Fresh 8.1 install, but unable to activate windows

amalething

New Member
Messages
10
Hello,

I'm in a twist and I'm not exactly sure what the problem is.

I bought a new laptop with Win8 pre-installed (and immediately updated it to 8.1).
I decided after a week to buy an SSD and installed Win8.
I now find there is no product key to be found, and can't seem to activate Windows.

1. I've tried a few things. I tried to enable UEFI in PC Settings, but the setting isn't there (does this mean my laptop doesn't support UEFI?)
2. I entered my BIOS. CWM was enabled, and pwe enable. But SECURE BOOT disabled. So I enabled SECURE BOOT, but regardless of what options I select, the laptop keeps booting into the [Legacy] BIOS, possible because there are no BOOT OPTION PRIORITIES found any longer?

And where I'm at. My problem is activating windows, and if UEFI is an option, enabling it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dude
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570K CPU OC@ 4.5 GHZ Turbo
    Motherboard
    MSI Z77MA-G45 (MS-7759)
    Memory
    8.00 GB DDR3 1600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY GTX 760
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell S23O9W, HP L1710
    Screen Resolution
    DELL-1920 x 1080 HP-1280 x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial m4 256 SSD WD 7200RPM 500GB
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 Gold
    Case
    Zalman Z12
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler 920
    Keyboard
    Logitech
    Mouse
    MSI DS100 Interceptor
    Internet Speed
    50 down 5 up
    Browser
    Chrome, IE 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Logitech X-620 Speakers
Hi Dude,
Thank you for your recommendation. I didn't realise this was the case.
I suspected it wouldn't be of help, but I downloaded Produkey, but its only reporting the temporary Win8 Enterprise Product Key.

To clarify, having freshly installed Win8.1, would you recommend reinstalling Win8 instead?
From your previous link, it would appear I've installed the wrong copy.

Thanks again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
Hi Dude,
Thank you for your recommendation. I didn't realise this was the case.
I suspected it wouldn't be of help, but I downloaded Produkey, but its only reporting the temporary Win8 Enterprise Product Key.

To clarify, having freshly installed Win8.1, would you recommend reinstalling Win8 instead?
From your previous link, it would appear I've installed the wrong copy.

Thanks again.

It sounds as if you are trying to activate and Enterprise Win 8.1, the key built into your MB is probably a Core Version, you will need to purchase a Enterprise Product Key to activate? To use the key embedded on your motherboard you will have to load the same version. Core, Pro, Enterprise?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro MC
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus G75VW / Z97 Pro
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-3610QM / I7-4790K
    Motherboard
    Z97 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Hyundai HTM315156CFR8C-PB PC3-12800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (GF114M)
    Sound Card
    VIA 6.0.10.1600
    Screen Resolution
    1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256, Samsung 850 Pro 1TB
    Internet Speed
    30 down 3 up
    Browser
    Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    NIS and Malwarebytes
Thanks Clintlgm

I still have the original HDD in tact, so I'll boot from that drive and find which OS was installed.
Failing the fresh install route, I'll consider cloning my original drive.

Update to follow
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
If you can get hold of the correct install media it will read your embedded OEM key from the BIOS automatically. My TechNet 8.0 ISO's read my laptops OEM 8 Core key and install 8 Core automatically. I'm not prompted to enter a code and activation is done automatically online. As far as I know Retail DVD's do it too. They are multi edition and can install Core or Pro depending on the key entered. It sounds like you downloaded the Windows 8 Enterprise trial, which won't use the embedded key. Even if you know what it is the Enterprise edition will reject it if you try to enter it manually.
 

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
Hi alphanumeric
Thanks for your input. I think you're right, from what I read it sounds like it should read it automatically.

I currently running the original hdd which has been activated. So I've got me key just in case. And I'm about to find out which version of Windows I have.

I'm swapping out the hdds into my server to clone the original. Fortunately my hdd was in AHCI mode, perfect for the SSD.

Would the general opinion be that its best to clone, or fresh install?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
I did a fresh install when I swapped my laptops drive with an SSD. I tried cloning but it didn't work. I used the utility that came with my Crucial M4, it came with a cloning kit with the USB to SATA adapter. I had also tried doing a Reset with the Recovery Drive I created before the swap and it failed too. Most of my issues were "I believe" due to the size difference of the two drives. The factory drive was 750 GB and my SSD was only 128 GB. Resizing some of the partitions to make them fit seemed to mess things up. It was quit a while ago now so what I did is a bit hazy now. It shouldn't hurt to try cloning first, if it works it makes things easy.
 

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
Just checked the OS version using Belarc, it says "Windows 8.1 (x64) (build 9600)". It was 8.1 build 9600 (Enterprise) that I'd just installed.
How can I find out which exact version Pro, Core or Enterprise, that I have?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
Yeah, I thought cloning seemed hard work. Given the laptop is only 4 weeks old and I saved all my installs/drivers ready for when I purchase the SSD.
I too have the Crucial M4 128.

I'm still wondering about the Secure Boot issue. Belarc reports "Boot Mode: UEFI with Secure Boot disabled", which is also my understanding.
If I was to enable this, must it be done before installing Windows, or can this be looked into at a later date?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
Just checked the OS version using Belarc, it says "Windows 8.1 (x64) (build 9600)". It was 8.1 build 9600 (Enterprise) that I'd just installed.
How can I find out which exact version Pro, Core or Enterprise, that I have?
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro Prieview x64
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    MacBook Pro Core2Duo
    CPU
    T7600
    Memory
    3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon X1600
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Internal
    Screen Resolution
    1440 x 800
    Hard Drives
    40GB
    Keyboard
    Apple
    Mouse
    Apple
    Internet Speed
    Varies
    Browser
    Various
    Antivirus
    Defender
Open the system screen, Windows logo key and pause/break key, or right click the Start Button and select System. Look at what it says under Windows edition. If it just says Windows 8.1 its Core, if it says Windows 8.1 Pro its Pro. Like wise if it says Windows 8.1 Enterprise its Enterprise.
 

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
Yeah, I thought cloning seemed hard work. Given the laptop is only 4 weeks old and I saved all my installs/drivers ready for when I purchase the SSD.
I too have the Crucial M4 128.

I'm still wondering about the Secure Boot issue. Belarc reports "Boot Mode: UEFI with Secure Boot disabled", which is also my understanding.
If I was to enable this, must it be done before installing Windows, or can this be looked into at a later date?

I would enable it before hand to play it safe. It's enabled by default on the two laptops I have that have a UEFI BIOS. It hasn't stopped me from booting from my install thumb drives.
 

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
Thanks, everyone's offered excellent advise. I can tell you, I've been looking at this for 2 days, and the more I've read up, the more possible causes there are, when only one can be correct.

So it says Windows 8.1. Fantastic, so at least I know which version I'm running now, and where key is.

Other problems I'm faces are:
When I changed the UEFI to Secure Boot enabled, all the boot priorities dissappeared, such as the SSD. This prevented from booting. I'll have another look and try installing via USB. I'm not used to UEFI, is it normal for it to not list any drives?

And secondly, can I install the OS from a 2.5" USB drive instead? I left my thumb drive elsewhere.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM

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
They're very helpful. I was planning on just dropping the contents of the disc onto a USB stick. That's how I installed 8.1

I managed to boot into UEFI mode on the hdd. I'm happy thats working, I expect it will work with the SSD too.

My only problem left is obtaining a copy of Win8 Core. I'm trying to obtain now, and will work through the tutorial to making a UEFI USB drive.

I don't imagine for a moment that will be as simple as it sounds. :)

Thanks for your help. More to come shortly.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
Thanks Clintlgm

I still have the original HDD in tact, so I'll boot from that drive and find which OS was installed.
Failing the fresh install route, I'll consider cloning my original drive.

Update to follow

A Window 8 product Key will activate a win 8.1 fresh install but you do have to install the same version Core or Pro which ever you unit came with. have a look at the Stickies for instructions
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro MC
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus G75VW / Z97 Pro
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-3610QM / I7-4790K
    Motherboard
    Z97 Pro
    Memory
    16 GB Hyundai HTM315156CFR8C-PB PC3-12800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M (GF114M)
    Sound Card
    VIA 6.0.10.1600
    Screen Resolution
    1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 850 Pro 256, Samsung 850 Pro 1TB
    Internet Speed
    30 down 3 up
    Browser
    Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    NIS and Malwarebytes
[/QUOTE]
A Window 8 product Key will activate a win 8.1 fresh install[/QUOTE]

I wish I'd have known that earlier :p I spend ages trying to obtain a copy of 8. Turns out I already had unknowingly downloaded an iso of Win8.1 yesterday.

I couldn't get Rufus to recognise my 160GB USB drive, so I just dropped ISO files onto the disk and installed Win8 that way. What's the advantage of using Rufus over simply dropping the files on say, a USB flash drive?

Win 8.1 is now installed and active. Task 1 complete. Thank you all!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
The other original issue was with UEFI boot. I've confimed UEFI works with the laptop using the original 500GB HDD. But when the SSD is installed with a fresh win8.1 and then UEFI is enabled, no boot disks (drives or DVDRW) can be found.

I updated the Crucial M4 SSD with the latest firmware just now, and the same problem occurs.

Out of interest, how can I format the drive from MBR to GPT before installing Win8.1, when its my primary/only drive?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS K55
    CPU
    i7-3630QM
A Window 8 product Key will activate a win 8.1 fresh install[/QUOTE]

I wish I'd have known that earlier :p I spend ages trying to obtain a copy of 8. Turns out I already had unknowingly downloaded an iso of Win8.1 yesterday.

I couldn't get Rufus to recognise my 160GB USB drive, so I just dropped ISO files onto the disk and installed Win8 that way. What's the advantage of using Rufus over simply dropping the files on say, a USB flash drive?

Win 8.1 is now installed and active. Task 1 complete. Thank you all![/QUOTE]

Just copying the files to the flash drive doesn't make it bootable. RUFUS and other similar tools will make the partition on the thumb drive active and make it bootable. Also, some PC's require the thumb drive to be formatted in FAT 32 to be able to install in UEFI mode. I use the Windows 7 DVD download tool to make my bootable thumb drives. It formats in NTFS though not FAT 32. It's not an issue for me though as my ASUS can handle NTFS for UEFI and my two desktop PC's don't have UEFI. Some thumb drives have a bit set in their firmware that makes them show up as a fixed disk instead of the normal removable media. The ones set as fixed disk won't show up in the Windows DVD Download Tool as it looks for the normal removable media type. RUFUS may do the same.
 

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
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