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- Notebooks
- Notebook Operating System and Recovery
- Replaced Hard Drive
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10-14-2020 07:37 AM
I have son's laptop that crashed several years ago. Has been sitting for about 4 years now. Put a new hard drive in to get it running for e-learning 3rd grader. The original windows is locked in the old dead hard drive. No disc was made for just this problem. As far as I know, there is no account set up with Microsoft. How can I get the product key to reinstall Windows 8?
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Accepted Solutions
10-14-2020 09:31 AM
Hi:
It looks like your notebook originally came with W8 from HP.
https://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?searchText=E1P04AV
Here is how you can clean install W8.1 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.
10-14-2020 07:41 AM
Hi:
What is the product number of your notebook?
Use this guide to find that information...please do not post the serial number.
10-14-2020 09:31 AM
Hi:
It looks like your notebook originally came with W8 from HP.
https://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?searchText=E1P04AV
Here is how you can clean install W8.1 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.
10-17-2020 04:45 PM
This worked perfectly. The only problem I had was getting the USB formatted. I had to get another program to do that. But now I have a disc and USB. Thank you for your help. Spent a whole day get updates and drivers installed. Seems to be working just fine.
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