 is objectively better than 8

Yeah, of course 10 is better than 8... But you explain that to someone who doesn't care! My market expects their computer to out-live them...

In my shop, a customer would need to have a good reason (e.g. software compatibility) to remain on Windows 8 after a HDD failure.

I don't even have an 8 or 8.1 installation media anymore. I send them away. I don't support it, but that doesn't mean another shop shouldn't support it.

 

[fincoder]

I don't even have an 8 or 8.1 installation media anymore. I send them away.

So we're in furious agreement then?

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

So we're in furious agreement then?

You know I love you. And sure, only because I need to sleep though.