How to get windows product key?

[Margenek17]

Hello, 

I wanted to try Linux, so installed it and have lost my Win 8 OS... Could I reinstall win 8 again? Maybe I need product key for Windows?

Thank you.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Your notebook's W8 product key is in the notebook's BIOS.

You can't reinstall W8 for free because there are no W8 ISO files for download.

However, 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, or you can use the free Rufus utility to create a bootable USB flash drive.

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

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

Ноутбук HP ENVY 15-j011sr Загрузки ПО и драйверов | Служба поддержки HP®

If the Showkey Plus report shows that the W8 product key is good for W8 Single Language, go back and download the W8.1 64 bit Single Language ISO file, and use this generic product key instead.

Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC