Reinstall Windows 8 OEM- no product key

Monumental

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Member
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I've seen similar problems to this all over the place. I bought a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 installed on a 1 TB HDD and used a 16GB mSATA SSD as a cache. My plan was/is to upgrade the 16GB SSD to 120GB and install the OS to it. Lenovo support initially told me this was impossible, but I talked them into send me the system restore disks, however they proved to be of limited utility.

I installed the new SSD but the options weren't there in the recovery disks to choose the install location, it just reinstalled to the HDD. So I used a Windows 7 install disk and did a clean install of Windows 7. So the computer is set up how I want it now (OS on SSD and User and ProgramData folders on HDD) except I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 disk and don't have the product code because it's encrypted in the BIOS I guess.

So what's the best way to proceed from here?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
I should probably add that I had to disable UEFI in the BIOS in order to install Windows 7.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
information   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2855-system-repair-disc-create-windows-8-a.html




You can use the Lenovo version of
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html

This is a tutorial by Lenovo using the Windows 8 USB Drive Recovery app.

Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo Think system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload


Lenovo said:
NOTE: From this point forward in the recovery process, the choices for actual operating system recovery depend on the existing state of the computer hard drive.

Below are the instructions if there is an existing Microsoft Windows 8 install on the hard drive.
1.Select the target operating system of Microsoft Windows 8 to reload over existing Lenovo preload.
2.Select "Yes" to repartition the drives or "No" to keep existing partitions. For a clean install, the drives should be repartitioned.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive".
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.

Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.
1.Select "Yes" to repartition the HDD or "No" to keep the existing partitions.
2.Click either choice, but these instructions follow the repartition scenario.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive" as this will take several minutes to complete.
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.
 

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
Ok, so that is good info, thanks. I guess you're suggesting that I go back to square 1 and use the disks to do a factory reinstall of the computer and then make this USB recovery drive and go from there?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
I just upgraded my laptops spinner to an SSD. Two SSD's actually, A 128 GB for the OS and a 256 GB for DATA. I made a recovery drive and tried to use that to do a Reset (factory restore) to the SSD but it didn't work. I got a "A required partition is missing" error message. I tried a few other things but finally just ended up downloading a Windows 8 ISO (bit torrent) and doing a clean install. I'm actually happy I ended up doing it that way. Its a nice clean install with only the utilities I actually use and all the latest drivers.
 

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
I've seen similar problems to this all over the place. I bought a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 installed on a 1 TB HDD and used a 16GB mSATA SSD as a cache. My plan was/is to upgrade the 16GB SSD to 120GB and install the OS to it. Lenovo support initially told me this was impossible, but I talked them into send me the system restore disks, however they proved to be of limited utility.

I installed the new SSD but the options weren't there in the recovery disks to choose the install location, it just reinstalled to the HDD. So I used a Windows 7 install disk and did a clean install of Windows 7. So the computer is set up how I want it now (OS on SSD and User and ProgramData folders on HDD) except I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 disk and don't have the product code because it's encrypted in the BIOS I guess.

So what's the best way to proceed from here?
FYI, see [h=1]System Builder Install/HP 32GB mSSD HDD Acceleration Cache.[/h]
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7 Ult on DIY; Win8 Pro on MBP/Parallels; Win7 Ult on MBP/Boot Camp; Win7 Ult/Win8 Pro on HP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Rig; MacBook Pro (MBP)/Parallels/Boot Camp; HP Pavilion dv6500t Laptop
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K (sometimes OC'd to 4.8 GHz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8P67 Deluxe Rev B3
    Memory
    16 GB Corsair Vengeance
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 570 SC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gateway
    Hard Drives
    Dual Boot:
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on OCZ Revo x2 and
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on Caviar Black SATA 3's
    PSU
    Cooler Master Silent Pro 1000W
    Case
    Cooler Master 932 HAF
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS9900MAX-B CPU Fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Mouse
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Internet Speed
    20 Mbps Download/2+ Mbps Upload
    Other Info
    Pioneer Blu-ray Burner/DVD Burner
information   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2855-system-repair-disc-create-windows-8-a.html





You can use the Lenovo version of
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5132-recovery-drive-create-usb-flash-drive-windows-8-a.html

This is a tutorial by Lenovo using the Windows 8 USB Drive Recovery app.

Methodology to create Recovery Media and reload a Lenovo Think system with Microsoft Windows 8 preload


Lenovo said:
NOTE: From this point forward in the recovery process, the choices for actual operating system recovery depend on the existing state of the computer hard drive.

Below are the instructions if there is an existing Microsoft Windows 8 install on the hard drive.
1.Select the target operating system of Microsoft Windows 8 to reload over existing Lenovo preload.
2.Select "Yes" to repartition the drives or "No" to keep existing partitions. For a clean install, the drives should be repartitioned.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive".
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.

Below are the instructions if the hard drive is blank.
1.Select "Yes" to repartition the HDD or "No" to keep the existing partitions.
2.Click either choice, but these instructions follow the repartition scenario.
3.Select "Fully Clean the drive" as this will take several minutes to complete.
4.Click Reset to begin the process.
5.The reset/recovery process takes approximately 90 minutes.
6.Once the reset/recovery is complete, the system will reboot into Microsoft Windows 8.

This doesn't appear to work because there's no option to reinstall to a different disk.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
I just upgraded my laptops spinner to an SSD. Two SSD's actually, A 128 GB for the OS and a 256 GB for DATA. I made a recovery drive and tried to use that to do a Reset (factory restore) to the SSD but it didn't work. I got a "A required partition is missing" error message. I tried a few other things but finally just ended up downloading a Windows 8 ISO (bit torrent) and doing a clean install. I'm actually happy I ended up doing it that way. Its a nice clean install with only the utilities I actually use and all the latest drivers.

I'm beginning to think this is the best option. I'll give znod's link a look first though.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
I've seen similar problems to this all over the place. I bought a Lenovo laptop with Windows 8 installed on a 1 TB HDD and used a 16GB mSATA SSD as a cache. My plan was/is to upgrade the 16GB SSD to 120GB and install the OS to it. Lenovo support initially told me this was impossible, but I talked them into send me the system restore disks, however they proved to be of limited utility.

I installed the new SSD but the options weren't there in the recovery disks to choose the install location, it just reinstalled to the HDD. So I used a Windows 7 install disk and did a clean install of Windows 7. So the computer is set up how I want it now (OS on SSD and User and ProgramData folders on HDD) except I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 disk and don't have the product code because it's encrypted in the BIOS I guess.

So what's the best way to proceed from here?
FYI, see System Builder Install/HP 32GB mSSD HDD Acceleration Cache.

Thanks for the link but I don't think you did what I'm trying to do. I want to install the OS on the mSATA SSD. I successfully installed Windows 7 to the SSD and set up the HDD as Data driver for User folders using audit mode, but I've run into trouble trying to decipher how to do the same thing with Windows 8 and trying to keep the Lenovo OneTouch Recovery.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
You are very welcome. WRT to the link I posted, I actually didn't do anything. Not going to pursue farther. I misinterpreted something you said initially.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7 Ult on DIY; Win8 Pro on MBP/Parallels; Win7 Ult on MBP/Boot Camp; Win7 Ult/Win8 Pro on HP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Rig; MacBook Pro (MBP)/Parallels/Boot Camp; HP Pavilion dv6500t Laptop
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K (sometimes OC'd to 4.8 GHz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8P67 Deluxe Rev B3
    Memory
    16 GB Corsair Vengeance
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 570 SC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gateway
    Hard Drives
    Dual Boot:
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on OCZ Revo x2 and
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on Caviar Black SATA 3's
    PSU
    Cooler Master Silent Pro 1000W
    Case
    Cooler Master 932 HAF
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS9900MAX-B CPU Fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Mouse
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Internet Speed
    20 Mbps Download/2+ Mbps Upload
    Other Info
    Pioneer Blu-ray Burner/DVD Burner
What about making an image of the 2 Windows 8 partitions from the HDD (e.g. with free Macrium) and dumping the image(s) on the SSD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
I installed the new SSD but the options weren't there in the recovery disks to choose the install location, it just reinstalled to the HDD. So I used a Windows 7 install disk and did a clean install of Windows 7. So the computer is set up how I want it now (OS on SSD and User and ProgramData folders on HDD) except I'd like to upgrade it to Windows 8. I don't have a Windows 8 disk and don't have the product code because it's encrypted in the BIOS I guess.

So what's the best way to proceed from here?
In all cases, your OEM product key will suffice when installing. It will be found automatically; you don't need to type it in.

Some will say find a genuine ISO, of the needed type and bitness, online; ensure that it has UEFI support (if you want to reinstall under UEFI--see the second half of Windows 8 Upgrade ISO - Download or Create); burn it to disc; and do a clean install. I'd do that if I believed that following such a procedure is EULA consistent and I was certain that I had found the real thing online. Not recommending, but see, for example, The Official Windows 8 Repository.

Or, you could buy MS system builder software (Win8 core or Win8 Pro (both 64 bit or 32 bit)), and install cleanly under the personal-use license. This software is transferrable provided that you never use it again, or make it possible for anyone else to try to use it, once transferred. It can be installed on one owned machine at a time. The hardware of the machine installed on can be changed any number of times and any number of ways. And, the software can be installed on owned machines (on at a time) as many times as wanted.

You also can clean install with retail upgrade software. Doing so should create no activation problems (but, just in case, see Clean Install with Windows 8 Upgrade). You would need to forego using your Win7 or other qualifying software having installed the upgrade software. You also could get an ISO using Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant - Download and Run. The ISO would provide you with the ability to do a clean install with what amounts to retail upgrade software. See above ISO related comments.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win7 Ult on DIY; Win8 Pro on MBP/Parallels; Win7 Ult on MBP/Boot Camp; Win7 Ult/Win8 Pro on HP
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    DIY Rig; MacBook Pro (MBP)/Parallels/Boot Camp; HP Pavilion dv6500t Laptop
    CPU
    Intel i7-2600K (sometimes OC'd to 4.8 GHz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8P67 Deluxe Rev B3
    Memory
    16 GB Corsair Vengeance
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 570 SC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gateway
    Hard Drives
    Dual Boot:
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on OCZ Revo x2 and
    Win7 Ult RAID 0 on Caviar Black SATA 3's
    PSU
    Cooler Master Silent Pro 1000W
    Case
    Cooler Master 932 HAF
    Cooling
    Zalman CNPS9900MAX-B CPU Fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Mouse
    Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500
    Internet Speed
    20 Mbps Download/2+ Mbps Upload
    Other Info
    Pioneer Blu-ray Burner/DVD Burner
The Windows 8 ISO I downloaded and used, found my embedded Product code in my BIOS and used that during the install. No problems with activation. YMMV but so far so good for me.
 

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
The Windows 8 ISO I downloaded and used, found my embedded Product code in my BIOS and used that during the install. No problems with activation. YMMV but so far so good for me.

Yes, I've been able to use Oem disks, and TechNet discs and volume license disks and its always just worked with the embedded keys. I really like the embedded key.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
The Windows 8 ISO I downloaded and used, found my embedded Product code in my BIOS and used that during the install. No problems with activation. YMMV but so far so good for me.

Yes, I've been able to use Oem disks, and TechNet discs and volume license disks and its always just worked with the embedded keys. I really like the embedded key.

:ditto:
Yep, me too. It's going to make reinstalling on OEM PC's a breeze as far as activation goes. No COA sticker that's worn or faded and unreadable. You'll loose some of the Logo's and branding, etc, but that's usually not a big deal to the owner.
 

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
Ok, so where's the best place to get an official ISO? I've seen links to this page The Official Windows 8 Repository but don't actually see any links to download from it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
To my knowledge there is no legitimate download site.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
To my knowledge there is no legitimate download site.
That's not what I asked. ;) Just where I can obtain a copy that's legit. I'll verify the hash of course, but if there's a known safe place to go I'd prefer that. The DRM on this is all pretty ridiculous. I'm not looking to get a free copy just to set up my computer the way that I want with the software that came with it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64-bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Y400
    CPU
    Intel i7-3630QM @2.40GHz
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M
    Antivirus
    SEP
I don't know if there is a best place. I got mine off of bit torrent. All you can do is check the MD5 Hash to see if it matches what is listed on TechNet or MSDN. If it does it's likely an unaltered copy of a TechNet download from someone with a TechNet subscription. There are no official Microsoft download links that I know of aside from TechNet.
 

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
To my knowledge there is no legitimate download site.
That's not what I asked. ;) Just where I can obtain a copy that's legit. I'll verify the hash of course, but if there's a known safe place to go I'd prefer that. The DRM on this is all pretty ridiculous. I'm not looking to get a free copy just to set up my computer the way that I want with the software that came with it.

Ditto on that. It shouldn't be such a pain to just get the install media with no product key. Especially when you're installing to an OEM PC with an embedded key. Upgrading the hard drive on a laptop is now a major pain in the butt.
 

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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