clean install on my computer but my computer came pre-installed with windows 8 without any product key

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farzoo

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Aug 18, 2015
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SO i was hoping to do a clean install on my computer but my computer came pre-installed with windows 8 without any product key on the bottom. After contacting asus and using asus backtracker they said using their software it wouldn't work. Am I 'sol' or there another option for me to do?
 
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Boogieman_WD

Boogieman_WD

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Jul 31, 2014
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Hey there, farzoo.

If the suggested software doesn't work in your case, there are a few other ways, which you could try to find out the serial key, which your system is using right now. After that you can go ahead and download the exact specific version of Windows your computer came with, from Microsoft's website. Then go ahead and use the key (which you should've recovered in advance) with the new Windows installation.
Here's a link to a thread where I've given a few options on how to check your OS' serial key: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2743353/reinstalling-windows.html (check my post).

Hope that helps. Please let me know how everything goes.
Boogieman_WD
 
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markj595

markj595

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Aug 10, 2015
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Hey! There is a program out there called Produkey.. it will show you all keys on your computer and its always good to see your key and have it for obvious reasons BUT....

If your computer came with windows 8 pre-installed its likley to have a new UEFI bios which means that it will have the key for windows 8 injected into the BIOS itself, windows 8 will read the data when installing and licence the unit without the entry of a Licence
This is true for almost all major manufacturers of computer IE toshiba, samsung, sony etc.

Link for produkey - http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Windows 8 creation tool will allow you to download and make a fresh installer disk,lthis is likley be a much more modern build than most other disks and pre-installed recovery media printed with any computers, so if you do reinstall, then i reccomend that you download and use the installer from the Media creation tool (link below)

Windows 8 media creation tool - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

hope this helps :)
 
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justajohn

justajohn

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Feb 23, 2013
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For joshyboy82
a Product ID is not the same thing as a product activation key.
You could try entering that number upon installation when it requests your key but you won't like the results.
I read through the link you provided which does list some valid ways on how to get at some good info for your system but again not the Product Registration Key.
Produkey will give you your product registration key which is what is required and a very different thing.
markj595 gave the most informative answer already.
I'm just posting this now because... *slaps forehead* ...just because.
 
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joshyboy82

joshyboy82

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Nov 8, 2010
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I had to pull a Win7 key off a (now) slave drive so i could use it to put my Vista laptop on Win10. I used
https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/
when I got it it worked. I mention this because I'm pretty sure the number it pulled was the number buried in my system info. So when i responded, it was to save the OP's effort downloading and just grab it from inside his computer.

side note: the free version says it doesn't pull windows keys, but if you scroll down, the very example is it working. and it worked for me.
 
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