yeah I dont have the windows 8.1 disc anymore and I would have to get a whole new product key since the one I have is no longer valid..at this point, this computer just isnt working right anymore, not even two yrs old and nothing but problems, even with the new motherboard Im noticing the PC is slow at times
sorry I tried to help I guess the method to activate by phone no longer works
Don't give up too quickly. Check this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...-refresh-media If you have a Win 8.1 key embedded in your replacement motherboard, I don't see why it shouldn't activate an install from the media you create from instructions at the above link. Yeah, your old license is gone, but why in heck would Dell install a motherboard that doesn't have a valid OEM key embedded - you should have a NEW license on it and the new Win 8.1 install should activate based on that.
question..I noticed that the stupid dell technician left behind for me a USB stick and it says "Windows 8 recovery" replacement media for support purposes only..not for redistribution or use with a new computer
says its windows 8 recovery media but I dont see a product ID or anything with it..so not really sure what this is
Did you get the impression he left it by accident or did he purposely leave it for your use?
In any event, there should be a valid Windows product key embedded in you motherboard's BIOS, depending on whether it's new enough. As long as you install the version of Windows encoded in the BIOS, it should activate. If you interpret him leaving the USB on purpose, it could be your motherboard BIOS has a Win 8 key embedded and you should be able to install Win 8 and activate. If he said nothing about the key or its purpose, you may be better off dowloading install media for the correct version and using that.
There are a few free utilities available out there for reading product key embedded in BIOS and hopefully identifying the embedded Windows version. Forum member Superfly has under development a utility called Showkey that may be useful, downloadable from and discussed here: https://www.tenforums.com/software-ap...7-showkey.html although I haven't looked at in detail to be certain whether it will pick up a BIOS embedded key/version info.
I remember someone had to turn Legacy USB on in the BIOS, but I believe that issue was only pertaining to not being able to move the mouse when signing into Windows.
Well I contacted Dell and from the way they were speaking around the issue, it sounds like I got a used motherboard because it SHOULD have come with the little sticker activating it for me..so I told them that I am done with this computer, I started having issues after 6 months of having it, the motherboard was replaced then, I should not have accepted it and demanded a new computer but I didnt..I think Ive called Dell regarding this PC in the last two years almost 100 times so I told them that I want a new computer..they said "No it would be a refurbished one" so I told them that I dont accept refurbished, first they give me old parts for a computer that is not even two years old yet and now they want to give me a refurbished PC I dont think so..so he said that it will take 48 hrs to respond and let me know what they decide..at least give me store credit, I spent almost 800 bucks on this PC for it to be a lemon that isnt right..at least give me credit to purchase a new one and I will add the difference but this is beyond ridiculous I have this big message on my desktop right now saying "activate windows" and there is nothing I can do about it
I have a desktop with an AMD radion 4600 graphics card. Similar problem every 2 weeks or so. On Facebook screen goes all blue, no text or can start task manager, windows 10 is totally unresponsive, have to do a hard restart.
Its quite an old card the AMD Radeon 4600, I reckon that may well have been cause if both if our problems.
Hope you get activation sorted and good luck.
Joe
Yeah that is what happens to me except the screen goes black, then a bunch of lines and boxes appear, then back to black, and it just loops over and over again. Dell never emailed me back about the request for a new PC, the motherboard they gave me is used, didnt come with a sticker to do activation so now I see a message on my PC saying "Activate windows" I swear every time a technician comes here the pc ends up being worse than before he came
If it's a motherboard manufactured for Windows/8/8.1 I don't believe it's going to have a "sticker" per se. The "sticker" will be an electronic key embedded in the BIOS chip. That's why I suggested, if you otherwise got no satisfaction from Dell or Microsoft, you try installing Win 8/8.1 to see if that will activate based on the BIOS on the motherboard. If that would work, then you just go through the Win 10 free upgrade again.
If the technician left that USB key there for a reason other than just walking away from it like a toddler, it could be indication the motherboard is coded in the BIOS with a Win 8 license/product key and all you have to do is back up your data and have 3rd party program install files and license keys in hand to restore after clean installing Win 8, upgrading to Win 8.1, and then upgrading to Win 10.
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