Windows 8 on a replaced HDD

[Jorgem_93]

Hello,

I've looked at various threads looking for help regarding how windows 8 handles clean installations now and none have helped me with my problem. First things first, I ordered an Alienware from Dell which was perfect until the HDD started failing so I called and someone came to my house to replace it; unfortunately, he was not able to reinstall windows 8 because "the product key entered does not match any of the windows images available".

He told me that he was not a software expert, but a hardware expert and that I would need to call again to get help from one. However he left me his copy of Windows 8 (It's an USB with the windows 8 CoA label) and I was wondering if there was a way for it to "modify" it to match the product key inside my machine. I know there was a way to unlock all editions on Windows 7, but no success so far trying to do it on Windows 8.

I restarted this thread because Blackbird closed my thread instead of censoring the part that he didn't like and left me without any help when I stated that I already had an original windows 8 copy anyways.

 

[The_Prophecy]

If you did not make a recovery disk from the included recovery partition on the original drive in your Alienware box, you will need to contact Dell to get recovery disks sent out. With OEM machines (and corresponding copies of Windows 8), the key is encoded in the BIOS and read when it needs to be activated. Installing a System Builder (retail) copy won't work because the license attempting to be applied is not OEM.

Assuming your machine is still under warranty, give Dell a call and they should help you out.

Edit: What your friend attempted to do was essentially illegal, unless the situation was such that a separate license for Windows 8 had been purchased for this machine, or your friend was transferring a Windows 8 license (plus media and original proof of purchase) to you without retaining any copies for himself on his computer(s). Because you did not specify what the situation was with the other copy of Windows 8 your friend introduced into this equation, Blackbird closed your thread, as I am tempted to do now.

 

[Jorgem_93]

Thanks for your reply, he was not my friend nor he really helped me at all. As if I wanted a pirated copy of windows 8 I would not be asking here for legitimate help.

My machine is still under warranty, but because I wanted to get my machine back to business asap I was looking for a way to turn the copy of windows 8 that the dell representative gave to me into the one my system was meant to be running.

I guess I will have to wait until Dell sends me the windows 8 copy once again.