I contacted microsoft, and they are saying that i need to get product key of windows 8.1 from HP. So, help me out from where i can find product key or else provide me one so that i can move on and activate my windows. After installing Windows 10, press Windows key + R then type: slui then hit Enter on your keyboard. This action will launch the activation wizard. Select your country or region and click Next.
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Laptops with preinstalled Windows 7 usually have a sticker with the product key under the laptop. Laptops with preinstalled Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, however, never have such a sticker. The reason is that the Windows 8.1 product key is embedded into the BIOS or UEFI. Here's how to get the product key, in case we cant to install Windows 8 on a different PC.
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Table of Contents
How to get the Windows 8.1 product key from inside Windows
When do I need the Windows 8.1 product key?
On a laptop that came with Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 preinstalled, we never need to enter the Windows 8.1 product key manually.
If we reinstall the proper version of Windows 8.1 (Home, Professional, or Windows with Bing), the installation process reads the product key automatically from the BIOS; we don't even get the product key prompt.
The only reason to get the Windows 8.1 product key is if we want to transfer Windows to another PC. After transferring Windows 8, we can also upgrade to Windows 10 on the second PC.
How to get the Windows 8.1 product key from inside Windows
In this scenario, the laptop that came with preinstalled Windows 8 has a fully functional Windows operating system. It doesn't need to be Windows 8; it could have Windows 7.
After we boot in Windows, we download NeoSmart's Oem Product Key Tool.
We don't need to enter a name or an email; we just click on the Download! button.
After that, we just run the OpenKey application, and we will get the Windows 8.1 product key from BIOS / UEFI.
No installation is needed; it's simple as that.
Alternative way to get the Windows 8.1 product key
If the Oem Product Key Tool doesn't work on our PC, we can use RWEverything.
We just download the latest portable version for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows. Free download pen drive data recovery software with serial key.
After the download, we extract the .zip contents..
..and run the RW application.
There, we select ACPI, then click on the MSDM tab, and we will find the Windows 8.1 product key.
Get the Windows 8.1 product key without Windows
Let's say we can't run Windows on the old laptop anymore. Maybe there is something wrong, and Windows won't boot. Or we installed Linux, and the above applications won't work through WINE.
So, now what?
There are a couple of applications that can create a bootable environment that can detect the Windows 8.1 product key. For this guide, we will use Lazesoft Recover My Password Home Edition.
The installation is safe; it doesn't hide any toolbars or adware.
After we run the program, we click on 'Burn Bootable CD/USB Disk Now!'.
We leave the default 'DO NOT Specify the Windows version'.
We can either prepare the bootable environment on DVD, USB or create an ISO image for later use.
The program will first download the WinPE components from Microsoft..
..then format the USB drive (make sure you don't have any important data on it because it will be deleted)..
..and begin writing the information on the drive. On a USB 2.0 drive, it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes.
After the disk is ready..
..we make sure to remove it safely, to avoid the chance of any data corruption.
Then we setup the BIOS/UEFI or the boot menu of the laptop from which we want to get the Window 8.1 product key.
We boot from the Lazesoft recovery media and select the Lazesoft Live CD or USB option.
At the recovery environment, we select the 'Find Windows Product Key' option.
We confirm that we are using the free version for non-commercial reasons..
..and this is it. We get the Windows 8.1 product key, either through Windows or from the BIOS / UEFI.
Can I use the Windows 8.1 product key to activate Windows on another PC?
The OEM product keys are tied to the particular motherboard of the first PC they are activated on, and won't automatically activate through the Internet on another PC.
There is, however, a workaround for this: we can activate by phone.
After the installation, we press the Windows Key + Pause/Break to open the system properties and click on 'Activate Windows
Then, we select 'Activate by phone'. Don't bother with the 'Activate Windows online' option, it won't work.
Don't worry, you won't need to talk to anyone at Microsoft. The Phone Activation system is automated.
We just enter the unique nine groups of numbers for our system through the phone keypad..
..and then the automated system will provide with eight groups of numbers for the activation.
Should this fail for any reason, stay on the line and you will be connected to a Microsoft support representative.
What will happen if two PCs have the same product key?
To transfer Windows 8.1, we need to remove it completely from the old PC after we get the product key e.g. by installing a Linux distribution.
If we have two Windows installations on two separate PCs simultaneously, with the same product key, we violate Microsoft's license agreement.
It's a matter of time before Microsoft blacklists the product key, and we won't be able to use it to activate Windows anymore.
Did you have any trouble finding the Windows 8.1 product key?
If anything in the above guide didn't work as described, and you weren't able to find the Windows 8.1 product key, leave us a comment.
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Active3 years ago
I have an HP notebook with a valid Windows OEM license. This notebook has been left unused for sometime and it's now without an operating system since I installed a brand new hard drive on it. The previous hard drive is no longer available.
Unfortunately I was quite shocked to notice that Windows sticker on it has faded and I no longer can see the Windows OEM serial key (or wherever it calls that long activation string).
I've tried to use the HP website to get in touch with HP but it says my warranty has expired and doesn't allow me to send an e-mail or talk with a customer support representative.
Does anyone know if there is any way to recover this information?
As explained in our Windows 7 Activation FAQ, OEM licenses are usually preactivated using System Locked Preactivation (SLP). If you use any HP OEM Windows 7 installation disk, it should activate automatically for you. Because of how the SLP process works, you don't need to know your key, because the activation occurs automatically if your machine is verified to be an HP.
You can also purchase a Windows 7 Recovery Disk from HP if you don't have access to one yourself. This is based on your computer's serial number, not the product key, because their database knows what version of Windows came with your PC.
If you do not have the original disk (as you stated), or have otherwise recorded it, there is no way to get that key back. Call of duty 2 pc game serial key. I know of no manufacturer, even if you had support, who records and maintains that.
Simply, you will need to purchase a new product key for re-installing the OS.
Please take note;
re-installing the OS is the basic first step. Windows default drivers will not properly address your laptops hardware. You will need to acquire the drivers from HP. Yes, this can be done without much headache. You will need the make/model number of your PC and point your browser to the HP 'downloads' page of their support site.
I have been restoring PCs for many years(15+) and have experienced this very issue. Sadly, without access to the old hard drive, the purchase of a new product key/license is required.
Thank you for listening.
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