Need help formatted genuine windows 8 in lenovo

[genet]

My question is, if I want to install windows 8.1 from scratch can I wipe every partition?

Yes.



Take a look at this post: link

If you select UEFI Boot Mode (marked UEFI in the boot menu)

- If your hard drive is blank, the Windows setup program creates the following partitions on your hard drive (see screenshot below).

Partition table:
- GPT (GUID Partition Table)

Four partitions:
- Recovery (Windows RE Tools) - Windows recovery environment tools.
- System (EFI system) - boot loader program, drivers used by firmware at boot time, etc.
- MSR (Microsoft Reserved)
- Primary - where Windows is to be installed to.

Note: The MSR (Reserved) partition is not visible within Disk Management utility, but it is listed with command line utility (diskpart).

 

[ricak]

Thank you for the reply!
Im sorry to keep asking this.
So if I want to install windows, I now know which one to install and I know I can wipe ALL partitions. (Even the efi partition?)
Im just confused with the last part of your post (where you say "see also this link...")
does it mean I have to create those partitions?
or can I just create a single partition (for Windows 8.1)?


Thank you

 

[genet]

does it mean I have to create those partitions?

> OPTION ONE <

Legacy BIOS Boot Mode (installing using the MBR partition style).

The setup program automatically creates the partitions (see screenshot below):



> OPTION TWO <

UEFI Boot Mode (installing using the GPT partition style).

The setup program automatically creates the partitions (see screenshot below):

or can I just create a single partition (for Windows 8.1)?

Only in Legacy BIOS Boot Mode.

NOTE: Secure Boot only works in UEFI Boot Mode. Secure Boot protect users from rootkits and other low-level malware attacks by blocking unauthorized (non-signed) executables and drivers from being loaded during the boot process.

 

[ricak]

Do I need to create those partitions? or system will create it automatically as I go through windows installation/partitioning ?

 

[popeye]

How do you plan on re-installing? Have you made a recovery USB flash drive or DVD? If you wipe your partitions you be wiping your OEM system recovery files. Any re-install with the OEM files will also install any bloatware that originally came with the laptop.

 

[ricak]

How do you plan on re-installing? Have you made a recovery USB flash drive or DVD? If you wipe your partitions you be wiping your OEM system recovery files. Any re-install with the OEM files will also install any bloatware that originally came with the laptop.

Hi popeye,
I plan in my mind i plan to wipe ALL partitions, download the windows 8.1 iso ( 4652DC6EBFEBE02C6A63E167C36E3FAEDFB93999 ) and install from USB (folowing step 2. Create a Windows 8.1 installation DVD or USB flash drive. as it refers in first page)

am I missing something?
do I need to create any extra partitions besides windows 8.1 partition?
or can I just format it as I plan without problems?
the idea is the laptop to recognize the OEM key in it.

thank you

 

[popeye]

Post #8 on first page of thread should answer your questions. The partitions will be automatically created. I would still image everything you have now just in case something goes wrong and make a boot CD that can run the image software to restore it.

 

[ricak]

Thank you.
I read that post before, I just got confused about the partitions..
Bust just to be sure and to do it right i just need to wipe all partitions till it is all "Unallocated space" and then press next.
I assume that everything would be created automatically. So i don't need to create any partition myself. is that it?

thank you for the patience. just want to be sure so everything goes smooth

 

[alphanumeric]

I've done clean installs on my ASUS laptop with a blank unformatted SSD. All the required partitions are created automatically during the install. If you do a custom install and delete all the partitions. When you select that unallocated space to install too and click next, you be prompted with a message saying other required system partitions may be created. That may not be the exact wording but its something like that. If you install in UEFI mode the EFI partition will be created automatically along with the other system partitions.

 

[ricak]

I've done clean installs on my ASUS laptop with a blank unformatted SSD. All the required partitions are created automatically during the install. If you do a custom install and delete all the partitions. When you select that unallocated space to install too and click next, you be prompted with a message saying other required system partitions may be created. That may not be the exact wording but its something like that. If you install in UEFI mode the EFI partition will be created automatically along with the other system partitions.

Thank you for the feedback.
I've installed it as mentioned in post 8 and everything went smooth.
after installing windows and while I was installing the drivers I had a bsod - i think it was related to the video card. but it seems correct now.

If I now want to repartition the disk, one of the disks has arround 400gb os space, can I do it without messing the other partitions correct? (instead of using only drive C i like to have a second one for games and personal files)

thank you guys

 

[genet]

If I now want to repartition the disk, one of the disks has arround 400gb os space, can I do it without messing the other partitions correct?

Yes.

Right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management.

 

[alphanumeric]

You can shrink the OS partition C and then create a new D for Data. As long as you leave the other two alone Windows will be fine. Just don't make your OS partition to small. You can do it during the install too. Instead of leaving it unallocated, create two partitions and install to the first one. Windows will add the other system partitions automatically at the start of the drive. I did it that way for a while. Now I have two drives in just about all my PC's. If you ever have to reinstall Windows you just delete all but the DATA partition. I put all my user folders on it, Documents, Pictures, Music, etc.


The only gotcha you might run into is Disk Management may not let you shrink the drive as much as you want. It all depends on where the DATA is physically on the drive. Programs like this will do it though, Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

 

[ricak]

You can shrink the OS partition C and then create a new D for Data. As long as you leave the other two alone Windows will be fine. Just don't make your OS partition to small. You can do it during the install too. Instead of leaving it unallocated, create two partitions and install to the first one. Windows will add the other system partitions automatically at the start of the drive. I did it that way for a while. Now I have two drives in just about all my PC's. If you ever have to reinstall Windows you just delete all but the DATA partition. I put all my user folders on it, Documents, Pictures, Music, etc.


The only gotcha you might run into is Disk Management may not let you shrink the drive as much as you want. It all depends on where the DATA is physically on the drive. Programs like this will do it though, Macrium Reflect FREE Edition - Information and download

If I now want to repartition the disk, one of the disks has arround 400gb os space, can I do it without messing the other partitions correct?

Yes.

Thank you guys! It couldn't be more clear than that!
:thumb:

 

[mthakkar]

Hi,

I am a technical user and followed this guide perfectly step by step.

My scenario: NEW Asus Laptop where I removed the OEM drive (with Windows 8, or 8.1 installed, not sure) and installed a new blank SSD.

I downloaded the Windows 8.1 ISO and ran the HASH check with Hashtab and it checked out. I created a USB installer with Rufus (which I'm familiar with as I do with Windows 7 iso's all the time) and then installed Windows 8.1.

During the setup, I installed using the Windows 8.1 generic Key as mentioned in the guide.

After setup, I use the powershell command and pull the embedded BIOS windows 8 key, which I also cross verified by running Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder on the OEM drive via a USB external adapter. They match.

Following the last step of the guide, I attempt to change the Windows 8 key IN PC settings and activate using the OEM key, however I get the message "That key can't be used to activate this edition of Windows. Please try a different key"

I am stuck, do I simply need to install from a Windows 8 OEM iso instead of 8.1 ? If so, that seems very difficult to track down and find (still trying...)

Please let me know your thoughts, I am bummed that MSFT has made it hard to simply upgrade to a SSD with their latest OS :/

 

[mthakkar]

Further reading leads me to find that a Windows OEM 8 key, will NOT activate windows 8.1 installation. However this guide, I re-read, specifically states Windows 8/8.1 Key... in the instructions.

So some clarification is still needed.


Thank you

 

[genet]

"That key can't be used to activate this edition of Windows. Please try a different key"

That means that you have installed the wrong version of Windows 8.1.

Unfortunately I did not check whether Windows 8.1 was core, pro, or single language before clean installling - is there anyway to see which version my key is for?

The Ultimate PID Checker

 

[kazinsser]

How to clean install Windows 8.1 if you have an OEM computer with UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8/8.1 product key?

I had to make an account just to thank you for this wonderful post. Worked perfectly as far as I can tell.

 

[genet]

Nice to hear that it was helpful.

 

[northman]

my i have some further explenations of your guide @Genet?

my situation is :

laptop with windows 8 pre installed and subsequently upgraded to windows 8.1. now i want to perform a clean installation of the system. I know that exsist a version of windows 8 for laptop called "n"..so basically i dont need to have a product key because the installer read automatically from the motherboard is that right? but to do this i need the correct iso file; another version of windows will not work..is that right?..

 

[santhos]

Hi, why can i not download windows 8.1 danish single language? because i had w8 oem danish single language preinstalled.