Solved Two Problems, see post.

[claw106]

I need to get the Product key off it, It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, that means is OEM right?

 

[alphanumeric]

And I have looked all around my BIOS, cannot find anything called Secure Boot,

I have swapped to UEFI, nothing seems to boot. But switching to legacy does it all.

Any OS will install in legacy. With UEFI you need 8.0, 8.1 or 10.

7 SP1 will install UEFI too.

Yes, sorry, with Secure boot off it will install in UEFI mode. I goofed.

 

[alphanumeric]

I need to get the Product key off it, It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, that means is OEM right?

If it was shipped with Windows Pre installed by the manufacturer, then yes it's OEM. The key is embedded in the BIOS.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html
What do you need the key for?

 

[claw106]

I need to get the Product key off it, It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, that means is OEM right?

If it was shipped with Windows Pre installed by the manufacturer, then yes it's OEM. The key is embedded in the BIOS.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html
What do you need the key for?

To get windows 8...

 

[claw106]

I need to get the Product key off it, It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, that means is OEM right?

If it was shipped with Windows Pre installed by the manufacturer, then yes it's OEM. The key is embedded in the BIOS.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/27129-product-key-find-windows-8-a.html
What do you need the key for?

To get windows 8...

My computer is dead, remember?

Need bootable key finder or something along those lines.

I have tried Hirens BootCd and tried MiniXP, it blue screens. Need the error?

 

[claw106]

Any OS will install in legacy. With UEFI you need 8.0, 8.1 or 10.

7 SP1 will install UEFI too.

Yes, sorry, with Secure boot off it will install in UEFI mode. I goofed.

Tried switching to UEFI and disabling Secure Boot, according to BIOS my External drive is not there.

 

[alphanumeric]

If Windows 8 was installed at the factory your Product Code is embedded in the BIOS. It's not printed on the COA sticker anyway. If you use the correct version install media it will read and use the embedded product code automatically. You just need to know if its the Core, Pro, or Single Language version.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

^^^^^

 

[popeye]

Like alphanumeric is trying to explain, you don't need the key. If you have the correct downloaded ISO then Windows will install and read the key automatically.

 

[Superfly]

I need to get the Product key off it, It came pre-installed with Windows 8.1, that means is OEM right?

As mentioned, you don't really need the key to install Win 8.1, but if you really want it....

from Ubuntu - open terminal and type this command...

sudo hd /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM

 

[alphanumeric]

The only reason I can see for actually needing it, is so you can use showkey > check product key, to figure out what version was originally installed.

 

[claw106]

if windows 8 was installed at the factory your product code is embedded in the bios. It's not printed on the coa sticker anyway. If you use the correct version install media it will read and use the embedded product code automatically. You just need to know if its the core, pro, or single language version.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

^^^^^

i've tried all isos, the same thing happens.

It launches, the win 8 logo with the spinny thing comes on, 5 seconds later its stuck on a black screen for ever. I have tried disabling securfe boot and switching to uefi, but the same outcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for caps, its stuck down.

 

[claw106]

Oh it automatically fixes the caps.

 

[David Bailey]

Have you tried---





Then save the ISO to Desktop & extract it to a 64 GB usb & simply click on the setup.exe to install it ?

{ 7-Zip }

No need to boot from the usb.

 

[claw106]

Have you tried---

View attachment 62867

View attachment 62868

Then save the ISO to Desktop & extract it to a 64 GB usb & simply click on the setup.exe to install it ?

{ 7-Zip }

No need to boot from the usb.

So doing that does not over write the computers OS? [Using Seperate computer to get all ISOs]

 

[David Bailey]

So doing that does not over write the computers OS? [Using Seperate computer to get all ISOs]

Creating the ISO & extracting it to a usb does not over-write anything.

Once you insert & view the extracted ISO on the usb & click on the setup.exe it will proceed to over-write the present OS & install the new one.

 

[David Bailey]

I've never done it THIS way, but I suppose you could right click the saved ISO & click Mount.
This will extract it to a Drive of its' own separate from the rest of the computer.

There you would see it the same as if you had used 7Zip to extract it to a usb.

The setup.exe would be there to click on to install the new OS.

It might install this way.
I'm not sure since I only used the usb method with the Windows 10 TP ISO.
Not by Mounting it.

Experiment !

I keep a Macrium image handy so I can afford to try new things.
If I screw up I can always fix it.

 

[alphanumeric]

Have you tried---

View attachment 62867

View attachment 62868

Then save the ISO to Desktop & extract it to a 64 GB usb & simply click on the setup.exe to install it ?

{ 7-Zip }

No need to boot from the usb.

He can't boot up to Windows on that PC. He has no other choice than to boot from his install Media.

 

[alphanumeric]

Since you stated earlier on " [This is my brothers laptop, physical damage from anger issues]". < I'd say that's your issue, you need to fix what ever got broke, most likely the hard drive is damaged.

 

[claw106]

Are you sure that the only choice I have is to replace the hard drive?

 

[alphanumeric]

Not 100% sure, but something is not right? If you still think its a corrupted file system delete all the partitions and let Windows create new ones during the install. What are you using for install media, if its a USB thumb drive use a different one.