OS corrupted during service

[hari_2000]

I gave my laptop to an authorized service centre for reset as it's performance was too bad right from when I bought it. It is still under the one year warranty. Now I got a call from them saying that my laptop's Windows is corrupted and that I had to pay for buying a Windows CD to activate it again. Does this always happen during resetting? Or is that the executive's mistake? How do I proceed if it's their mistake?

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Hi

If you want a Windows DVD/USB you can make your own, it's a Lo-Cost/No-Cost choice.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Create Windows 10 installation media:- To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows 10. You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below.

Download tool now

Also most PC's come with a Recovery Partition to restore the PC to Factory Fresh, usually F11 on a HP.

You may have had the option to make your own external version, yet again, Lo-Cost/No-Cost

HP Recovery Media Creation  (16 GB USB stick 1 attempt only)

So far there is nothing that the "executive" would need to charge you for IMHO. 

How you convince them to return your property without paying a lot of money, I know not.

If in doubt please ask.

[hari_2000]

Thanks for your answer.

FYI they didn't ask me to pay to them directly. They would install Windows back but without activation. They asked me to buy a new CD for activation. I don't understand why. And what is the license you have mentioned? I don't have any. Isn't it free to activate reinstalled Windows?

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@Lil_Boy_Blue wrote:

Hi

If you want a Windows DVD/USB you can make your own, it's a Lo-Cost/No-Cost choice.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Create Windows 10 installation media:- To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows 10. You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below.

Download tool now

Also most PC's come with a Recovery Partition to restore the PC to Factory Fresh, usually F11 on a HP.

You may have had the option to make your own external version, yet again, Lo-Cost/No-Cost

HP Recovery Media Creation  (16 GB USB stick 1 attempt only)

So far there is nothing that the "executive" would need to charge you for IMHO. 

How you convince them to return your property without paying a lot of money, I know not.

If in doubt please ask.

---

[Lil_Boy_Blue · Accepted solution]

Hi

If it does not 'automagically' re-activate you can locate the key like this....

KeyFinderInstaller may help....
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

Doing research, and none of the methods are mine, I have some, simple single lines of code that will list the same value for your Windows 10 Product Key…
Two for Windows 10 and one for Linux.

W10 Using cmd.exe as an Administrator (copy and paste accordingly).

wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey >> c:\ProdKey.txt

Creates a text file called ProdKey.txt on your C:\ area.

Next is a PowerShell command, as Administrator...
(Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey

but it will run within W10 using cmd.exe as an Administrator.
powershell (Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey

Last, but not least....
Linux@Lubuntu:~$ sudo cat /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM | strings | tail -n 1

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO

[Lil_Boy_Blue]

Prego.

If in doubt please ask.