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‎09-09-2019 03:59 AM

HP Recommended
Product: hp pavilion 15-p247sa
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-bit)

my mate gave me his hp old laptop, i quickly reformated and re-installed windows, however its not activating, is there anything i can do to get it to, you know activate? He had windows before, so i'm kinda confused why its not working now. is there a way to look up exactly what he bought software and all? or if he bought windows seperately? He doesn't remember.


thanks

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎09-10-2019 09:33 AM

HP Recommended

Yes.  It is very unusual for that to happen.

 

What has most likely happened is that someone at the assembly plant installed a motherboard meant to go into one of the PC's in that model series that comes with FreeDOS, which has no Windows product key.

 

The operating system image that HP uses is pre-activated and they use the same image on thousands of PC's by paying for a volume license.

 

But once you either factory reset or clean install Windows, if there is no product key in the BIOS, you run into the issue you just did.

 

So, the only suggestion I can offer would be to contact HP and report the issue, and perhaps they will send you a W8.1 product key to activate Windows with.

 

The specs indicate that it definitely came with W8.1 and not FreeDOS, and as such should have a W8.1 product key in the BIOS.

 

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c04548064

 

That model is sold in the UK, correct?

 

If so, here is the HP phone support listing for the UK.  You want the computing products for home number.

 

https://www8.hp.com/uk/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html

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14 REPLIES 14

‎09-09-2019 04:17 AM

HP Recommended

Hi

The install media you used was licenced?

 

It came with Windows 8.1 (64 bits)

 

Windows 8.x should Automagically activate itself, if it does not do that then contact Microsoft who will hold any relevant keys.

 

 

 

 

 

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‎09-09-2019 07:31 AM

HP Recommended

Hi, @mikebjul 

 

Run the free utility that I zipped up and attached below to see what version of W8.1 the product key is good for.

 

Some models come with W8.1 and some come with W8.1 single language.

 

You need to install the correct version of W8.1 the key is good for and as you saw from the Microsoft download site, you are given several choices.

 

Once you know what version of W8.1 the key is good for, go back and download the right ISO file.

 

If you have any questions regarding the version of W8.1 you need to install, copy and paste the showkey plus report.

 

You do not need to post the product key.  Just the description of W8.1.

 

For example, the showkey plus report for my PC shows this W8.1 version in the BIOS...

 

OEM Edition: Win 8.1 RTM Professional OEM:DM

ShowKeyPlus1.0.7060.zip
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‎09-10-2019 09:26 AM

HP Recommended

bizarre, it says that there is no oem key present in the firmware, i didn't even know that was possible for a windows computer, alllright. What in the heck am i supposed to do now?

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‎09-10-2019 09:33 AM

HP Recommended

Yes.  It is very unusual for that to happen.

 

What has most likely happened is that someone at the assembly plant installed a motherboard meant to go into one of the PC's in that model series that comes with FreeDOS, which has no Windows product key.

 

The operating system image that HP uses is pre-activated and they use the same image on thousands of PC's by paying for a volume license.

 

But once you either factory reset or clean install Windows, if there is no product key in the BIOS, you run into the issue you just did.

 

So, the only suggestion I can offer would be to contact HP and report the issue, and perhaps they will send you a W8.1 product key to activate Windows with.

 

The specs indicate that it definitely came with W8.1 and not FreeDOS, and as such should have a W8.1 product key in the BIOS.

 

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c04548064

 

That model is sold in the UK, correct?

 

If so, here is the HP phone support listing for the UK.  You want the computing products for home number.

 

https://www8.hp.com/uk/en/contact-hp/phone-assist.html

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‎09-10-2019 09:56 AM

HP Recommended

yeah it was sold in the UK, is it not possible to online chat or email their support? i hate idling on the phone.

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‎09-10-2019 10:01 AM

HP Recommended

I don't work for HP, and I am located in the middle of the cornfields in Illinois, USA, so I don't know what other support options are available to you in the UK.

 

I know that in the United States, chat support is only available to customers whose products are in warranty, and I know that your PC is too old to still be covered under warranty.

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‎09-10-2019 10:02 AM

HP Recommended

siiiighhhh, i suppose that sounds about right. Thanks, i really appreciate it.

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‎09-10-2019 10:41 AM

HP Recommended

You're very welcome.

 

This has happened to at least half a dozen forum members over the last few years (since Microsoft began requiring Windows product keys be put in the BIOS), so your situation is not unique.

 

I do recall on a couple of those times the forum members did reply that HP gave them a key to activate Windows, so hopefully they will do you justice.

 

You can also contact the HP executive team at the link below. 

 

It will take longer for you to get a reply, but you should get one.

 

https://ssl.www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/connect-with-hp.html

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‎09-11-2019 03:43 AM

HP Recommended

Hi

"bizarre, it says that there is no oem key present in the firmware, i didn't even know that was possible for a windows computer, alllright. What in the heck am i supposed to do now?"

 

It appears I have 3

mokutil -l --db

Validity
Not Before: Oct 19 18:41:42 2011 GMT
Not After : Oct 19 18:51:42 2026 GMT
Subject: C=US, ST=Washington, L=Redmond, O=Microsoft Corporation, CN=Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011
Subject Public Key Info:
Public Key Algorithm: rsaEncryption
Public-Key: (2048 bit)

 

 

Signature Algorithm: sha256WithRSAEncryption
Issuer: C=US, O=Hewlett-Packard Company, CN=Hewlett-Packard Printing Device Infrastructure CA
Validity
Not Before: Aug 23 00:00:00 2013 GMT
Not After : Aug 23 23:59:59 2033 GMT
Subject: O=Hewlett-Packard Company, OU=Long Lived CodeSigning Certificate, CN=HP UEFI Secure Boot 2013 DB key
Subject Public Key Info:
Public Key Algorithm: rsaEncryption
Public-Key: (2048 bit)

 

 

Signature Algorithm: sha256WithRSAEncryption
Issuer: CN=openSUSE Secure Boot CA, C=DE, L=Nuremberg, O=openSUSE Project/emailAddress=build@opensuse.org
Validity
Not Before: Aug 26 16:12:07 2013 GMT
Not After : Jul 22 16:12:07 2035 GMT
Subject: CN=openSUSE Secure Boot CA, C=DE, L=Nuremberg, O=openSUSE Project/emailAddress=build@opensuse.org
Subject Public Key Info:
Public Key Algorithm: rsaEncryption
Public-Key: (2048 bit)

So the keys can be added and REMOVED.  Even your own personal key.
So I guess the original owner caused that.
These are no better and may even be more trouble that the option Paul posted.

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

Depends on what you want the end result to be,
a working PC with MS OS,
OR
a working PC with a NON MS OS.
You could pop to Sainsbury's (or Asda, Tesco et al)and see if they have a linux magazine with a cover disk.
Then ask again.
 
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