Windows 10: Win8.1 retrievable with usb key?

I dragged out of storage my desktop with win 8.1 no tpm chip and remembered that it just stopped working/booting, something about stopping support? I'd like to try and get it working again and need to know how to, can you help.

:)

 

Installing windows off of a USB stick

Step By Step from vista:
From admin cmd prompt

1. diskpart
1a. list disk
2. select disk 1 (replace 1 with your usb drive)
3. clean
4. create partition primary
5. select partition 1 (replace 1 with your usb drive)
6. active
7. format fs=fat32
8. assign
9. exit

Copy Windows Vista's DVD ROM content to the Flash Drive

xcopy d:\*.* /s/e/f e:\ (d being your vista cd and e being your usb stick)

And that's it, boot off your usb disk

 

Retrieving original activation key for windows


Hello!

I bought a demo-pc in 2014 that came with win8, but i was unable to log in as i did not have the password, so i flashed windows 10 insider build. But i am tired of all the bugs, so i want to get the regular windows 10 build now.

Does anyone know how i can do this? I do not know the serial key, but shouldn't it be embedded in the BIOS? The PC is an HP Envy touchsmart 14.

Can i just format, flash an win8 img, and then the PC will automatically retrieve the activation key by itself?

 

Thinking about Going back to Win8.1


If want to disable IE, still can. However, can't uninstall it like were able to in XP/98/whatever.
Here's how, although I find it useful in case Chrome or Firefox stops working and have to re-download it. *Wink
1. Search for turn windows features on or off and click it in the search results.

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2. When the app opens, uncheck Internet Explorer 11.

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3. Click Yes on the warning dialog.

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4. Click OK.

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5. Restart for the changes to finish.