Windows 8 Activation question...

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bdoggman

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Just a question about a scenario I run into a lot that im confused on. The HDD fails on a Windows 8 laptop and you need to reload, what is going to be the new method with windows 8 to reload the system and make it legit? Because there is not going to be a product key affixed to the unit , just a genuine sticker of such. The reason I ask this question is a lot of the time you need to enter the product key to activate. From what i understand each unit will have its own slic for each system, so how will this affect us in the real world when we have to reload the customers system?

Thanks for any input..
 
You must have a system restore drive (USB thumb drive only, no longer a disc) or a recovery partition for that machine. Without I believe you would be stuck buying a full copy of Windows 8.

You can create a repair disc by running "Windows 7 File Recovery" Yes that is correct Windows 7 not 8, just search for it from the start screen.
 
fixedbynerds said:
You must have a system restore drive (USB thumb drive only, no longer a disc) or a recovery partition for that machine. Without I believe you would be stuck buying a full copy of Windows 8.

You can create a repair disc by running "Windows 7 File Recovery" Yes that is correct Windows 7 not 8, just search for it from the start screen.
Click to expand...

That will be fun to explain to the client: Sorry sir, you didn't create a USB drive so you'll have to repurchase Windows again.

I didn't know they were no longer affixing product keys, will have to look into this further!

Edit: Tried to research into this but came up empty handed. May I ask where you found out about the not affixing keys, bdoggman?
 
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I just purchased Windows 8 for my tab. MS supplied me with an upgrade Key, looks like any other MS product key.

Not sure if you get a COA sticker or not, but I certainly got a receipt with the key!
 
I can verify there is no COA on retail Windows 8 machines. (Personally unboxed and setup about a dozen.) Was wondering myself about how to restore one, good to know about the USB method.
 
So what does this mean for us as techs? That is, when a customer brings in a laptop pre-installed with Windows 8, a dead hard drive, and as is quite often the case, he has not made any recovery/restore discs? (or if you just want to do a clean install of Windows without the bloatware that comes with most new PCs)

Is it a case of using a standard OEM Windows 8 installation disc, then Windows gets activated using the key installed in the BIOS?

Or, will there be different versions of install discs for different manufacturers?

Or, will no such option be available and the customer be forced to buy a recovery disc with all the included bloatware (or a new retail Windows 8 license)?

I wish I had a Windows 8 PC at the moment to try it out on but I'm not in the market for a new computer at the moment though and all I have are the four upgrade licenses I bought yesterday.
 
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I am doing some reading and so far I have come up a empty handed. We are selling windows 8 laptops in my store starting today but I am not sure if windows will simply reload from the restore if they come back with a dead hard drive.
 
JustInspired said:
So what does this mean for us as techs? That is, when a customer brings in a laptop pre-installed with Windows 8, a dead hard drive, and as is quite often the case, he has not made any recovery/restore discs? (or if you just want to do a clean install of Windows without the bloatware that comes with most new PCs)

Is it a case of using a standard OEM Windows 8 installation disc, then Windows gets activated using the key installed in the BIOS?

Or, will there be different versions of install discs for different manufacturers?

Or, will no such option be available and the customer be forced to buy a recovery disc with all the included bloatware (or a new retail Windows 8 license)?

I wish I had a Windows 8 PC at the moment to try it out on but I'm not in the market for a new computer at the moment though and all I have are the four upgrade licenses I bought yesterday.
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I'm in basically the same position you are in. Hopefully there is something because you know no one is going to pay attention to what they are suppose to do. If it's in the bios, I suppose that would be ok.
 
Interesting stuff here. I know that Windows 8 uses a different method of storing boot information in BIOS. Perhaps this new method also includes serial key information.

However, what if the motherboard gets zapped and needs to be replaced?
 
In the past Microsoft has required Royalty OEMs to use BIOS locked Media or recovery image media. There really wasn't a need for the COA key on the side of the box. And they had lots of piracy issues with it because the keys on the side of the PC were never used. Only in cases where clients had nuked systems and no media could we use DSP OEM versions and make use of the COA key slapped on the side. Sounds like Microsoft is cutting off that loophole. Gotta have the media that comes whit the machine.

On the other hand are you certain that the systems had no COA? Last few Laptops I have sold have had the COA inside the battery bay. Less likely to peel off there.
 
Yep it is all about tying Windows 8 to that hardware. No need to have a COA key if your copy of Windows is bios locked down to the exact system. Thank you UEFI BIOS.

If you want to nuke and pave your system with just Windows 8 and not OEM shipped bloatware you will be out of luck. Only the disk(usb stick) that ships with the system or that you create after the OOBE will be able to be installed o that box.
 
nlinecomputers said:
Yep it is all about tying Windows 8 to that hardware. No need to have a COA key if your copy of Windows is bios locked down to the exact system. Thank you UEFI BIOS.

If you want to nuke and pave your system with just Windows 8 and not OEM shipped bloatware you will be out of luck. Only the disk(usb stick) that ships with the system or that you create after the OOBE will be able to be installed o that box.
Click to expand...

Can you provide a link to an artilce from MS Technet that says that?
 
From what i'm reading , looks like a lot of people are in the dark on how to reinstall and activate windows 8 if the hdd goes south. i think what im going to do is get a new windows 8 laptop, put a new hdd in, then try to load the exact same version of windows 8 back on it. From what ive read, it should activate off the MB. if anyone else has tried this yet, if you could post it here. But i will try it in the next few days.
 
bdoggman said:
From what i'm reading , looks like a lot of people are in the dark on how to reinstall and activate windows 8 if the hdd goes south. i think what im going to do is get a new windows 8 laptop, put a new hdd in, then try to load the exact same version of windows 8 back on it. From what ive read, it should activate off the MB. if anyone else has tried this yet, if you could post it here. But i will try it in the next few days.
Click to expand...

That matches what I've read what is unknown is if special OEM media will be needed to do that or if any version of Windows 8 knows how to access the UEFI BIOS to get the key. Microsoft in the past has required it's major OEMs to produce their own media with the bios lookup code in it. For example the Dell OEM disk would install only on a Dell PC. It never prompts you for a COA key. It either sees a Dell BIOS or stops. Now it is inferred that it only install if it can find a proper key in the BIOS. I'm betting that key will be code only given to each OEM.
 
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