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I have a PC running Windows 8 which I wanted to reset. It was running extremely slow. It was taking 15 minutes to show every window I click and about 20-30 minutes to boot up.

I managed to live through going to recovery options (in PC Settings i.e. inside the OS) and clicked on "reset my PC" and chose to remove everything and do a clean install. It rebooted to splash screen, started resetting process and next thing I know, it aborted at about around 3-7% (estimate, since I wasn't looking when it aborted).

I looked to see "Could not reset your PC" or "There was a problem resetting your PC" or something to that effect. Now I tried to boot it up again, it said C:\ is corrupted and started scanning and repairing. 60% in the process (about an hour), it aborted abruptly (I WAS looking) and restarted itself. 9% through the second repair it aborted and said there was a problem and I need to reinstall Windows 8 from a media (I don't have one, it came pre-installed) or contact support.

I did contact support and chat is busy and booted me out of queue, now I'll Email them. Any suggestions? I don't care about any data in the PC so any solution is valid. The only thing I want to keep, is the Windows 8 product key which I didn't extract from Windows since I figured I'm using their own built-in utility, and I now just read, it can't be extracted since it's a preinstalled copy of Windows 8.

Ramhound
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Mars
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  • You can't solve this without installation media from your OEM. Once you recieve it the Windows 8 installation will automatically detect your Windows 8 license embedded in your BIOS. Be sure to request the same media your computer came with, which would be either Windows 8.0 or Windows 8.1, a Windows 8.0 license cannot be used to install Windows 8.1 but it can be used to activate a Windows 8.1 installation so its important to requst the **correct** media. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:24
  • Dang it, I was trying to avoid that in favor of an in-house solution. Microsoft are complicating things and this isn't gonna be good for them. So I'll just wait for support to email me back. Thanks for your input. Still open for ideas! – Mars Jun 12 '14 at 12:26
  • You can download any Windows 8.X Core/Professional installation media if you don't want to wait. Just be sure its the correct version ( Core/Professional/Single Language ) that matches the license type for your device. Microsoft Support isn't going to be able to send you an installation disk thats up to the OEM to provide unless Microsoft is the OEM (i.e. Surface Pro, ect ) – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:29
  • Oh ok great. So I download the correct media and then I just install it like I would with installing a Windows 7? No activation key required? – Mars Jun 12 '14 at 12:32
  • The installation media provided its the same version as the license ( very important ) should automatically detect the license key. If it does not then for some OEMs there are other ways to extra the license key they are just Windows applications. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:39
  • Yeah but I can't run anything. It doesn't boot up anymore. Anyway, that would be the next step. Hope it detects it automatically. If it doesn't then that would be a problem for its time. – Mars Jun 12 '14 at 12:42
  • In the future ask for help before you take the actions you took. I could have saved you a ton of time. If you did and I saw your question I could have told you that installing/repairing Windows wasn't going to work. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:55

3 Answers3

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You can download any Windows 8.X Core/Professional/Single Language installation media if you don't choose to wait for your OEM to send you one. The only thing you have to make sure of is that it is the correct version ( Core/Professional/Single Language ) that matches the license type for your device otherwise the license key that is detected won't work.

If that happens I suggested using the generic license key for Windows 8.0 or Windows 8.1 which matches installation type you originally had installed. Microsoft Support isn't going to be able to send you an installation disk thats up to the OEM to provide unless Microsoft is the OEM (i.e. Surface Pro, ect ).

There are also tools that can take a look at the memory location where the license is stored on (some) OEM products to display the license. The tool is RWEverything and the tutorial on how to use it to determine your enter link description herelicense. I remember reading this tool does not work with every OEM, so if the tool does not work, contact your OEM for assistance in that matter. Here is question that lists other solutions to extracting the license out of BIOS.

Additionally here is some information on Windows 8.1 generic license keys.Also Belarc Advisor allows you to legally extract your license key once you have Windows installed with your actual license key. Its the only tool I know that gives you the correct license key for Microsoft products.

Community
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Ramhound
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There is no way to extract the product key from windows, it should be on the underside of the laptop sometimes hidden under the battery.

If it has factory reset partition it should still be accessible and you can try again.

Andrew Crawford
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  • This answer is not correct. There are dozens of ways to determine what your Windows 8 license key is. Furthermore there isn't a sticker on Windows 8 devices. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:19
  • Since Windows 8, there aren't any stickers. It's sort of "burned into" your installation of the product. There are ways to extract it only if you've provided it during installation at some point in the past (e.g. you bought and installed the product from a DVD). In my case, it's preinstalled, so no product key is involved. – Mars Jun 12 '14 at 12:24
  • @Mars - The key still exists in the BIOS. You don't have to "extract" it for Windows 8.x installation to detect it. Its easier if you know what it is but not required. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:31
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    There is noway to extract the windows product key from inside windows, well legally anyway. Preinstalled windows 8 do have product keys depends on the manufacturer whether they put them on but there only valid for the machine installed on, most OEM builders just have it preconfigured into windows factory reset. – Andrew Crawford Jun 12 '14 at 12:31
  • Oh ok, thanks guys. I'm kinda new here as well, so I'm not sure why I can't vote you up nor choose best answers. Anyhow, you've been of great help, thank you very much. – Mars Jun 12 '14 at 12:35
  • @AndrewCrawford - You are incorrect. Its perfectly legal to look at the registry location the information is at, decode the information, in order to be told what your license key actually is. There are also tools that can take a look at the memory location where the license is stored on (some) OEM products to display the license. – Ramhound Jun 12 '14 at 12:35
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Hey to who this my concern All you have to do is: 1- go to bios setup 2- disable boot from Hard drive COMPLETELY. 3- activate booting from your CD Drive 4- Save changes and exit. 5- restart your computer . 6. you'll be asked to click any key to boot from CD Drive.

the PC will start from your CD Drive, and you can go on .. I had the same problem too but it work for me perfectly.

Rÿdër Jâxkšôń
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