Clean Install Advice

[HenryBukowski]

Esteemed friends;

I would like to reinstall my windows 8 OS - I feel the time has come for a number of reasons. I am one of the many people who upgraded while 8 was on offer - paying little more than £10, but not getting a disk.

I want to avoid something which happened when I once attempted to clean install windows 7 a year ago: unbeknownst to me, the act of reinstalling the OS without the disk forfeited my license. As it was explained to me by Microsoft, essentially whilst I knew that it was the same laptop going from one install to the other, the system did not know this and treated it as an additional machine in need of a new license. It would have cost more to get a new windows 7 license than to upgrade, so naturally I did the latter and jumped into window 8!

I want to reinstall now and use my existing key - which I believe I can find out simply through Belarc adviser or system info - am I in danger of the same thing happening here, and needing a new license key after clean installing?

Many thanks,

Henry

 

[theog]

Your product key is in the email from the MS Store.

Take a look at those posts for more info.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html

How to download Windows 8.1 ISO with a Windows 8 key.
http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/33164-how-download-windows-8-1-iso.html

http://www.eightforums.com/installa...retail-windows-8-1-windows-8-product-key.html

 

[HenryBukowski]

Well - after almost an hour searching (wasn't sure which email I used!) I've given up on finding email confirmation that way. Belarc adviser will do the same will it not?

Can anybody comment on the relative merits of the method posted above versues the following:

Computer Settings
Settings
Change PC Settings

3 options:
Refresh windows
Reinstall windows
advanced set-up.

Many thanks.

 

[theog]

The email is your

the certificate of authenticity
the product key
the proof of purchase

 

[HenryBukowski]

I have found a paypal purchase receipt for the windows 8 upgrade. However no confirmation email from Microsoft.

 

[theog]

You can have your email resent from here:
https://www.mswos.com/

 

[HenryBukowski]

Excellent - I'll have a go, thanks!

One other thing: Around the time I upgraded to 8, I also bought my girlfriend an upgrade to 8 since she hated vista. I've found her email confirmation from Microsoft still sitting there from about a year ago, hurrah. However, literally about a month after she upgraded, her laptop died a big death and has not been used since.

That windows 8 license therefore is sitting there unused in that computer. Will I be able to recycle that license for another laptop, for example if she got a new laptop which wasn't windows 7 could she use the license on that computer? Would I have to deregister the other machine or something?

Thanks again.

 

[theog]

http://www.eightforums.com/general-discussion/10837-windows-8-eula.html

Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software (together with the license) to a computer owned by someone else if a) you are the first licensed user of the software and b) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. To make that transfer, you must transfer the original media, the certificate of authenticity, the product key and the proof of purchase directly to that other person, without retaining any copies of the software. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Anytime you transfer the software to a new