Getting Windows when it has been uninstalled

[DNEWS]

Hi,

I gave my computer to my younger brother for a couple years, as I had a laptop from work and did not need it.  My brother completely rewrote the hard drive with Ubuntu, not saving the windows product key or leaving a partition for Windows.  Fast forward to now, he has a new computer and I am back in school and need a laptop.

Is it possible for me to get the "copy" of windows that came with the computer or would I have to resort to buying a new copy/pirating?  I bought the computer from best buy years ago and do not have the product key for windows or any of the documentation that came with the computer.

Thank you,

Dave

[WAWood]

@DNEWS 

From what I read, your laptop originally came with Windows 8 on it -- and that's not available anymore (as far as I know) since MS only provides downloads for Win8.1 and newer.

Your best approach is to see if you can purchase HP Recovery Media for it.  Not only will that return the laptop to its original state, it also will read the product key embedded into the firmware of the motherboard to reactivate Windows.

HP Recovery Media is a set of DVDs and a CD, or USB stick, that will erase the hard drive (removing all data, settings, and applications, reinstall the original OS, drivers, and some HP Utilities.

In some cases, you may be able to order a USB stick instead of disks. You have to order these from HP; they can not be downloaded.

You can look online for Recovery Media starting with the linked paged: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

Once there, input your Product name or number. On your Software and Drivers Download page, select your Operating System and and Version. Click "Update".

If HP Recovery Media is available for your machine, down near the bottom of the page, you will see an entry for Order Recovery Media-CD/DVD/USB. Click the "+" symbol to expand that entry and click on Order Media for details.

Or, if you prefer, you can do the same by contacting HP Customer Support.

To contact HP Support see the following link to create yourself a case number, then call and it may help speed up the call process:

Step 1. Open link: <a href=https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp?openCLC=true</a>
Step 2. Enter Product number or select to auto detect
Step 3. Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"
Step 4. Scroll down and click on: HP contact options - click on Get phone number

Case number and phone number appear.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @DNEWS 

You can reinstall W8.1 for free by using the W8 product key in your notebook's BIOS.

Install W8.1 by creating the Microsoft installation media, using another Windows PC, if yours is not working...You want W8.1 64 bit.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8ISO

If you are asked to enter a product key during the installation process, use this generic key.

This is the generic key for W8.1 'Standard.'

334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT

When you get to the screen that asks 'Where do you want to install Windows,' delete every partition on the hard drive, leaving just one partition of unallocated space. Click Next, and W8.1 should begin to install.

If you had to enter the generic key, manually change the generic product key to the W8 key in your PC's BIOS in the PC settings menu.

After you get W8.1 installed, and you had to manually enter the W8.1 generic product key, you will need to run the free utility I zipped up and attached below, that will show you show the W8 product key in your PC's BIOS.

I have also zipped up and attached below, the Microsoft tool which hopefully will transfer the ISO file to a DVD or USB flash drive so it is bootable.

Then you can install the available drivers and software from your PC's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/HP-ENVY-TouchSmart-m7-j000-Notebook-PC-series/53549...

HP no longer sells recovery media for your notebook.

If you would rather order the original factory W8 recovery media, you would have to get it from this vendor at the link below.

http://www.computersurgeons.com/p-23335-windows-8-64-bit-recovery-kit-730336-002-for-hp-envy-touchsm...