Solved Refurbished Laptop: Is the Key still good?

danmaku

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I want to perform a fresh install for a refurbished laptop; but I heard that the product keys for a refurbished computer may not be "compatible" with the retail Windows 8 used for reinstallation via the application from the windows website. Is this true? If I go ahead with a fresh install, should I use a keyfinder program beforehand? Even so, would it work?

Also, does Windows 8 offer phone verification like windows 7 did?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
All I can tell you is, the ISO's available on TechNet and MSDN will read and use the embedded OEM BIOS keys. The Microsoft Windows 8.0 ISO will read and use my laptops embedded 8.0 key. The keys offered for those ISO's are Retail keys so those ISO's will use OEM or Retail keys. You have to match the version to the key though. My TechNet 8.1 ISO will not use the 8.0 embedded key, it prompts to enter one. I do believe the TechNet ISO's are identical to what you would get if you bought a Windows DVD off the shelf or online. I haven't confirmed it though. If your embedded key is for a special version like "Single Language" that can be the issue you mention. Retail install media may reject that key.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Brink said:
Unfortunately, you will not be able to activate a "retail" Windows 8 with an OEM product key. You must have a retail key instead.

As with all OEM manufacturer's PC to do a clean install, you use the OEM recovery media.

To do a custom clean install on OEM manufacturer's PC, as you would do on self-build you need to buy a Product Key.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
It's just that I bought a refurbished laptop with an OEM key. I've heard that I could do a fresh install of 8.1 using a generic install key and then when I activate it, I could use my OEM key. Is this true?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
how old is the laptop,and what is its make and model laptop.
as for the msdn iso's working to reinstall with a oem key ,i have never done it with a uefi bios embedded key ,but have been using them for years now on laptops with no recovery partition or dvd of there own ,and using the windows key on the bottom of the laptop
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
Asus G75VX; refurbished, bought from newegg. Came only with the battery/power supply. If they supplied a retail license instead of this OEM stuff, I wouldn't have this problem. Talked online with an MS rep and they said I couldn't switch/upgrade from an OEM to a Retail License, I would have to buy a new retail license. The key was embedded in the OS. The sticker for Win8 is on the bottom of course, but the product key is no longer there (which is normal from what I hear).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64bit
    Computer type
    Laptop

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Asus G75VX; refurbished, bought from newegg. Came only with the battery/power supply. If they supplied a retail license instead of this OEM stuff, I wouldn't have this problem. Talked online with an MS rep and they said I couldn't switch/upgrade from an OEM to a Retail License, I would have to buy a new retail license. The key was embedded in the OS. The sticker for Win8 is on the bottom of course, but the product key is no longer there (which is normal from what I hear).
yeah, the key is now embedded into the bios ,and windows gets it from there when you install it .other poster on here who uses msdn retail win8.1 iso's and it worked
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
Asus G75VX; refurbished, bought from newegg. Came only with the battery/power supply. If they supplied a retail license instead of this OEM stuff, I wouldn't have this problem. Talked online with an MS rep and they said I couldn't switch/upgrade from an OEM to a Retail License, I would have to buy a new retail license. The key was embedded in the OS. The sticker for Win8 is on the bottom of course, but the product key is no longer there (which is normal from what I hear).
yeah, the key is now embedded into the bios ,and windows gets it from there when you install it .other poster on here who uses msdn retail win8.1 iso's and it worked

My COA sticker on my laptop has no product code on it. I used RWEverything to pull it out of the BIOS. RWEverything | Read & Write Everything ACPI > MSDM > scroll down and you should find it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo G580
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-3230M
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics 4000
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, standard user account
    Other Info
    UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8 product key.
Right, after following some instructions, I was able to create a bootable device to load/activate windows 8.1 using my OEM key. Thanks for all your help.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/4/3D42BDC2-6725-4B29-B75A-A5B04179958B/Reimaging.pdf

OEM Specific Information
Organizations do not have the right to reimage by using OEM media.
An OEM image can only be preloaded on a PC by the OEM during manufacturing. An image can be individually recovered by the organization (or a service provider it chooses) by using the recovery media. The OEM recovery media should match the product

As with all OEM manufacturer's PC to do a clean install, you use the OEM recovery media.

To do a custom clean install on OEM manufacturer's PC, as you would do on self-build you need to buy a Product Key.

The only legal download:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html
You will need to buy a Product Key to download.

Using a Retail Windows DVD on an OEM manufacturer's PC to install the OS, without a Retail Product key is technically speaking Counterfeiting.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/4/3D42BDC2-6725-4B29-B75A-A5B04179958B/Reimaging.pdf

OEM Specific Information
Organizations do not have the right to reimage by using OEM media.
An OEM image can only be preloaded on a PC by the OEM during manufacturing. An image can be individually recovered by the organization (or a service provider it chooses) by using the recovery media. The OEM recovery media should match the product

As with all OEM manufacturer's PC to do a clean install, you use the OEM recovery media.

To do a custom clean install on OEM manufacturer's PC, as you would do on self-build you need to buy a Product Key.

The only legal download:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/18309-windows-8-windows-8-1-iso-download-create.html
You will need to buy a Product Key to download.

Using a Retail Windows DVD on an OEM manufacturer's PC to install the OS, without a Retail Product key is technically speaking Counterfeiting.

Um, the PDF you liked to deals with Volume Licensing media and reimaging, how is that relevant to this situation? Totally irrelevant if you ask me.

Ask your self this. If this was illegal and Microsoft didn't want you doing it, then why does the official Microsoft Install media read and use the embedded OEM keys? It's not an accident. Also, as near as I can tell there is no separate OEM and Retail install media. TechNet and MSDN list only the one ISO an it will accept OEM and Retail keys. I've verified it myself. If you buy OEM you get an OEM key, if you buy Retail you get a Retail key. The key entered and activated with sets the license. OEM versions of 8.0 and 8.1 activate online just like the retail versions do. Your not cheating anything.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
OEM manufacturer's Product key are Volume License.

How to Tell ? Hardware

Reinstallation or recovery media

Reinstallation media, sometimes called a recovery disc, is typically included with a new or used PC purchase. Because the software is already preinstalled, the reinstallation or recovery media is provided so that you can reinstall or recover the software if it stops working properly. Recovery discs are not licensed to be sold separately from the PC they were shipped with; if you try to install software from a recovery disc on a PC other than the one it was originally shipped on, you may not be able to activate and/or use it.

Note: For some PCs, the recovery media might be installed on a separate partition on the PC’s hard drive itself. Refer to the documentation that came with your PC to find the appropriate reinstallation/recovery solution.

How to determine if you have Genuine Microsoft Windows 8/8.1

Licensed Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 systems:

A properly licensed Windows 8/8.1 system has a Genuine Microsoft Label (GML). Windows 8 systems do not have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label.

This includes Windows 8/8.1 Pro systems that have been downgraded to Windows 7.

The GML can be found on the system, under the battery, or on the power adapter of the system.

Microsoft Reimaging Rights:

Customers who purchase OEM licensed versions of Windows may only restore the original factory preload using the Recovery Media provided by the OEM. Customers do not have any rights to create a custom image from the OEM preload and then deploy that image on OEM licensed systems. Customers can customize the preload on a particular system by adding or removing software, as they choose, but that the customized image may not be used on any other system (each system would have to be customized individually). Customers who wish to purchase OEM systems, with a custom image, may do so provided that they are purchasing 25 or more systems over a 12-month period. These systems would be custom models and not generally available in the market.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    ME, XP,Vista,Win7,Win8,Win8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Other Info
    Notebooks x 3

    Desktops x 5

    Towers x 4
OEM manufacturer's Product key are Volume License.

How to Tell ? Hardware

Reinstallation or recovery media

Reinstallation media, sometimes called a recovery disc, is typically included with a new or used PC purchase. Because the software is already preinstalled, the reinstallation or recovery media is provided so that you can reinstall or recover the software if it stops working properly. Recovery discs are not licensed to be sold separately from the PC they were shipped with; if you try to install software from a recovery disc on a PC other than the one it was originally shipped on, you may not be able to activate and/or use it.

Note: For some PCs, the recovery media might be installed on a separate partition on the PC’s hard drive itself. Refer to the documentation that came with your PC to find the appropriate reinstallation/recovery solution.

How to determine if you have Genuine Microsoft Windows 8/8.1

Licensed Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 systems:

A properly licensed Windows 8/8.1 system has a Genuine Microsoft Label (GML). Windows 8 systems do not have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label.

This includes Windows 8/8.1 Pro systems that have been downgraded to Windows 7.

The GML can be found on the system, under the battery, or on the power adapter of the system.

Microsoft Reimaging Rights:

Customers who purchase OEM licensed versions of Windows may only restore the original factory preload using the Recovery Media provided by the OEM. Customers do not have any rights to create a custom image from the OEM preload and then deploy that image on OEM licensed systems. Customers can customize the preload on a particular system by adding or removing software, as they choose, but that the customized image may not be used on any other system (each system would have to be customized individually). Customers who wish to purchase OEM systems, with a custom image, may do so provided that they are purchasing 25 or more systems over a 12-month period. These systems would be custom models and not generally available in the market.

all that is correct of course ,bottom line is the key will work ,so if Microsoft doesn't want it to ,then they should make it so the retail iso doesn't work with a oem key .i say no harm no foul
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1.1 enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Hinze57
    CPU
    AMD FX 6100 6core 3.30gHz
    Motherboard
    gigibyte ga-78lmy-s2p
    Memory
    4gig ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radon hd5000 Series
    Sound Card
    onboard realtek hd
    Monitor(s) Displays
    19" viewsonic/ 22"Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    128gig ssd Kingston
    80gig WD 10000 rpm spinner
    Case
    micro
    Keyboard
    microsoft curve 200
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless M215
    Internet Speed
    high speed 20
    Browser
    ie 11
    Antivirus
    windows defender
    Other Info
    updated enterprise apr 2/14
OEM manufacturer's Product key are Volume License.

How to Tell ? Hardware

Reinstallation or recovery media

Reinstallation media, sometimes called a recovery disc, is typically included with a new or used PC purchase. Because the software is already preinstalled, the reinstallation or recovery media is provided so that you can reinstall or recover the software if it stops working properly. Recovery discs are not licensed to be sold separately from the PC they were shipped with; if you try to install software from a recovery disc on a PC other than the one it was originally shipped on, you may not be able to activate and/or use it.

Note: For some PCs, the recovery media might be installed on a separate partition on the PC’s hard drive itself. Refer to the documentation that came with your PC to find the appropriate reinstallation/recovery solution.

How to determine if you have Genuine Microsoft Windows 8/8.1

Licensed Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 systems:

A properly licensed Windows 8/8.1 system has a Genuine Microsoft Label (GML). Windows 8 systems do not have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) label.

This includes Windows 8/8.1 Pro systems that have been downgraded to Windows 7.

The GML can be found on the system, under the battery, or on the power adapter of the system.

Microsoft Reimaging Rights:

Customers who purchase OEM licensed versions of Windows may only restore the original factory preload using the Recovery Media provided by the OEM. Customers do not have any rights to create a custom image from the OEM preload and then deploy that image on OEM licensed systems. Customers can customize the preload on a particular system by adding or removing software, as they choose, but that the customized image may not be used on any other system (each system would have to be customized individually). Customers who wish to purchase OEM systems, with a custom image, may do so provided that they are purchasing 25 or more systems over a 12-month period. These systems would be custom models and not generally available in the market.

PC's that have a Windows 8.0 or 8.1 embedded BIOS product key each have a unique key. They do not use a common VL key like in the past.

As far as I know the OP is not reimaging with recovery media. He is wanting to do a clean install with off of the shelf Windows 8.1 install media. Why do you keep going on about reimaging and recovery media. It's a totally different process. The OP is not modifying the original factory recovery image or attempting to use another image from another PC. He wants to do a clean install.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
You pay for the license, not the media. It is up to the oem's to decide whether they supply media or not.
The Product Key in the bios is called OEM-DM. It is a unique key in the MSDM table tied to the device.
It is NOT volume. Every table has a unique key & unique hardware hash. These are also stored on MS servers.

Search for "Windows 8.1 Default Product Keys to be used with OEM Activation 3.0".
You can not activate with these keys - they are for installation only.
If you use the correct key for your edition, Windows will automatically retrieve & use the OEM-DM key.

You will see mention of OEM-DM by using slmgr (from admin command prompt): slmgr /dli
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win7 / 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Hi Guys

Just because something works doesn't make it LEGAL (or ILLEGAL) depending on what it is.
OK Ms look like they've hosed up their activation stuff or simply that it's easier to do it this way and they don't realize that there's all sorts of "experts" !! out there who love trying these sorts of things out !!!.

The EULA is quite clear -- the OEM version is only allowed to be used on THAT computer -- the fact that it *apparently* can be made to work on another machine doesn't "Legalize" the license.

A Retail key can be used on different machines -- you will probably need to activate by phone. There actually isn't anything wrong in creating the OEM's ISO and then using your RETAIL key to install it on that or any other machine - but if you've paid for a retail key why would you want the OEM ISO !!! in the first place.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
@Jimbo45. No one is talking about using a product key from 1 system to another.
The notebook has a key in the bios. This makes it licensed & legit. No issue at all...
If it has 8/8.1 Pro, then it also has downgrade rights for win7 pro...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win7 / 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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