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Maybe someone here will be abe to help me out. My laptop came with 8.1 installed. I then installed the 10 TP on it, and then re-installed it at some point, so now I can't get the Windows 8.1 activation key that is/was supposedly stored in the BIOS. Any ideas on what to do? I'd rather not have to buy Windows again, and I definitely don't wanna be stuck on the Technical Preview.
Now this may be a misunderstanding on my part or simply not applicable to Windows 8.1, but I believe previous versions of Windows, at leas with certain manufacturers, required you to do the re-install with the OEM version of the CD/DVD in order to use the license stored in BIOS/UEFI. I believe this is at least the case with a old HP desktop of mine, which installs XP & Win7 without even asking for a key if used with the HP OEM media.
Unfortunately, I didn't get anything beyond a mains lead and manual with my laptop (an Asus). I think I might be screwed then. I'll have to have a hunt for an old Windows 7 disc or something.
Call Asus and give them the serial number of the laptop. If you can't get in with Support, try calling Sales. Basically, you can purchase the reload media from them. It's cheap, usually $10-20 + the cost of shipping. I've done this with nearly every brand, although never with Asus I will admit.
If that doesn't work, I typed in "windows asus" on everyone's favorite Torrent site and a few results came up. Downloading those aren't actually illegal since they are authenticating off the key embedded in your hardware. Unfortunately, I only saw results for Windows 7 (not 8.1.)
Sometimes the Windows product key is on a sticker somewhere (sometimes even at the bottom) on your laptop. However, as eilyra pointed out, sometimes you need to have the original OEM disc to install from... This is how they keep laptop costs so low, they basically sell you a copy of Windows that you can only use once.
The copy of windows is usable as many times as you want on that ONE device. All major laptop manufacturers give you the setup disk within a hidden partition on the device. Your key is hidden in the registry and can be extracted using free software or, like mentioned before, usually printed on the outside of the laptop. It is your right as the owner of the OS license (by purchasing the laptop provided by the manufacturer) to install it as many times as you wish on that device. Eventually, with enough activations on file, Windows will prompt you to call a number to verify you are doing it for valid reasons, but you will still be able to use it again if you wish.
Didn't even know that this is what the hidden partition is for. Thanks for the info!
The software is called produkey for anyone interested.
If you haven't yet, I recommend that you sign up for the Windows Insider Program. Being a part of the program gives you access to developer previews and almost guarantees that you get Windows 10 on July 29th.
Is just signing up enough? Did it a while ago cause I wanted to try the preview. I just never found time for it.
According to this blog post by Microsoft Windows 10 will start rolling out for Insiders on July 29. Reserved devices not registered on the Insider Program will get the upgrade at a later date after fine tuning the OS.
I second this, time is running out to become a Windows Insider and Insiders are getting the software first. I remember when I first installed build 9926 on my desktop PC... oh boy, times were tough. Being an insider is easy these days though, plus it's a nice badge to wear! ;)
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Do you think it's worth installing the current Windows 10 preview? I'm running Windows 7 right now and I'm pretty happy with it. I also use my desktop frequently for work, so while I could handle a few hours of downtime for installation and whatnot, I couldn't be down for days dealing with random problems.
Yes 10,000 times. 10162 is very very close to the finished product and there are only occasional bugs and they aren't very serious at all. Everything is smooth and incredibly fast. A great deal of the final polish has also been applied already. If you join the Windows Insiders you'll get to test out new builds and features on the fly as well before anyone else. Now is the best time to join because OS-breaking bugs are behind us and the only thing you'll really see horrible bugs in from here on out are new features that haven't been introduced or implemented yet. The operating environment is quite stable and should be safe from meltdowns or catastrophes from now on.
Thanks a lot for this response. I think I'll start the download this afternoon and plan on doing the installation tomorrow while I'm tied up in phone meetings anyway.
Anytime! Keep up with the latest at /t/Windows10 where I'll be posting support and new content related to the OS :) If you need any help contact me, or leave a discussion post over there!
Will installing Windows 10 preview delete my files?
Not if you install from within windows. Basically you'll download the iso for 10162 from Microsoft's website then double click it and go though the set up process. Your PC will restart a few times. LEAVE IT BE :P ;) Make sure during the dialog windows you read EVERYTHING and be sure to select "upgrade" not "clean install". It's also important to note that you need to sign up for the Windows Insider program here in order to use this or future builds.
So I remember there being a bit of a privacy snafu early on with the Windows 10 preview builds, do you know if this has been remedied since?
I've also been considering installing Windows 10 ahead of the release date, considering we're so late into the release process, but that piece of old news still kind of bothers me.
The current Preview Privacy Statement still has a quite broad list of collected data:
Most concerning is of course:
which could be interpreted as a keylogger, which I believe is what the article is referring to.
By signing up for the Insider program you basically let more or less all the I/O data on your PC slide. RTM and Retail will not require you to wave giving up similar detail is my understanding of it.
My understanding has been similar, which has lead to my aversion in participating in the program. I suppose I'll try to secure my copy as a Insider at release then, hopefully that copy won't contain such provisions. :)
It is darn tempting though, Windows 10 is looking so promising!
It really is amazing. I lead a pretty simple life and don't have much to hide or protect in the way of assets so I just went with it. :P
This reminds me, now that I've someone with experience to ask, was it easy to install the OS without having to log in with a Microsoft account? Would personally much prefer to simply have a local account on my machines at this time. :)
I wouldn't recommend it for a PC you do work on. I still suffer from some significant bugs (apps crashing out of the blue, USB devices disconnecting sporadically, Store and Windows Update glitchiness, Start menu bugs).
I'd recommend to either dual boot, put it on a spare PC, or wait.
In general build 10162 is very stable, but you might find yourself dealing with too many bugs to get your work done. The bugs I am encountering are mostly of the 'annoyance' category, but you might have a worse time. You might not encounter any issues at all, of course. They have certainly fixed the main bugs that have bothered me in the last several months (inability to shut down/restart, File Explorer going mental, Explorer.exe crashing constantly, etc.).
I had previously reserved my copy of windows 10 using the app and just signed up for insider as per your recommendation. Will I now automatically get windows 10 on all reserved devices on July 29th or is there something else I have to do?
Yes, according to Microsoft in this blog post. Any reserved devices not registered on the Insider Program will receive the update after July 29th.
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I would be totally cool with this if they changed their advertising to "as soon as July 29th" instead of promising something that won't occur for all.
I totally understand their reasoning for staggering the roll-out. Think of the disaster that strikes if all users get Windows 10 and there's an issue. Of course, that's only an ok course of action if you're communicating well about expectations to your customers and users.
Microsoft as a company seems torn between wanting to spread hype for their products and communicating realistic expectations. Looking around on news sites we see lots of loud headlines with "WINDOWS 10 ROLLING OUT JULY 29TH FREE!" followed up with several quiet, "Microsoft clarifies this is only for a time subset of users that have signed up for a thing you've never heard of". Sure it creates hype but probably also a lot of disappointment as people feel deceived by the information.
I agree, but on the other side of this I've seen this headline everywhere and every time I see it I feel like they are trying to convince people that W10 will be delayed. Its super clickbait-y. A little irritating. No offense to OP, it's not your fault.
Hey voyager! I saw you on the game collectors tribe! But yeah, no fault to OP only microsoft.
Hey hey! Or in this particular case CRN.com because they're using click-bait titles.
I wanted to share an email I had with our Zones rep earlier this month regarding the Windows 10 rollout. We primarily use HP and we order all our equipment through Zones, but this should be a good indicator of how it's going to unfold for everybody. (Her answers in Bold.)
### Scenario 1:
I have a computer with Windows 7 that is a couple years old. Is it eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10? – Yes
If so, how do I get my Windows 10 license for this computer? – Details on the how have not yet been released by Microsoft
If I need to do a reload from scratch (known as a "clean install") of Windows 10, how would I go about getting the install media? I usually use the HP install disc as it automatically finds the license. – I do not believe media with 10 will be available, but I haven’t been able to confirm the path yet
### Scenario 2:
I purchase a computer today. Windows 10 is coming out in just a few short months. Is it eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10? Yes
If so, how do I get my Windows 10 license for this computer? – Details on the how have not yet been released by Microsoft
If I need to do a reload from scratch (known as a "clean install") of Windows 10, how would I go about getting the install media? I usually use the HP install disc as it automatically finds the license. – I do not believe media with 10 will be available, but I haven’t been able to confirm the path yet
### Scenario 3:
I'm ordering a computer after the release of Windows 10. Can I still get Windows 7 Pro on my computer? Yes
Will HP be shipping Windows 10 install media with new computers? Or will I have to contact HP after the computer arrives to request this disc? OR will the disc not be available at all? – at launch on July 29th – there will be no changes in what is shipping. Meaning devices with Win7/Win8.1 will still be shipping. HP will begin to have skus with Win 10 in September. However the full line, outside of touch devices, will come down graded to Win7 with Win10 media in the box.
Will the install media be backwards compatible on my older computers (the computers from Scenario 1 and 2)? In other words, can I use the new Windows 10 install disc to upgrade my other Windows 7 machines? (Microsoft licensing looks for a key on the hardware to see if the computer is authorized. So, I'm specifically asking of the new Windows 10 install media will see the hardware of the Windows 7 computers I've ordered and permit the upgrade. We don’t have the specific upgrade paths outlined yet from Microsoft so I am unable to confirm for you at this time.
Edit: I really don't understand the formatting here.
I wouldn't want it as soon as possible anyways - I'm planning on waiting to see some reviews of it from general consumers before hand, and of course, letting them iron out any last minute bugs.
There's some things I don't like while I'm currently using Windows 8.1, and if they're going to stay put on Windows 10, I won't be looking forward to it. Then again, I don't know how they could manage to make something worse after the uproar that was the whole removing-the-classic-Start-Menu-and-replacing-it-with-Live-Tiles jazz.
I hear that. Also it would be nice not to have 1 billion people trying to pull it at the same time, slowing speeds to a crawl and having unstable connections.
Considering the only reason I have Windows at all is for a Bootcamp partition on my MBP for gaming, I doubt I'll be making this upgrade until there's solid feedback on whether there are any issues that may negatively affect performance. I'm sure it will happen eventually, but it seems there are often issues that need to be resolved immediately after a release like this.
I sure hope I can get it on the 29th... My Win 7 Pro key expired (according to Microsoft's tech support, that'll happen, apparently -- which is news to me). It expired on the 1st of July, leaving me with a 30-day "preview" of Win 7, exactly 29 days before Win 10 is released. I dislike Win 8, and cannot buy Win 7 anymore. So now I'll have to purchase Win 10 day one, and just hope it all works out.
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I don't really want 10 as soon as it comes out. Maybe it will be OK, but I'll wait a few weeks to let them iron out the kinks and bugs.
I've already been using Windows 10 for a while and love it. So I think I'll have it by July 29.:)
You've been using the community preview version. I wonder if they can upgrade it from within 10 or if you'll have to do a full re-install like they did for 7 and vista.
Meh. I'm sticking to Linux. I tried the preview in a VM. Really doesn't seem to be worth all the fuss people are making over it.
I don't really want windows 10 right away. I want to see what other people think of it before I switch. I have windows 7 on one computer and windows 8.1 on another and really don't want to upgrade my windows 7 machine if it doesn't preform well or give me the function I want without having to go into a metro UI or something.