But, using a product key from a separate computer, the install does work just fine (of course it's not activated, saying the key is in use.) I've also tried putting in the key at the desktop and it says that 'This key cannot be used to activate this version of Windows.'

Please insert the correct recovery media.' Which, that is what it says after I put in the product key. The exact error message is as I've paraphrased before, but it states 'There are no recovery files to install this version of Windows. straight from Microsoft for these types of situations. The standard retail Windows 8.1 32 and 64 bit installs say that I can't use that key to install them. I have the OEM product key, which is Windows 8.1. HDD went bad, not bootable, no recovery media.

So, what version of Windows 8.1 did this computer have? Was it an enterprise edition or something? Is there any way that I can tell what version of windows the product key is? Because apparently the bootable installations can. I tried the 64 bit version again, this time using my OEM key. It tells me that this installation media does not have any files related to this version of windows. So, I created media for Windows 8.1 32bit (which I was pretty sure it was not a 32bit copy, but eh, why not?) During the activation (which the media should automatically detect the product key when installing, just as a Windows 8 clean install from Microsoft will) I entered the product key when it prompts. However, I have managed to recover the OEM BIOS product key (which was different from the key I used to activate a copy of windows to reach the desktop to do so.) Regardless, the key does not activate when I put it in on a copy of Windows 8.1 64bit, saying that it couldn't activate this version. Of course, being the typical consumer, said laptop had never had any recovery media created. Now, this computer is just about a year old, meaning that it came with an original copy of Windows 8.1, it did not start with Windows 8, just to clarify. Anyway, to the problem.Īfter days of scouring the internet, I've come up with nothing really for this specific problem. There should really be another section for Windows 8.1 specifically, since in its own rights and the way that it operates, it's not just a simple update, but an entirely different operating system.

Windows 8.1 serial key 64 bit