No Product key on new Windows 8 Computers

Hello Everyone. Today I got my Windows 8 Home Makeover Bundle today. When I was unpacking the computers I notice something that was missing. It was the Windows 8 Product Key Sticker. I guess they are not going to put the sticker on the computers that run Windows 8 anymore?

Windows 8 Home Make Over Bundle

From what I understand, OEM activation for Windows 8 is actually IN the BIOS, and not simply using a SLIC table from the BIOS to determine activation. The product key IS the BIOS, so there's no need to provide you with one for reinstall, as the installation of Windows 8 using the provided OEM install media or recovery media will pick that up. It's pretty interesting to think about how it works.

cluberti said:

From what I understand, OEM activation for Windows 8 is actually IN the BIOS, and not simply using a SLIC table from the BIOS to determine activation. The product key IS the BIOS, so there's no need to provide you with one for reinstall, as the installation of Windows 8 using the provided OEM install media or recovery media will pick that up. It's pretty interesting to think about how it works.

Click to expand...

That's a big 'oops' if you have to replace the motherboard !! what will they do then I wonder ?

Windows OEM licenses have always been locked to the board on which they are installed - nothing has changed in that respect.
the locking is now more hard-coded than it was, is all.
The OEM will replace the board with a new one with the appropriate BIOS/Key and 'unapprove' the old one.
Home replacements will no longer be able to slide through the loopholes, and will have to purchase a new Full license.

If you do replace the Motherboard.Before you replace it could you use a Key Finder and use that key it finds?

No - the key will only work with the original board.

I don't even thing they are a key on those OS

nckfrtg28 said:

If you do replace the Motherboard.Before you replace it could you use a Key Finder and use that key it finds?

Click to expand...

If it's a machine from an OEM, replacing the board through them should get you a new one with a key embedded in it, which should activate the OS again within a few hours if it's even necessary.

If you replace the motherboard yourself without going through the OEM, that copy of Windows 8 is no longer legally licensed to that machine anyway, as it's tied to (basically) the motherboard, just like previous iterations of OEM Windows.

Hi there
This is a good start -- I've often thought that a great way of combating piracy would be to have a privileged instruction in the BIOS such as GETCPUID where the CPU ID could be a standard 36 character GUID .

The software inventory on the machine could be linked to that BIOS. In addition the machine if it were being used as a secure machine with NO connection to the Internet at all could be activated without needing an Internet connection.

This beats any of the current "Activation" schemes which rely on Key generators and are eminintely hackable by those in the know.

The BIOS *could* be hacked but that's not so easy as fooling around with "Fake KMS servers" etc or the very many other "Activation bypass schemes" out there.

If the software is legally uninstalled and moved to another machine the install setup could create a new install disk which would permit a new CPU to install software.

(From my old Mainframe days - circa 1972 IBM MVS 370 had exactly this type of instruction -- privileged mode so a user program couldn't change it) -- so this really is a case of "Back to the Future".

The only query here is that if you have an OEM MOBO and you need to replace the CPU on it or swap it for a faster cpu -- is this technically a new computer or just a "Repair" job. (Assuming a desktop type machine not a laptop).

Cheers
jimbo

That should kill the illegal SLIC Table BIOS mod cheats, for Windows 8 anyway.

Oh -I shutup then:

only trying to help

It will be on the pack if you bought the os as a boxed product.

That is not what the thread is about.

It seems that for those who buy a machine with win8 pre installed - there is no product key on the box, on the machine, or anywhere to be seen.

Different thing.

For the one's that has the dvd to install windows 8 pro

if you cannot find the serial number - i'll tell you where to find it.

1. keep the sleeve that the dvd came in - you will need it - (clue )

They are making our life ever more difficult. Changing a mobo on an OEM installation will probably deactivate Windows 8.

jimbo45 said:

The only query here is that if you have an OEM MOBO and you need to replace the CPU on it or swap it for a faster cpu -- is this technically a new computer or just a "Repair" job. (Assuming a desktop type machine not a laptop).

Cheers
jimbo

Click to expand...

The new OEM activation is done on a hardware generated hash (not just the MB/bios) as changing the main drive ( after copying the OS) will break activation. A repair by OEM will allow them to reactivate the OS, as the hash will be updated and approved, and then submitted to MS OEM activation service.

This does however bring up upgrade issues, as changing main hardware breaks activation on OEM unless done by the OEM system maker.......

According to MS if you change something that is not a OEM action (repair etc) it becomes a new PC.

Of course this does not apply to retail.

whs said:

They are making our life ever more difficult. Changing a mobo on an OEM installation will probably deactivate Windows 8.

Click to expand...

It has been like that for years (oem slic bios)

this is an old thread, but my question is relevant. The drive has failed on a Win 8 OEM computer and we have been asked to put a new one in - the owners have no Win 8 disk, and of course the recovery partition is on the old one. Do they need to buy a new copy of Win 8 as well as a new drive?

You will need the installation media, then the installation is successful.

Take a look at this post: How to clean install Windows 8.1 if you have an OEM computer with UEFI firmware (BIOS) embedded Windows 8/8.1 product key?