[SOLVED] Bios license : how to re-install Windows 8? (Linux guy!) Hi folks! I left the Microsoft's world many (many) years ago (in fact, when I stopped playing video games!). I'm a software dev, since working on Linux (not only because of the philosophy, but mainly because it's the way to go when working on OSS). I bought (last year) an MSI GS70 with Windows 8 pre-installed. Of course, I immediately ripped it off to install a fresh Linux on it (including that ugly recovery partition), thinking I would be able to re-install it when needed (on resale ) using whatever ISO found. Unfortunately, things have changed a lot and it seems that, nowadays, there's no more license sticker below the cases, and much less trustworthy ISO available Now, I'd like to sell my computer to a (Windows) friend, but I'm somewhat lost. Since my BIOS already embeds a genuine license, I don't want to deal with hacktivation, patches, or KMS stuff (from what I read so far). Asking for recovery DVD(s) to MSI is a not a solution since I'm living abroad, and it would take too much time anyway. I read many thread here, but for a Linux guy, that's almost cryptic Can someone point me towards the right direction? Which kind of Windows 8 flavour/ISO I need? What will be the activation procedure? Do I need a generic key at some time? Which came first : the egg or the chicken?
I'm not sure which ISO I should use. Here's my acpidump (I'm not allowed to post links!) : paste.ubuntu.com/XXXXXXX acpidump summary: Code: renaud@stealth:~$ sudo acpidump -s -z Intel ACPI Component Architecture ACPI Binary Table Dump Utility version 20140214-64 [Mar 29 2014] Copyright (c) 2000 - 2014 Intel Corporation ACPI: RSDP 0x00000000CB45D000 000024 (v02 MSI_NB) ACPI: RSDT 0x00000000CB45D028 00007C (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 MSFT 00010013) ACPI: XSDT 0x00000000CB45D0A8 0000D4 (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: DSDT 0x00000000CB45D210 00F589 (v02 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 00000028 INTL 20120711) ACPI: FACS 0x00000000CB9E3080 000040 ACPI: FACP 0x00000000CB46C7A0 00010C (v05 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: APIC 0x00000000CB46C8B0 000092 (v03 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: FPDT 0x00000000CB46C948 000044 (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: ASF! 0x00000000CB46C990 0000A5 (v32 INTEL HCG 00000001 TFSM 000F4240) ACPI: MSDM 0x00000000CB46CA38 000055 (v03 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: LPIT 0x00000000CB46CA90 00005C (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 00000000 AMI. 00000005) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46CAF0 000228 (v01 INTEL sensrhub 00000000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46CD18 00018F (v01 Intel zpodd 00001000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SLIC 0x00000000CB46CEA8 000176 (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46D020 000575 (v01 PmRef Cpu0Ist 00003000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46D598 000AD8 (v01 PmRef CpuPm 00003000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: MCFG 0x00000000CB46E070 00003C (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 MSFT 00000097) ACPI: HPET 0x00000000CB46E0B0 000038 (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI. 00000005) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46E0E8 000315 (v01 SataRe SataTabl 00001000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB46E400 003432 (v01 SaSsdt SaSsdt 00003000 INTL 20091112) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB471838 0013DE (v01 SgRef SgPeg 00001000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: MSFF 0x00000000CB472C18 000029 (v01 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 00000010 AMI 00010013) ACPI: BGRT 0x00000000CB472C48 000038 (v00 MSI_NB MEGABOOK 01072009 AMI 00010013) ACPI: DMAR 0x00000000CB472C80 0000B8 (v01 INTEL HSW 00000001 INTL 00000001) ACPI: SSDT 0x00000000CB472D38 001941 (v01 OptRef OptTabl 00001000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: UEFI 0x00000000CB474680 00063A (v01 INTEL RstSataE 00000000 ?? 00000000) ACPI: UEFI 0x00000000CB474CC0 00005C (v01 INTEL RstSataV 00000000 ?? 00000000) ACPI: SSDT 0x0000000000000000 0003D3 (v01 PmRef Cpu0Cst 00003001 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SSDT 0x0000000000000000 0005AA (v01 PmRef ApIst 00003000 INTL 20120711) ACPI: SSDT 0x0000000000000000 000119 (v01 PmRef ApCst 00003000 INTL 20120711)
Many thanks for your expertise which probably saves me from a lot of trial and errors On install, will the installation be hassle free? Will it automatically detect my key by reading the BIOS? Knowing Microsoft in the past, I doubt it could be so straightforward
Hello nono240, There are 2 options. Option 1 download an windows 8.1 w/ update 1 DVD, with your desired language and edition (probably core), extract it to a usb or a partition, add Win 8.x / 7 Multi Oem ISO Project (MDL Projects Forum Section) inside the folder Sources. Install with a generic key (inside this forum). This makes it so when windows finishes installation it extracts the msdm key from your computer and auto inject it. Warning: This project comes along with many fluff, wallpapers, logos and whatever. If you want to keep it as vanilla as possible, there's an .txt file telling you to delete a folder and all that's gone. Option 2 Install windows with generic key, config your computer as you desire, in the end simply download OEM-DM Key Dumper(MDL Projects Forum Section). Extract it to a folder and create a bat with this and execute it as admin and it's done. If you wish to provide him with a recovery partition check Anarethos Recovery Tools aswell in MDL Section, cheers
Just to follow up : everything went smoothly! I used the generic key for install, and then just had to extract my OEM key and update it using slmgr.vbs /ipk %oemkey% Thanks!