Hello The other day I wanted to reinstall my Windows 8 OEM(believe it is "core") I started the recovery process, but every time it told me, that it could not continue because a "required drive partition is missing". Basically this meant for me that I was unable to make a full system recovery. I then remembered that I had already bought a Windows 8 pro key so I just downloaded the Windows 8 Upgrade Tool from Microsoft's website, entered the key and made a fresh reinstall. Now I no longer have Windows 8 Core, but Windows 8 Pro. However, since I had already used the key on my old computer then my Windows 8 Pro is not activated on this computer because the key has already been used. And here is my question, what do I do. I really want it to go back to the Core version I had before, but I can't use my original Product key for the OEM version on the upgrade Assistants. I can't "use it on a retailversion." Before I made the recovery in the first place I did make a USB media of it. Meaning I installed the recovery media on a USB, but as mentioned, it did not Work because the "required drive partition was missing". I then tried to use this USB recovery media (which I made from the OEM version) and make a recovery from it while having Windows 8 pro installed, but instead of installing the old Windows 8 Core it reinstalled Windows 8 pro with the key I ordered from Microsoft and used on my old computer. So what do I do? I really want it to go back to what it used to be. With Windows 8 "core" OEM - as when I ordered the laptop.
Hello coleoptere2007. Thank you very much for answering. I looked at the link, but still don't know what to do. Is there a step-by-step guide for this? It says "Run "slmgr.vbs /dlv" on the factory-installed OS & note down the SKU." ------ What is "slmgr.vbs /dlv" S "Use this or this or this to extract the OEMM key from the MSDM table." ---------- Is it correctly understood that this will get me my original product key? If so... then I already have it, and don't need to do this, right? So yeah, I might be a noob in this area But is there a more simple step-by-step guide? Or can you help me in more details? Thanks.
It seems that your recovery partition for factory reset is not accessible , perhaps you deleted it. The OEM key is integrated in the bios for laptops delivered with W8 . Then i think all the infos provided in the link i gave you should help. Read carefully all the steps are clear and easy to follow.
This is a command in prompt you have to execute in order to verify the sku (version) of the OS installed on the laptop.
Ahh okay But it says that that i have to run it on the factory-installed OS. However, currently I am running Windows 8 Pro which i downloaded via the Microsoft upgrade Assistant. This isn't the factory-installed OS. Is it?
Yes. But do I need to install the "core" version before I follow the steps in the link? And for the "Core" version it says "Use MSDN copy of Windows 8 (multiple editions) iso". -- Maybe I am blind, but I don't see a link for this?
Try a google search as windows 8 isos are not anymore available here or post a request in Windows 8 section.
If you really would like to have the Core Version back, that one which were on the Laptop at the time you bought the machine, why didn't you just go to the Seller/Service Center and let them re-install? Or follow the advice from Yen and install Windows 8.1!
The OP said he had a backup in a FD, if there is a wim, check the edition: Dism /Image:X:\<path to wim> /Get-CurrentEdition then download the edition and install, it will find the BIOS key. (I would guess it's a CSL).
If you download a Windows 8.0 MSDN image it should auto-read your key from bios. You just have to make sure it's the same SKU. You cannot use a Core Single Language key on a Core install. Make sure which version your key belongs to before proceeding.
That is what the OP was looking for, but none are available here and he said he didn't find any of them on Google