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No windows 8 product key sticker.

I purchased a Gateway NE series laptop with windows 8 pre-installed, and the hard drive failed within 2 months of purchasing it. Gateway sent me a new hard drive, but since the laptop doesn't have the product key sticker, it only has the holographic windows 8 emblem. Is there any way of recovering my product key? Is activation 3.0 been started, where it is embedded in the bios?  

Gateway should have also sent you a recovery disc or USB media to reinstall Windows 8 too.

 

Gateway

https://secure.tx.acer.com/RCDB/Main.aspx?brand=gateway 1-866-539-3901

 

With Windows 8, Microsoft has changed from stickers that have the product key that the user has to type in when installing the operating system to new BIOS embedded product keys. The idea is that by eliminating the sticker, you eliminate one of the easier ways for nefarious users to get a legitimate product key. Eliminating the product key sticker also removes any worry that the sticker might get damaged while at the same time eliminating the long and irritating process of typing in various letters and numbers when installing the operating system.

If the user has to reinstall the operating system on a machine that came with Windows 8, the installation process automatically grabs the software product key from the motherboard BIOS with no input from the user. This means that those familiar Windows product key stickers will no longer appear on the Windows 8 computers.

 

Best,
Andre
twitter/adacosta
groovypost.com

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No install media came with it, just a blank 500gb Seagate Momentus hdd and the invoice. I can get the iso file and burn it to a flash drive. so if it auto-validates, then I'll be okay.

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No install media came with it, just a blank 500gb Seagate Momentus hdd and the invoice. I can get the iso file and burn it to a flash drive. so if it auto-validates, then I'll be okay.

There is no guarantee that will work.
Best,
Andre
twitter/adacosta
groovypost.com

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It showed the "enter product key screen" so I guess I'll try the original win 8 iso.

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Last updated November 27, 2023 Views 1,719 Applies to: