Windows 10: Tablet upgrade, retrieve 8.1 key

Hi,

I have a cheap Windows table (Irulu 9" Walknbook 16GB) with Windows 8.1.
In preparation for upgrading to Windows 10 I deleted the large recovery partition and tried to merge the Windows partition, so as to have enough space for the upgrade. After that, it would not boot into Windows.

I can get into the EFI shell and boot from a Windows 10 USB media, but it can't repair my 8.1.

Before I fresh install Windows 10, I think I need the 8.1 product key!

Is it likely to be in the UEFI, if so, am I OK to run the Windows 10 install? There certainly isn't a label on the tablet with the product key.

If not, how can I best extract it from this tablet that will only boot in EFI and not in legacy BIOS mode?

:)

 

Windows 10 Recovery Key

I have a tablet running Windows 10 that had a virus. I used Hitman Pro to remove the bad stuff, and now the tablet will not boot. I am attempting to reset the tablet and it takes me to a screen that says to go to http://windows.microsoft.com/recoverykeyfaq
and then enter my key id. When I go to that URL. I am taken to a Win 8.1 bitlocker site, which is not what I need. When you do a search on Windows 10, there is a FAQ that poses this same question, but it is for an upgrade from 8.1 to 10, and is no help.
I need to retrieve a recovery key to get going again.

 

Windows 10 upgrade failure and product key

I have a Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 10 1051F which was running Windows 8.1. I reserved my copy of Windows 10 however during the upgrade it failed and left my tablet in a "brick" state ie it couldn't boot Windows and was stuck in a loop trying to restore. I managed
to do a hard drive reformat and then clean Windows 10 install but now I don't have the original product key to activate Windows 10. How can I retrieve the original key to activate my install?

 

Find your Windows product key with ShowKeyPlus below.
Showkey - Windows 10 Forums

 

Can I add this to the USB drive I'm using, boot into recovery tools and run it from there?

EDIT:
I just thought, even if I extract the 8.1 product key or it's in the UEFI anyway, will I be 'allowed' to do a clean install of Windows 10 without having upgraded the 8.1 first?
That is, in order to get Windows 10, do I need to reinstall Windows 8.1 and qualify for the free upgrade?

 

You can access the Command Prompt using a Windows 10 DVD. I just did so today.
Find Windows Product Key using CMD or PowerShell Recover Windows product key using Command Prompt

'When you install Windows 10, you can enter your PC’s Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 product key and it should activate properly if that PC was eligible for the upgrade.'── quoted from Whats First Big Update (Which Arrives Today)

 

Many thanks! I will try later when I get home.

 

The key will be embedded in bios. You can extract key after 10 is installed, but it should pick it up automatically.

 

If I re-install Windows 10 after updating the BIOS, do I have to enter the key again?

 

No. Updating the BIOS does not affect the product key that the manufacturer stored there.

 

This is theoretically correct but some users have claimed they have done bios upgrades that have gone wrong and managed to lose the bios key. Whether this is true I cannot say, but I would make a note of the key before flashing bios just to be sure.

 

I've flashed the BIOS on my laptop twice, no effect on the OEM embedded key. My understanding is its stored in a section that is not overwritten by a BIOS flash. Maybe even in a non writable section. AKA permanent. My MSDN ISO and media from the Media Creation Tool read it and use it. In my case I wish they wouldn't but they do. If I use stock install media I get 10 Home. My OEM key is for 8.0 Core. I got 10 Pro via the free upgrade. It just means using a little trickery to install Pro instead.

EDIT: Forgot to add, and yes, you can clean install without having to do the upgrade first.

 

Win 10 partitioning and product key - windows 10 - Windows 10
Having read the above, I think the OP does not need the 8.1 product key.

 

This command from the command prompt SHOULD show the serial number, it's worth a try.

wmic bios get serialnumber

 

Here's my update:
I was able to get the product key by decoding the system32/config/software file. It's Windows 8.1 Connected, whatever that is.

My installation of Windows 10 failed for some reason, so I made one for 8.1.
It installed but says my product key 'can't be used to activate this edition of Windows'..

Winver returns 'version 6.3 Build 9600' and the desktop shows Windows 8.1 Build 9600.
slmgr shows the installed version to be Windows (R) Core edition, RETAIL channel.
When I now try 'wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey', it returns the product key that I decoded above. The one this installation of Windows won't accept.

I am now a little confused what to do next to either activate this version, or reinstall a correct version.