• Windows 8 Not Activating
    9 replies, posted
Hey, I've got a client who has an Asus X551M with Windows 8. They wanted their HDD replaced with an SSD, so I popped one in and when I attempt to install Windows 8 using a generic retail CD I am prompted to type in an activation key. I booted back to their original HDD, and managed to clean their install up enough to make it usable and pull the product key off. When I type it in at the prompt to install Windows 8, I'm told the key is not valid. So, I went ahead and used a generic retail key at that part, and got Windows installed. Now, when I go to activate it, it still says the same thing. I updated it to 8.1, and it still tells me the key is not valid. I thought Windows 8 was supposed to automatically activate itself by pulling the key off of the motherboard? This doesn't seem to be doing that. Do I need to use an Asus recovery disc to get them set up with their original product key? Can I edit some registry keys to force it to accept their original product key?
Somewhere on the laptop itself should be a sticker with the product key printed on. I googled that laptop, and it comes with Windows 8, so you have to downgrade it to 8 again. You can find it on the bottom, or in the battery bay. But I've literally never heard of a product key stored on the mainboard flash memory, or shit's sailing right over my head.
[QUOTE=haloguy234;46537189]Hey, I've got a client who has an Asus X551M with Windows 8. They wanted their HDD replaced with an SSD, so I popped one in and when I attempt to install Windows 8 using a generic retail CD I am prompted to type in an activation key. I booted back to their original HDD, and managed to clean their install up enough to make it usable and pull the product key off. When I type it in at the prompt to install Windows 8, I'm told the key is not valid. So, I went ahead and used a generic retail key at that part, and got Windows installed. Now, when I go to activate it, it still says the same thing. I updated it to 8.1, and it still tells me the key is not valid. I thought Windows 8 was supposed to automatically activate itself by pulling the key off of the motherboard? This doesn't seem to be doing that. Do I need to use an Asus recovery disc to get them set up with their original product key? Can I edit some registry keys to force it to accept their original product key?[/QUOTE] Most likely it was an OEM key. Does the key say OEM and a few numbers?
The key you pulled from the keyfinder is useless, the Windows install reads the Windows key from the UEFI, if i recall correctly some versions of Windows 8 wont load the key from the BIOS (OEM versions). If I were you I'd try using a different ISO for the download.
I made some progress. At first it was telling me the key was not valid, but then I realized I had SecureBoot disabled so I turned it back on again to allow the key management system to start running. Now I'm told that the key is not valid for the particular edition of Windows 8 I have installed (whereas before it was just providing a generic invalid key message). Which makes absolutely no sense. The factory image I restored on their original hard drive says the edition is "Windows 8.1 with Bing". The edition of what I installed on the SSD is simply "Windows 8.1". Did Asus seriously add some random ass package to their OEM install to make this shit not work the way it's supposed to? Also, as of Windows 8, all OEM installs have no product key sticker. It's all stored on the motherboard. You can confirm this yourself by booting into the BIOS/UEFI on a Windows 8 computer and looking in the SecureBoot configuration. You will most likely find a Key Manager, which is where your Windows 8 license information is stored. The only way to have a sticker with your product key on it is if you go out and purchase a physical copy of the OS. This particular OEM install [I]is[/I] reading a key from the UEFI, I know it is because on their original hard drive which has been factory reset, the OS is activated and I did not have to type in anything. So there is a key there, but there appears to be an edition mismatch which is why the SSD install is not being automatically activated or even accepting the key which I grabbed out of the UEFI (and yes, it is the correct key. The keyfinder pulls it from the UEFI, and I've used it before in similar situations). I wonder...if I load into the recovery partition could I tell it to install elsewhere? Or will it only stay within the same physical drive? I'm guessing you can't direct it to another physical drive.
[QUOTE=haloguy234;46541775]I made some progress. At first it was telling me the key was not valid, but then I realized I had SecureBoot disabled so I turned it back on again to allow the key management system to start running. Now I'm told that the key is not valid for the particular edition of Windows 8 I have installed (whereas before it was just providing a generic invalid key message). Which makes absolutely no sense. The factory image I restored on their original hard drive says the edition is "Windows 8.1 with Bing". The edition of what I installed on the SSD is simply "Windows 8.1". Did Asus seriously add some random ass package to their OEM install to make this shit not work the way it's supposed to? Also, as of Windows 8, all OEM installs have no product key sticker. It's all stored on the motherboard. You can confirm this yourself by booting into the BIOS/UEFI on a Windows 8 computer and looking in the SecureBoot configuration. You will most likely find a Key Manager, which is where your Windows 8 license information is stored. The only way to have a sticker with your product key on it is if you go out and purchase a physical copy of the OS. This particular OEM install [I]is[/I] reading a key from the UEFI, I know it is because on their original hard drive which has been factory reset, the OS is activated and I did not have to type in anything. So there is a key there, but there appears to be an edition mismatch which is why the SSD install is not being automatically activated or even accepting the key which I grabbed out of the UEFI (and yes, it is the correct key. The keyfinder pulls it from the UEFI, and I've used it before in similar situations). I wonder...if I load into the recovery partition could I tell it to install elsewhere? Or will it only stay within the same physical drive? I'm guessing you can't direct it to another physical drive.[/QUOTE] Windows 8.1 with Bing is a new SKU, it's free to OEM's. You will need a matching install disc, or manually dism / imagex the original recovery image to the new drive.
[QUOTE=birkett;46561394]Windows 8.1 with Bing is a new SKU, it's free to OEM's. You will need a matching install disc, or manually dism / imagex the original recovery image to the new drive.[/QUOTE] That explains everything. I ought to be able to use imagex to get this sorted out. Thanks!
I used imagex to apply the install.wim off of the recovery partition, and the machine actually boots into Windows 8, [I]but I still can't activate it. [/I]It's even the right edition this time; Windows 8.1 with Bing. If I enable Secure Boot, UEFI simply fails to detect the SSD. send help
[QUOTE=haloguy234;46574120]I used imagex to apply the install.wim off of the recovery partition, and the machine actually boots into Windows 8, [I]but I still can't activate it. [/I]It's even the right edition this time; Windows 8.1 with Bing. If I enable Secure Boot, UEFI simply fails to detect the SSD. send help[/QUOTE] Clone the HDD to the SSD (resize the partitions first if the SSD is smaller). Then run the recovery as normal.
[QUOTE=birkett;46579059]Clone the HDD to the SSD (resize the partitions first if the SSD is smaller). Then run the recovery as normal.[/QUOTE] I fucking love you. I used Acronis True Image, and it worked wonders. Didn't even have to run the recovery from the partition. I tried imaging it before all of this, but I was using Paragon. Apparently, Paragon does not image hidden partitions, which is why the migration I performed wasn't working. Thanks for all the help guys. Fuck Microsoft and fuck Windows 8.
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