Had to reinstall Windows on HP 110 Desktop. Activiation is not working. Help!!!

[chrisgrabowy999]

I was forced to reinstall Windows.  I rebooted the PC and hit escape a few times.  I did a complete Reset your PC.  After Windows was reinstalled I did all the Windows updates.  Now I am getting an Activation error. 

It tells me that product key that was entered is invalid.  ??  I never entered a product key.  It mentions that the current product key is *****-BKH36.  ??

I examined all the labels on the PC; front, back, sides, bottoms.  I do not see a product key on any sticker.  I have a label that mentions Product No and Serial No but they do not look like a Windows Product key.

I have no HP documentation that has any Windows product key information.  

Where do i find the product key for Windows that came with my PC????????  Help.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

> Where do i find the product key for Windows that came with my PC ?

Starting with Windows 8, some motherboards have the 25-character product-key "embedded" in the BIOS.

Google-search for "BIOS product key" to find a utility to run to "peek" into the BIOS.

But, that does not explain why the "reset my PC" process, while it did extract the product-key, could not activate (over the Internet) that specific product-key.

[mdklassen]

See: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-request-a-new-windows-product-key-2624936

for "how to request a new Windows product key", apparently for only $10 US.

[chrisgrabowy999]

Thanks!!

I did that serch and found a small app that was able to report the product keys stored in the BIOS.  I tried the other product key listed and the authentication worked properly.  Upgrading to 8.1 now.  

Many thanks for the tip.