Aspire Switch 10 wont boot 0x000185 where is my windows licens located?

Hello

I'm helping my friends with his laptop.

It has the following issue: It wont boot, it start and after post is says the following:

error 0x000185

I have created a win 8.1 usb disk, I tried the recovery tools and noone of them help me to boot.

So I decided to reinstall win 8 on it, but when I try to do that it ask me for a windows licens key...

After reading this is supposed to be "magically" encoded to the motherboard and automatically recognized when installing windows, well it is not...

So what does one do now? Is there a way to get the licens key? Is there something I'm missing when trying to get the laptop working?

Thank you for your help.

Accepted answers

All comments

IronFly

windows product key is embedded on BIOS, are you not able to skip the product key request?

if you can skip, windows will authenticate once connected to the web without the need to input the product key number

pomah

Well that was my idea too, even tried to write a "fake" one just to bypass but it does not allow me...

See attached image (I hope you can survive the sweidish language)

IMG_20170218_232109 (1).jpg

pomah

Well did some more research and found this:

http://superuser.com/questions/498436/install-windows-8-without-a-product-key

That worked for me, installing windows 8 now, I left the four partitions as is for now, just want to make sure it will install and validate.

Is there any purpose to the recovery partition that takes up 8 gb?

pomah

So next issue, it asks me for a product key again, after the reinstall but this time neither keyboard, trackpad or touchscreen is working...

Sounds like it does not pick up the key from the the motherboard right now either...

IMG_20170219_001248.jpg

IronFly

yes, that recovery partition probably is the Acer original one but, probably, your new windows installation will not be able to use it to create a factory recovery media.

there are some things to try to set as the default recovery partition but they are not 100% guarantee.

by the way, have you tried at boot to press Alt+F10, without any installation media?

IronFly

Sorry but are you trying to install windows 8 or 8.1?

windows 8 will not install using windows 8.1 product key.

have you tried this tool?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows8

pomah

win 8.1

After closing the lid and opening it some time later it seems to have continued and bypassed the previous screen.

Windows is now loading a little buggy, but most drivers are installed now and it is connected to win update to get the last ones, so it seems ok.

When trying to activiate windows through internet it tells me the key I have is invalid and tells me to change it or buy a new one...

This is all win 8.1, 32bit as it should be the standard OS on this machine after what I read...

I will see if I can call Microsoft and activate it the good old way, but this seems really weird...

IronFly

yes, contact Microsoft, by the way it's pretty strange.

pomah

Installed all the updates, update bios firmware to 1.20 from 1.06, no licens in sight... Does not seem to be any option to activate it over the phone either... Any suggestions what to tell Microsoft when I call them?

IronFly

try this:

windows logo key + r

type

slui 4

follow on screen instructions

pomah

Well here is the status now:

I cant acitivate the windows version as it is now

When doing it the manual way through the phone it does not activate and tells me I need to speak with a support person.

When speaking with the suppor they tell me there is nothing they can do and that I need to contact acer or the reseller and ask them for a key, when I have the key the can help me...

So what does one do now? Email acer support I guess...

IronFly

try to extract the product key from BIOS:

https://itsolutionsblog.net/3-ways-to-extract-the-windows-8-product-key/

and then enter the key manually on windows.

if it still not work, last chance is to call or email Acer support service.

pomah

Well here is the update:

Spoke with microsoft techsupport, after a long talk and many checks with his colleagues and reviewing my oem code he says the following:

I need to use another installation media, I need to use the windows 8.1 core connected installation disk because that is for that version my key is intended...

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/dn613856.aspx

So my last resort is to email acer support and ask them for that iso so that I can restore the system...

Weird thing is when I try to restore the system using the alt+f10 option it still does not manage to restore it and it needs a installation media to restore it...