Each generation of Windows has used a more sophisticated way of seamlessly installing on a branded machine. The setup process has always stopped at the key setup part and queried the machine before moving on.
With XP it looked at the pre-installed key and then checked the BIOS had a tag in it to approve it. This was not very sophisticated and HP media would work on Dell and vice versa. With Vista/7 there was a certificate pre-installed which had to match the BIOS or else you would need to use the key on the sticker. With 7 the installer would only allow certain installs based on the key - i.e. by little netbook would not allow W7 Enterprise to install on it. This was more sophisticated and meant that keys wiping of the stickers was not a big deal. Now on 8 and with the standardisation of the media (i.e. almost the same ISO for retail, download or upgrade) pulling the key from the BIOS is just another step in streamlining the process. The only time you should need a key is if you are reinstalling with a different version - i.e. enterprise - other than that it's a case of 'adding features' but just entering the key. I have a laptop which I seem to have really messed up by installing W8 Pro on top of W8 - it's just not right, it installed and then flipped back to standard. When I entered the key it upgraded again and properly, but it still isn't right and might need a rebuild to sort it. Also the new OEM versions - now called Windows 8 System Builder - you have no support from Microsoft anymore and cannot use it to upgrade. The Microsoft site still has very little info on 8 and COA's compared to windows 7 as they are still talking about physical media, physical COA and the software license. Mike From: David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org] Sent: 04 February 2013 15:46 To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Dell windows 8 COA I don't know that the key is embedded in the BIOS so much that the OS install looks for some specific BIOS properties, I've been able to re-install via CD across various Dell models (I can install XPSP3 on a machine that came with XPSP2, for example). Dave From: Crawford, Scott [mailto:crawfo...@evangel.edu] Sent: Monday, February 04, 2013 6:49 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: Dell windows 8 COA The windows 8 PRO discs we get from MS as part of our enterprise agreement come with their own product key. I've used one to do a clean install on a dell ultrabook that came with windows 8 HOME. It automatically used the key embedded in bios and installed as home, not pro. Sent from my Windows Phone ________________________________ From: Ben Scott Sent: 2/4/2013 7:59 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: Dell windows 8 COA On Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 7:13 AM, Nigel Parker <nigel.par...@ultraframe.co.uk<mailto:nigel.par...@ultraframe.co.uk>> wrote: > Although the desktops have a bronze sticker on the back with the windows > flag and the words "windows 8" > I cant find a COA sticker with a key anywhere on the machine inside, > outside , top bottom A unique, unit-specific code is embedded in the firmware (ACPI BIOS). You don't get a Certificate of Authenticity or Product Ley. Microsoft is "encouraging" their large OEMs (like Dell) to do this. Toshiba laptop I just bought is the same way. Keywords: OA 3.0 SLP, OA = OEM Activation, SLP = System Locked Pre-Installation I've seen claims that if the motherboard is replaced, the OEM is supposed to provide a printed card with a new Product Key, to allow the existing install to continue to be used. Haven't confirmed that with a reliable source yet. I don't know what happens if you try to use a "generic" OEM disc to do a "clean install" (i.e., without vendor shovelware) in such cases. -- Ben ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com<mailto:listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com<mailto:listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com<mailto:listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com> with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to listmana...@lyris.sunbeltsoftware.com with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
