[Q / HELP] Windows 8 Recovery / OEM License

Discussion in 'Windows 8' started by m1aw, Sep 9, 2014.

  1. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    TL;DR: So TIFU by using the "Toshiba Recovery Wizard" on a laptop instead of using Windows 8 reset.

    Story:
    A couple of days ago my mom was saying that her computer was slow, blah blah blah, I facebook takes to long to load. I used it for a bit, and it was a bit slow, so i decided to just do a system reset (I would normally format and do a clean setup from USB but since is my Mother's computer I decided to do it first via Windows 8 reset function so i didn't lose the OEM license).
    So I did that, and after the eternity waiting for it to finish it was ready with all the glorious drivers and bloatware that comes with laptops. Download Ninete installed the basics (Chrome, VLC, Avast, Java, etc..), rebooted, and immediately went to Windows Update, and started downloading and Installing the 150?+ updates (with took a good 5h?) after that was finished, it asked for the normal reboot, and I did it, but while installing it appeared the a message along the lines of "Something went wrong with the update, trying to revert changes, don't shutdown your computer", and i waited there like 2h and it did nothing I decided to reboot the PC, and i still booted to the same message. Tried to do safe boot (F8) just to realize that windows 8 no longer supports it. Finally after looking up in internet I finally understtod how to enter into the EUFI / BIOS and go to the boot options (F12) where it appeared a option to boot into recovery. So I did and it appeared that stupid Windows 8 screen, but there instead of going again through the system reset, I decided to use the "Toshiba Recovery Wizard" or whatever it is called, but then I thought twice and canceled it in the first 13s. Obviously it already had erased the partitions from the HDD and now I'm trying to get them back.

    Question:
    Does someone here know who to recover lost partitions? I tried with Gparted on a live usb and it did not show anything. Then i tried to use TestDisk, and it appeared through quick scan (using the Intel partition type option), but isn't it supposed to be EFI GPT partition? If i do EFI GPT partition it dosn't detect via "quick scan" and it takes 2h in the other just to give lots of errors (but detects the partitions).
    Using Intel partition scan option it also shows the right partitions but I don't know what i should set as Primary, Boot, and Logic since it as 6/7 partitions. (wich might be right since i looked it up and i saw other computers in the internet with all these partitions but just they were labled as "Recovery partitions" and just one as primary.

    Is there anyway to recover and still use the OEM license?
     
  2. oscill8r

    oscill8r MDL Junior Member

    Sep 4, 2008
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    Any Windows 8 Disk will detect the OEM information in the BIOS and install and activate ... its the first thing I do on new OEM systems.
     
  3. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    So if I download any Windows 8 and install it it will automatically activate? Will I lose the warranty?

    Because I wanted to preserve the Recovery partition (even tho it is full of bloatware).

    EDIT: Here are the partions shown in TestDisk imgur.com/a/Gai2p
     
  4. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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  5. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    But I cannot boot to windows right now.
     
  6. s1ave77

    s1ave77 Has left at his own request

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  7. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    I really wanted o maintain the old partition because of warranty reasons.

    And it really bothers me that i can see the partitions in TestDisk, but i'm not able to use them. It's almost like a pride thing now, me vs those stupid partitions.
     
  8. Computer Fixer

    Computer Fixer MDL Member

    Jan 5, 2010
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    #9 Computer Fixer, Sep 9, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2014
    If you send it back for warranty... nobody at Toshiba is going to examine your partitions and void your warranty.

    At this point... what choice do you have anyway?
     
  9. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    Yes you are right.

    What Windows you recommend download?

    Other the the UEFI Boot what should I have in mind when installing Windows 8? Because I'm use to do W7 installs that come pre-activated. Are there any differences to make Windows 8 activate correctly?
     
  10. Wazoo

    Wazoo MDL Addicted

    Nov 5, 2013
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    Have you tried to restart "Toshiba Recovery Wizard" to see if it can access the recovery partition and revert the computer back to factory defaults?
     
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  11. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    To access that utility I went through the boot selection menu pressing F12 on boot, and then choosing <Recovery Mode> instead of choosing the HDD or USB.

    But when i f**ked up the partitions that option just stop appearing.
     
  12. Wazoo

    Wazoo MDL Addicted

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  13. m1aw

    m1aw MDL Novice

    Sep 9, 2014
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    Won't work. "No bootable device"