How to clean reinstall OEM Windows 8 (non-Pro)?

[Coke Robot]

They came with Windows 7 pre-installed. We did put 8 on a couple of them for the guys with MSDN agreements who had licenses.

That's probably why it was so simple with 7. Windows 8 has other things with new PCs that makes things complicated over 7.

The default OS on the machine was Windows 7, so I am hopefully that they won't have made radical changes to make things difficult.

I would bet they did. The laptop I worked on from ASUS was just a simple Windows 7 machine, released like in 2011 or 2010 I think. I don't remember, but they just changed the Start key, put the new Windows 8 sticker on the bottom, and I bet might had updated their boards for Windows 8, along with probably a Windows 8 approved touchpad. That's also partly why Microsoft is pooping on their OEMs a bit because at launch of Windows 8, there were and still are more non-touch systems that are basically updated Windows 7 PCs for 8. Which I never understood as to why that is as they had like two years to get poop in a group for a new Windows version for touch screens.

 

[znod]

Isn't the license agreement tied to the key? is there any difference in the media itself that ties a specific license to it?

My interpretation it that the Win8 OEM/preinstalled, "standard," and system-builder EULAs all require both the product key and "the" software be transferred (among other things including the computer in the case of OEM/preinstalled) at the same time and forfeiture of all use rights (including removal from the retained computer in the two non-OEM/preinstalled cases) (see Windows 8 EULA). So, including the case of, for example, Technet software, there is no way an individual can obtain "the" software in a terms-of-agreement consistent way without paying the price--as mentioned in my original post. In this regard, I ignored the possibility of legitimate transfer since such a case was not within the confines of the circumstances begin discussed.

 

[theog]

Isn't the license agreement tied to the key? is there any difference in the media itself that ties a specific license to it?

My interpretation it that the Win8 OEM/preinstalled, "standard," and system-builder EULAs all require both the product key and "the" software be transferred (among other things including the computer in the case of OEM/preinstalled) at the same time and forfeiture of all use rights (including removal from the retained computer in the two non-OEM/preinstalled cases) (see Windows 8 EULA). So, including the case of, for example, Technet software, there is no way an individual can obtain "the" software in a terms-of-agreement consistent way without paying the price--as mentioned in my original post. In this regard, I ignored the possibility of legitimate transfer since such a case was not within the confines of the circumstances begin discussed.

The OEM manufacturer Windows 8 OEM/preinstalled is non-transferrable, stays with the OEM manufacturer PC for life.

 

[znod]

Thanks. Agreed. In my prior post, did you see "(among other things including the computer in the case of OEM/preinstalled)"? What you say is what I was getting at.

 

[caperjack]

The OEM manufacturer Windows 8 OEM/preinstalled is non-transferrable, stays with the OEM manufacturer PC for life.

Yes it does ,and a retail dvd or iso copy of windows will not work with that oem key .like ones from msdn or technet if you try to use one to reinstall windows on the oem computer

 

[znod]

My understanding is the the OEM key will work in the cases you are talking about (actually is the only thing that will work), although an OEM key cannot be used to obtain an ISO--at least in OPTION 1 discussed here: Windows 8 Upgrade ISO - Download or Create.

 

[theog]

You can reinstall a OEM manufacturer Windows 8 OEM/preinstalled, with a Retail, technet, as the installer will see the Key code in the BIOS.

 

[caperjack]

You can reinstall a OEM manufacturer Windows 8 OEM/preinstalled, with a Retail, technet, as the installer will see the Key code in the BIOS.

i have yet to have it work for me when i tried using the technet/msdn disks,always just tells me its the wrong key.

im refering to clean installs and not upgrade so i guess that's why its not working for me when i try using them

 

[pparks1]

You can reinstall a OEM manufacturer Windows 8 OEM/preinstalled, with a Retail, technet, as the installer will see the Key code in the BIOS.

i have yet to have it work for me when i tried using the technet/msdn disks,always just tells me its the wrong key.

im refering to clean installs and not upgrade so i guess that's why its not working for me when i try using them

When i did it using an MSDN disc, on an Acer All-in-One computer which came with WIndows 8 and had the key in the BIOS, during the install it never asked me which OS I wanted (8 std or 8 pro) and it never asked me for a key. It simply installed. When I connected to the Internet for the first time after the install, it simply activated.

 

[pparks1]

That's probably why it was so simple with 7. Windows 8 has other things with new PCs that makes things complicated over 7.

The default OS on the machine was Windows 7, so I am hopefully that they won't have made radical changes to make things difficult.

I would bet they did. The laptop I worked on from ASUS was just a simple Windows 7 machine, released like in 2011 or 2010 I think. I don't remember, but they just changed the Start key, put the new Windows 8 sticker on the bottom, and I bet might had updated their boards for Windows 8, along with probably a Windows 8 approved touchpad. That's also partly why Microsoft is pooping on their OEMs a bit because at launch of Windows 8, there were and still are more non-touch systems that are basically updated Windows 7 PCs for 8. Which I never understood as to why that is as they had like two years to get poop in a group for a new Windows version for touch screens.

Ok, Coke. Dell did implement the UEFI stuff, secure boot and GPT partitions. But instead of having to screw around and figure out what to change to make everything work in legacy mode, if you hit the F12 key to get the boot menu, you get a nice little option to "Change Boot Mode Settings"

You simply pick that, walk through a couple of screens and it makes all of the changes for you.

And that was it. Was able to use the Windows 8 media that came with the Dell and am reinstallling Windows 8 Pro 64bit as I type this.

 

[pparks1]

For morbid curiosity, I decided to format the laptop again and enable UEFI as well as Secure Boot. With the bootup speed advantages of UEFI boot, I was able to get my machine to cold boot into Windows 8 in just under 10 seconds from power button press to the logon screen. That is with the "hybrid boot" enabled.

In legacy BIOS mode, without "Hybrid boot", my power on time was 21 seconds. By enabling "hybrid boot", my boot time went to around 14.5 seconds. By going to UEFI mode with hybrid boot mode enabled, my boot time is around 9.1 seconds.