Solved: Recovering Window10 needs product key? - HP Support Community

Pupapeoga · ‎07-16-2016

Hi everyone,

I have a HP 250 G4 with Windows10 pre-installed.

On this pc I need to have Linux as well, so I freed some space and created a partition with the Disk Management Tool in Windows and insatlled Linux (Fedora) on the free partition.

Now the pc will boot only into Linux, but I can see and access the Windows disk, so it is still there.

The Windows Boot Manager gives the following error:

File : \EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD
Status : 0xc000000f
Info : The boot configuration data for your pc is missing or contains errors.

To solve the error it suggests to insert the installation disk, which I do not have.

I am downloading the ISO image from www.microsoft.com/it-it/software-download/windows10ISO

Do I need the product key for my WIndows? If so, how can I get it?

Thanks for any advice

erico · ‎07-16-2016

The product key is encoded in the BIOS.

You can use a generic installation key if one is required. Once you are able to boot into Windows again and go online, the OS will self activate, since the notebook already has a digital entitlement on the Microsoft activation servers.

You can get the generic install keys from the following web document. http://winaero.com/blog/generic-key-to-install-windows-10-rtm/

Did you create a Windows usb recovery flashdrive before you made any changes to the partitioning?

I am curious as to the reason you did not consider using VMWare to run a virtual Linux OS instead of physically installing the OS.

Take a read of the following thread an Microsoft Answers.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/how-to-repair-windows10-file-boot...

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View solution in original post

erico · ‎07-16-2016

The product key is encoded in the BIOS.

You can use a generic installation key if one is required. Once you are able to boot into Windows again and go online, the OS will self activate, since the notebook already has a digital entitlement on the Microsoft activation servers.

You can get the generic install keys from the following web document. http://winaero.com/blog/generic-key-to-install-windows-10-rtm/

Did you create a Windows usb recovery flashdrive before you made any changes to the partitioning?

I am curious as to the reason you did not consider using VMWare to run a virtual Linux OS instead of physically installing the OS.

Take a read of the following thread an Microsoft Answers.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/how-to-repair-windows10-file-boot...

I am a volunteer forum member. If my suggestion helped you solve your issue, help others by marking that post as the accepted solution. Say thanks by clicking on the Yes button next to the "was this reply helpful?"

Pupapeoga · ‎07-20-2016

Thanks!

I got the generic istall key, but it didn't ask for it.

About your questions: I did't create a Windows usb recovery flashdrive because having partitioned with the Windows Disk Management I never tought something could go wrong. Fool me!

And I don't consider the VM to run Linux because it takes too much memory and it slows down the pc too much to work efficiently.

erico · ‎07-20-2016

You're welcome. 🙂

Thanks for satisfying my curiousity.

I am a volunteer forum member. If my suggestion helped you solve your issue, help others by marking that post as the accepted solution. Say thanks by clicking on the Yes button next to the "was this reply helpful?"

Recovering Window10 needs product key?

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