Solved need help with install

Long story short (totally my own fault) I accidentally deleted my windows partitions. Dell was kind enough to overnight a Windows 8 CD (I have a new Inspiron desktop that had Win 8 preloaded). Upon booting my two usable options are "install" and "reset". Install immediately gives an error of "windows key doesn't match any images". "Reset" returns an error of "A required drive partition is missing".
I made a bootable CD of partition magic and created a primary NTFS, formatted, etc. and get same partition error.
What am I missing?

Welcome to EightForums.

(I have a new Inspiron desktop that had Win 8 preloaded).

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Are booting the DVD from the uEFI DVD Drive?



As the new MOBO's now have a uEFI BIOS.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html

I accidentally deleted my windows partitions.

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How?

UEFI DVD drive: yes. I have not been a regular user of windows for a few years, and I see a lot has changed. I always have my computer set to dual boot with linux and in my haste in getting this new machine set up I chose the wrong option and linux overwrote the partitions. I tried a few different programs and can't recover the lost windows partitions. I used partition magic (or whatever it is called these days) and deleted all but an NTFS partition at this point. Still getting the same two error messages.

I would start with a clean HD Drive.

OK, did that-it is all unallocated space now. Same errors. I never get to that first screen. When I choose "install now", I get an error that the key I entered doesn't match (of course, I don't have a key, so I didn't enter one)

Dell was kind enough to overnight a Windows 8 CD

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If you have a New Dell with Windows 8 Pre-installed, NO need for a key.

Right. But I can't get past that error to install

Sounds like your uEFI/BIOS firmware is messed up, as that is where your key is.

magenta said:

UEFI DVD drive: yes. I have not been a regular user of windows for a few years, and I see a lot has changed. I always have my computer set to dual boot with linux and in my haste in getting this new machine set up I chose the wrong option and linux overwrote the partitions. I tried a few different programs and can't recover the lost windows partitions. I used partition magic (or whatever it is called these days) and deleted all but an NTFS partition at this point. Still getting the same two error messages.

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http://www.eightforums.com/windows-8-news/15991-support-booting-linux-windows-8-pcs-delayed.html

that is fine, but this can't be my current issue as I have no OS installed right now.

So I guess the CD Dell sent me was bad. I downloaded a new iso file and it installed no problem. thanks for your help

I'm glad it worked for you although my post was deleted. So I have no idea what you are talking about. Yep, complete deniability

I do have one quibble.

illegal torrent link downloads

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How is this illegal? It seems perfectly legal since he had a key. I neither supplied nor encouraged him to pirate windows 8. It is merely a copy of an installation disk. That by itself does nothing without a key. I guess it's like Voldemort don't mention it and it doesn't exist.

Good too know.

For the record, I asked this same question over on the Microsoft forum, and their expert recommended the same fix - download a clean iso file and it will install since I have a valid win 8 key on my new PC (I thought that was the whole point of windows 8-it is practically piracy-proof). Don't worry - it will never happen again. This will be the last machine my household will have that runs windows. As if I needed any prodding to go running back into the arms of linux!

download a clean iso file and it will install since I have a valid win 8 key on my new PC

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This is funny since M$ doesn't post their iso's except to technet and MSDN which are subscription required services. It is weird that all the replies to posts like this are about Recovery partitions and backup disks. It used to be you could get an unadulterated version of M$'s OS with your purchase of your system. Now you get crappy OEM stuff!