We bought some DELL Optiplex 3010 with Win8Pro OEM licenses.
But we only have WinXP or Win7Pro computers on our company. We want to make a Clean installation with Win7Pro DVD on each machine, and use OEM license.
How to do this? Now OEM licenses are not shown outside computer.
i have recently brought Inspiron 14 3421, it came with per-installed Windows 8 and Wave Max Audio 4 software. The product i brought had issue so i handed over to Dell Authorized Service Center here, so for service purpose DASC guys uninstalled OS and re-installed but after re-installation i could not find out Wave Max Audio 4 software. how to reinstall Max Audio 4 software?
View 1 Replies View RelatedI have bought a Dell Inspiron 15R which arrived this week. I have already decided that I am going to install my own copy of Windows 8.1 Professional on to my system.
I have tried this several times now and I keep failing. I am booting from my DVD and the install goes fine. However during install I am normally prompted to enter my Serial for 8.1 and it does not do this. It progresses as though everything is ok, I can format the Hard drive and then it proceeds to install Windows 8.1.
Once fully installed I then go to see if it is activated and to my surprise it is. It has activated with the same Serial as the OEM that came with the laptop.
I have also noticed that this copy of 8.1 cannot join the laptop to my own domain (the options to do this are greyed out) which I am also wanting to do. So this copy of 8.1 is not the copy I am trying to install.
How can I install my own copy of 8.1. I think this is something to do with Dells bios configuration but not sure where to start.
My Dell XPS One 2710 was delivered with Windows 8 with wrong language. Dell therefore sent me a Windows 8 MUI Recovery Media-DVD, and told me to follow the instructions on this link: [URL] .....
At the first installation attempt I got to a point where a pop up asked for drivers. I didn't know which drivers, and I thought everything was included on the DVD (but even the DVD-ROM wasn't recognized, only "Boot (X:)"). I read a tip in the Dell forum to change the boot setup to legacy. So I did and I got a few steps further to the point where you shall choose the partition(s) under the custom menu. But no partitions were found. Perhaps the reason was the 32 GB mSATA with Intel rapid storage technology.
So I did exactly the following:
1. I downloaded the newest version of the IRST-driver and extracted the files to a USB device.
2. I booted from the recovery DVD (UEFI, safety mode: ON).
3. When it asked for the driver I installed the IRST-driver from the USB device (AHCI, 64 bit, located in the driver-folder - the only words I recognized from the forums... 0:).
4. A total of six partitions were shown: Partition 1 ("ESP", System), partition 2 ("DIAGS", OEM (reserved)), partition 3 (MSR (reserved)), partition 4 ("WINRETOOLS", recovery), partition 5 ("OS", primary), and partition 6 ("PBR Image", recovery).
5. I followed the instructions in the link (above) and deleted all of the partitions.
6. I installed Windows 8 on the new partition, without further complications.
7. I ran Windows Update.
8. I installed the Dell drivers for this service tag, in the order specified by Dell, starting with chipset, card reader, IRST, audio, video, network and everything else, and with a reboot between every single driver installation. The system, including the IRST, seems to work fine so far (no exclamation marks in the Device Manager).
9. I replaced some of the software, including Dell Backup and Recovery.
I started Dell Backup and Recovery and the program initially told me that it couldn't find a recovery partition, and therefore couldn't backup the system. Other programs in the Control Panel, like File History and Storage Spaces, can't find available drives.
The Disk Management tells me the following about my 1 TB HDD:
EFI System Partition 100 MB - Recovery Partition 898 MB - Primary partition (NTFS, boot, page file, crash dump) 930.11 MB - Recovery OEM partiton 300 MB - Recovery OEM partiton NTFS 300 MB
So finally to my questions: Should I have kept one or more of the recovery partitions during the Windows 8 installation? Could this affect Windows' System Restore (I guess not since Windows creates its own recovery partitions)?
And finally: Is Dell Backup and Recovery any useful? I already have the recovery DVD in case I need a factory reset. For backup purposes I will use a cloud service, and maybe a NAS in the future. Do I even need a recovery partition?
I have a Dell Studio XPS 9000 running Windows 7 home premium 64bit and a USB 3 card installed. I want to upgrade it to Windows 8.1. I also have an HP laptop Envy dv6 running Windows 8.1 USB 3 compatible. I also have an Intel SSD 335 Series 240 GB, on which I want the upgrade to be installed, and a USB 3 NexStar caddy.
I imagine the most elegant approach would be to load Windows 8.1 on the SSD via the caddy connected to the HP laptop which is connected to the Internet, and then install the SSD into the Dell Studio XPS 9000.
I have a Dell Inspiron 15R SE 7520 laptop that came with Windows 8 Core edition pre-installed. This laptop has never worked properly for some reason. It won't shutdown the normal way (it'll just stay on the shutdown screen forever) and it never comes back from sleep without a BSOD along with other troubles that haven't been solved by updating drivers,etc.
I decided I want to do a clean Windows 8.1 re-install and upgrade on my laptop to get rid of these problems, but it's been ages since I last did this (back in Win2K times, I used to dual boot Slackware Linux) and I've bee reading about all this UEFI, Secure Boot,etc and quite frankly it's making me quite nervous. I was even planning on taking this chance to dual boot some linux distro, but it looks sooo difficult. Things are much more complicated these days for the tinkerer!
I need to make sure I can get back to a running system quickly.
For starters, here is how the hard drive is partitioned: [URL] ....
And this is the Diskpart output : [URL] ....
Why do I have 5 partitions? I understand the recovery partition, the OS partition and (after lots of reading) the ESP partition, but I'm not sure about the others. What do I need to keep? I've been reading around and I see some people recommend wiping the whole drive and starting from scratch. Is this a good ide?
I'll create the installation media from a windows 8.1 MSDN ISO using a USB drive. When I start the installation process it will ask me where I want to reinstall it to. Do I just choose the OS partition? Won't the recovery partition be based on a Windows 8 image and be useless from now on?
What's the best way I can get back to a fully working system in case I screw up somehow? I've made an image of my drive using Macrium Reflect free edition. But I read here that I cannot make an image of a GPT disk. Will this image I made work for getting back to a working system quickly in case I screw up?
As a last resort, I've made a Recovery USB using the Dell Backup and Recovery Method. In the extreme case that I screw up real bad, will this work to get back a factory-state system even if I've wiped my hard drive clean? I'm assuming this tool is for users recovering after a dead hard drive so it should work , right?
I recently bought a Dell XPS 8500 with Windows 8 on it. I did a clean install of Windows 7 on that machine and would like to use the Windows 8 OEM license on it on my Dell Inspiron 17r SE laptop.
I tried typing in my key to do a clean install on the laptop but I got this error message:
The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images available for installation. Enter a different product key.
I bought these machines and therefore paid for the software, I should be able to install them on any machine I want. All of my machines are Dell, why can't I do this? What's going on?
I have dell Inspiron 7537 and I need the serial key for windows to perform clean installation for windows 8.1 I contacted dell support to retrieve my windows key but no success ,
View 3 Replies View RelatedI was wondering if there is a way to transfer a 32-bit Windows 8 Pro Upgrade license to a bootcamp partition in a 2012 Mac Mini without having to buy a new one. I bought Windows 8 for my laptop and the laptop will no longer be used. So is there a way I could maybe deactivate the license on my laptop, and reuse the same license on the Mac Mini?
View 7 Replies View RelatedI recently upgraded capacity of my hard drive (from 350GB to 500GB). I'm wondering how can I install my windows oem license from my previous hard drive to my new one. My laptop is Compaq Presario CQ58 and OS is Windows 8.
View 9 Replies View RelatedCurrently i am using windows 8 pro retail version.But i want to change the retail edition of my windows 8 to volume license version of windows 8 pro so that i can activate my product with the key provided by my corporate network.How to change windows 8 pro retail to windows 8 pro vl without reinstalling windows??
View 2 Replies View RelatedI'm trying to find the official Microsoft licence agreement for Windows 8.1 Preview - any link?
I want to use Windows 8.1 Preview in a VM on a Windows 7 PC.
Normally for the full version of Windows 8, and I guess Windows 8.1 when the full version arrives, you'd need a separate licence for the VM installation. But does this apply to the preview version as well?
I'm trying to find a definitive link on the Microsoft website...
My computer came with Windows 8 (non-pro) preinstalled and I would like to do a clean reinstall of 8.1 on a new hard disk.
Since there is no OEM key anymore, what should I do to activate once the OS is installed?
I installed W8 successfully about a month ago and all went well. The only recent change I have made is to install Startmenu8 to get a more normal Windows look. Last weekend my computer screen went dark blue and the mouse seemed not to function. I changed batteries and rebooted. However all I got was my desktop with no task bar and no icons. The programmes showed up along the bottom but would not open maximised so I couldn't use them. I have run the diagnostics on F12 at start up. All was ok according to that. I wanted to restore to a previous point so I managed to boot from my CD drive with the recovery disk (W8 version) but it said that both my restore point and image wouldn't work. I therefore tried to do a clean install of W8 but that wouldn't work. It just hung after several hours. I tried the same with W7 but with the same result.
My machine came with Vista so I installed that from the Dell recovery disk. This worked. I then tried to upgrade to W7 SP1 (an upgrade which would never install back in the day) from a CD I downloaded off the Windows website. That went on all night with the machine interminably rebooting. Still hung this morning. So I reinstalled Vista as above (clean) and tried to install W7 from the original upgrade CD. This hung also. The reason I haven't gone straight to W8 is that I think I have an image from a few months ago before I upgraded to 8.
I've just started restoring from a reasonably W7 image in Vista. Cross fingers but it seems to be working. However, I wanted to do a clean install and wonder why neither W7 nor 8 would complete.
I partitioned my hard disk into a 150GB (C) and 500GB (D) and upgraded from Win7 to Windows 8 (and subsequently Windows 8.1 after the recent updates). The OS is installed onto the C Drive.
Performed a Clean Installation of Windows 8 on my C Drive. Under the Choose What To Keep Option, I selected Nothing.
Technically speaking my C Drive would have been wiped clean but after the Windows 8 installation, my C Drive only has 5GB of space left (145GB is being used). The Windows 8 OS is not detecting any of the old programs in my C Drive and the automated Disk Clean up feature only offers removal of temporary internet files. Which brings me to one possible assumption...
The Clean Installation Failed. Windows 8 simply installed itself again on my C Drive and the remaining disk space (containing my previous Windows 8.1 OS and programs) is locked down somewhere. I suspect this had something to do with changing my HD format 3 years ago when I wiped clean my pre-loaded ASUS laptop Win7 and partitioned it to install my Windows 8.
How to remove my previous OS?
How I could go about doing this. Last year I bought a Windows 8 Pro upgrade disc we used to upgrade our machines from Windows 7 home Premium to 8 Pro. Is it possible for me to use that same upgrade product key for Windows 8 Pro on 8.1 so I could have a Pro version of 8.1? The computer I originally did the upgrade on I am no longer using and is there a way to deactivate the license on that one so it could be used on the new computer I bought? Also I just want the extra's of the Pro version so does it matter it is the license for Windows 8 even though the new computer uses 8.1?
View 9 Replies View Related I have recently purchased Windows 8 Pro Upgrade and for Christmas I will be getting my first SSD.
I want to do a clean install of 8.1 via USB, is this possible with the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade key? I have read through numerous tutorials and think I've got it right but just want some to clarify this will work.
Download the 8.1 ISO
Use the generic key to run the installer
Setup the PC
Open PC Settings
Change Product Key enter Win 8 Pro (upgrade) key and activate
Do I then need to do the reg edit and command prompt changes? Regedit - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE Command prompt - slmgr /rearm Do I have this right or am I missing something?
OEM keys pre-installed in the my laptop as i too want to clean install windows 8.1 also my os was windows 8 Single Language and i have a 8.1 Pro ISO
View 2 Replies View RelatedLet's say your computer comes with Windows 8 (not 8 Pro) preinstalled, using a SLIC and not a product key. Yu decide you hate the OEM crapware and want to do a clean reinstall. Bt you don't have reinstallation media, or the media includes the crapware.
View 9 Replies View RelatedI tried to install Windows 8 Pro on my Dell PC, but I didnt know the clean install was the best way to go and now my computer will not boot to the OS. It boots then goes black.
View 3 Replies View RelatedI read about how to upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit with clean install. I have a 32bit win7 on my desktop and a 64 bit Windows 8.1 on my laptop.
My question is can I use the Windows 8.1 laptop do download the upgrade assistant and get Windows 8 64 bit? I don't want to screw up my laptop especially cause it has an OEM Windows 8 that how to reinstall in case of OS breakdown.
In case this is not possible, is there any way to get a 64 bit Windows 8 upgrade downloaded without another 64 bit os already installed?
I need to install windows 7 32 bit over Windows 8 64 bit but so far I have not been able to format it or wipe over it as most of the programs like hiren's boot disk and kill disk and all the others that I have tried are 32 bit programs and Windows 8 64bit will not even boot off of them.
View 4 Replies View RelatedHow windows 8 works now without the sticker key on new laptops. I've searched all over the internet and all I can find are dumb articles telling users to use the manufacturers recovery image. How to do a CLEAN install of Windows 8.
My new windows 8 has NO sticker key on the bottom so my understanding is that it's stored on the bios? Is this correct? So my question is, is if I get an ISO of windows 8 and install it, will it automatically recognize the key or is the key only set up to be recognized by the PC manufacturers crapware filled image?
ALSO, if thats the case, can I use a 3rd party product to pull my key and then use that with the clean ISO? Lastly, where can I download a clean ISO of windows 8? I know you can download official windows 7 ISO's, but i cannot seem to find an official windows 8 iso. I have no desire to download a torrent or from some shady website, I just want an official ISO.
I have a PC with Win 7 32 bit installed and I want to install a clean Win 8 Pro 64 bit on the machine. Do I have to do a complete reformat before I a can load the Win 8 or will it just do an install of the new operating system?
View 5 Replies View RelatedIs there a way I can go from windows 8 to windows 8 pro without doing a clean install?
View 2 Replies View RelatedI purchased a Lenovo Y510P laptop over a month ago which came with Windows 8.0. and I hated it from the get go. I was aware that 8.1 was available as a free download so I downloaded and installed it. All of these updates seem to have bogged down my system. When I click on what I am assuming is the new start button (the white house icon in the taskbar) it takes 6-10 seconds for the menu to appear .
I dug out the key with Belarc advisor and went to MS's site to download an ISO of 8.1 but it told me that it would not let me download the 8.1 ISO since my key was for 8.0. If I were able to get my hands on a 8.1 disc would I be able to use my 8.0 key to do a clean install of 8.1? It is so disappointing to have purchased such a powerful laptop and have it bogged down by so many updates as well as all of the bloatware that came preinstalled on it.
I got Windows 8 from Uni as a free download for every student. Today I updated to 8.1 hoping to be able to a clean install as my PC is getting a bit clogged. Is there a way that I can do a clean install with out having a disc or the original download of 8 (have the download for 8.1 obviously) I don't have the key still either can I get it through the system?
View 2 Replies View RelatedI want to know if it's possible to create a clean install DVD.
with pre-installed Windows 8without product key (when I buyed the notebook Windows 8 was already installed - the personal product key is "inside" the notebook).
By the way, can I include the Windows Updates in the install DVD somehow - (and programs which should be pre-installed)?
I have made a clean install of Windows 8 using USB and UEFI. Somehow it seems the instalaltion is not quit right of what I have read... Have attached picture of the Diskmanagement (OS is Norwegian by the way).
Compared to this thread: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 8 with for me something is missing/wrong.
I have a laptop with one SSD and two internal disks. Both internal disk were removed before the installation, and connected and formatted after finished the installation.
It can me mentioned that I downloaded the OS, saved it as .iso file, then copied onto the USB disk. Then connected into the laptop and booted from USB/UEFI.
I did not follow these steps: UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows
Last year I built a new computer (ASUS Z87-Pro), andinstalled Windows 8 Pro 64 bit with an OEM DVD purchased online. Then upgraded to 8.1 Pro via the MicrosoftStore, and later purchased and installed Windows Media Center. The original Win 8 installation was done inlegacy BIOS mode instead of UEFI. I nowwant to do a clean install in UEFI mode. I of course have the original Win 8 Pro product key, and also haveextracted the current product key from the registry using one of the manydownloadable tools. Neither the currentor original key is embedded in the BIOS.
I would like to avoid reinstalling the original Win 8 Pro,and upgrading through the store. What Iwould really like to do is download Win 8.1 Pro Update 1 64 bit iso fromsomewhere, and burn it to a DVD. Canthis be done with the product keys I have, and what would be the product keyand activation steps?
As the title states, every time I have gone through the install I still end up with old windows files and an option to boot Win 8 or "older version" I have deleted all partitions on the drive and selected the format option (twice now) but each time the Windows 8 install completes I am presented with this option. This is using a full version Windows 8 disc, not an upgrade.
How can I get past this or get a completely clean install? The old version isn't even complete - it's actually from an aborted install start-up from XP that was inadvertently run as I swapped drives and tried to fix and issue on the machine. Otherwise this disc isn;t even an OS disc, it was used for storing music files as a second drive
I also tried a reformat with Ubuntu and format from the repair option out of the Win 8 setup (I had previously done so from the install option - deleting all partitions, formating, then installing). The disk looked clean but as soon as I boot, it launches back into the XP setup or if I boot from the Win 8 disc and install Windows 8, still ends up with the dual OS option. I don't understand how a repartitioned/reformatted disk is retaining these Windows setup/system files.