Downloading win8 and using existing key

jozi · 17-01-2013 7:15pm #1

I have to reinstall win8 on a laptop but it came without a discs so I was going to download win8 and reinstall.

Only problem I have is that I can't see a product key sticker on the laptop and the owner of the laptop can't find a MS product key. Is the product key in control panel the one I can use?

I know it seems/sounds illegal what I'm asking, the owner of the laptop got one of them calls from someone telling her there was something wrong with her laptop and she fell for it. I was going to recover the OS but all I can do is system restore or refresh, I rather reinstall windows from scratch to be 100% sure anything these guys have done is un-done/gone. I'm also seriously struggling to get into BIOS or recovery console (F2 and F8).

mp22 · 17-01-2013 8:10pm

There are no stickers on win 8 laptops.Advanced tokens manager is the only software I know that will find your key,but it needs to be run on the laptop before you reinstall.When you get the key put it into a pid checker to find the flavour of windows you are dealing with.

Overheal · 17-01-2013 8:57pm

Press WindowsKey+R

Type "Recoverydrive"

Follow prompts using an adequately sized USB Drive

Voila, recovery 'disc'

jozi · 17-01-2013 8:58pm

I'll probably try that Mp22, thanks!

Overheal, wont that make a recovery disc based on the state of the laptop as it is when you do it?

Overheal · 17-01-2013 9:15pm

I'm curious about that, but I'm pretty sure thats a No. I can run recoverydrive on my desktop (self built) and it will use about 256MB - thats enough only for the recovery tools. On an OEM it copies over the contents of the recovery partition as well. Depending on the brand it can take anywhere from 8GB to 32GB, but from what I understand these are proper images plus OEM-misc programs that will get the computer up and running again.

jozi · 17-01-2013 10:14pm

How do I know which version the laptop has?

I rather start with a clean reinstall, just incase something makes its way into the recovery disc I dont want.

demanufactured · 18-01-2013 12:56am

There should be a recovery partition on the laptop. ...
What make is it?

jozi · 18-01-2013 1:10am

Toshiba. I'll have a look at it again tomorrow

I've not managed since but yesterday I booted into recovery mode (or what ever its called) by pressing F8 on boot. I had options like refresh and to go back to a restore point. I clicked advanced (I think) and there was the option to restore from a partition which it searched for and didn't find.

demanufactured · 18-01-2013 1:21am

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-8-recovery.html

mp22 · 18-01-2013 12:12pm

Win 8 RTM core is the win 8 home (base model)os

jozi · 18-01-2013 12:33pm

demanufactured wrote: »

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-8-recovery.html

Do you think I would be safe enough in resetting the laptop?

truedoom · 21-01-2013 12:56pm

jozi wrote: »

the owner of the laptop got one of them calls from someone telling her there was something wrong with her laptop and she fell for it.

criiiiiinge....generally when i see this i feel no sympathy for the people. how can you be so foolish to fool for that stuff...

Aaaanyways, there should be a restore partition built into the laptop. This will restore it to factory settings, and erase everything. All their files will be deleted. so back them up before hand.

google the laptop make/model and factory reset, and you'll see how to do it.

Downloading win8 and using existing key

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