Need license key

Recently during BIOS upgrade my Windows 8.1 installation for Aspire E5-411G-P717 notebook was damaged and recovery would not be allowed because the windows install partition was blocked. So, I resorted to the only known way to recover by using GPARTED to delete the partitions and doing a fresh Win8.1 reinstall. Windows 8.1 now asks me to update the license key but the computer never came with a sticker with a license key. So, I'd like Acer's help with this. I contacted Acer outlet at Amazon (the seller) for help but they don't keep any such information.

So, I'm stuck - I paid for the win8.1 x64 license when I purchased my computer but now I don't have the license key to register the windows with Microsoft and use it fully because some Win8.1 features are only available after it's registered.

How can Acer help? I'm sure I'm not the first customer with this issue given that Acer has had BIOS upgrade issues (I've been following the forums on Acer) and Acer does not provide Win8.1 license info on a sticker like it used to be.

Thanks in advance for your help. I cna provide Serial# and any other details as well as proof of purchase if needed to track my device. I bought it 5 weeks back from Amazon with Acer outlet as the seller (my notebook was sold as refurbished).

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Sharanji

No machine released with Windows 8 from vendor will come with a Windows 8 License sticker underneath, regardless of the brand. This is one of Microsoft's security measures to reduce piracy. This is a new Microsoft initiative.

The Product key is electronically stored in the firmware of your mainboard.

So if you need to reset or reinstall Windows 8, you don't need to hunt for the product key. It's automatically applied and activated.

That's certainly a plus, especially when the numbers on those product key stickers wear out or are just too small to easily read.

You need to get the recovery media and restore the same OEM version of windows shipped wiht your computer to activate windows without product key.

Click the Kudos to say “Thanks” for helping! select "Accept Solution" if your issue is resovled.

Flgaz

Not an isolated case. I needed to reinstall Win 8.1 awhile ago. Had backup on a removable hard-drive that I had two different computers backed up on it. Unfortunately reinstalling Windows had me call a Microsoft 800 number to get a code. Booted the Acer up in 8.1 and noticed some Lenovo software installed. Oops. Booting up from the external only would only install the Lenovo flavor. Got the Acer E-Recovery CD's Attempted at least 10 times and they would run for the whole 4 disks but fail the installation at the end (when I imagine Windows checks that I have a legitimate copy of Win8.1 which I do but I think it doesn't think so).
Being out of warranty Acer' Website isn't that useful (It is better than Lenovo's ) Microsoft says to contact your OEM (Acer)
Looks like the “best” option is go and buy another RETAL copy of Win8.1.
I'm presently running Windows 10 Pro Insider Preview Evaluation copy Build 10130 on my Acer Aspiere t2-600. We'll see if that will continue to work when Win10 is officially released.

Flgaz

Retrieving your product key. Found this utility

http://neosmart.net/OemKey/

JordanB

@Flgaz,

If your computer came pre-installed with windows 8 or windows 8.1, and you no longer have the recovery partition on your hard drive and you didn't make a USB recovery drive as recommended in your user manual.....and you want to do a clean install of Windows 8.1, follow steps 1-13 in link below.

I think your situation is an isolated incident as most people probably aren't going to install a Lenovo backup on their Acer computer. Smiley Happy

http://community.acer.com/t5/Windows-8-1/Acer-S7-392-Factory-Image/m-p/362689#U362689

Edit: If the 13 steps don't work, I really think if you called Microsoft one more time and explained the situation, they would be able to help you out. Just tell them that you accidentally installed a Lenovo backup on your Acer computer.

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