Windows key recovery

[Dmitry812]

Hello, 7 years ago I bought an HP laptop with Windows 8. After upgrading to Windows 8.1, the computer had collapsed, so I had to reinstall the system. During the installation I lost my key and had to find out one in the Internet. I have 2 questions: 1) Is that possible to somehow find out my "original" activation key? 2) HP does not support the drivers for Windows 10, but I have a key for Windows 10 Education N. Can I use this key to activate the current Windows 8.1?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

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.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-envy-m6-1100-notebook-pc-series/5296045/model/53...

[Dmitry812]

Hi, Paul, thanks for your answer.

For now I haven't reinstalled the system yet, but I did use the program ShowKeyPlus. So there I have Installed Key (the one that I have found in the internet) and OEM key.

Is that OEM key my original one, so I can use it during the further installation of Windows? 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Yes.

Can you post what the last line of the showkey plus reports indicates?

If it says single language, then you need to download the W8.1 Single Language ISO file instead, and use this generic key.

Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC

Then change the product key for the OEM W8 key in your notebook's BIOS.

[Dmitry812]

So yeah, I gonna download W8.1 Single Language I guess

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Yes, that is correct.

You'll be fine then.

[Dmitry812]

I reinstalled WIndows, as you told. But there is a problem. The second key (Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC) that you wrote didn't work. The first one worked well (334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT). But I couldn't change the key to my OEM key in windows settings, it says that the key is not valid for the Windows verion.

I contacted Microsoft, they told me that this is because I actually installed Retail verison as I used key 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT. The second key Y9NXP-XT8MV-PT9TG-97CT3-9D6TC is for Core version - the one that I need.

Maybe there is another key(s) for Core version?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You downloaded the W8.1 Single Language ISO file?

That is the file you need.

Sorry that key didn't work.

Everyone that I have given those instructions and keys to said it worked.

There is a W8.1 country specific key.

TNH8J-KG84C-TRMG4-FFD7J-VH4WX

Perhaps that will work for you.

If you google the Windows generic keys, the only one that shows up is the one that I gave you the second time.

https://www.fitzweekly.com/2016/06/generic-windows-installation-keys.html

It should have worked.

[Dmitry812]

Yes, I donwloaded this version. The only thing is the difference between Retail and Core. 

And one more question: before the installation I turned off Secure booth in BIOS in order to booth my flash disk first. After the installation I tried to reset BIOS to default settings (means that Secure booth is turned on). But, unfortunately, Windows is not loading, it says, that the booth device is not found and I gotta install Windows on the hard drive (when it's actually installed). So the only way is to run Windows with disabled Secure booth and with enabled Legacy booth. 

I did the test of hard drive (the long test that takes 2,5 hours) - everything is OK there. 

What might be the problem with the Secure booth? Activation of Windows?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Unfortunately, I don't know what to do about the secure boot issue.

You should have been able to boot from the USB flash drive with secure boot enabled.

As far as activation, I won't be able to help you with that because the generic SL key I gave you should have allowed you to install W8.1 SL and then activate it with the W8 OEM SL key in the BIOS.

You can see from this discussion below, this person had the same issue, but he said he didn't need to enter the generic SL key.  W8.1 SL automatically picked up the W8.1 SL key in the BIOS.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-System-and-Recovery/I-need-Win-8-rtm-OEM-to-recover...