My folks have killed their Fujitsu laptop. Its Windows 8.1. It wasn't backed up and they can't find the restore disks. It is out of warranty.
It switches on but won't boot. I have tried everything I can to get it to boot, safe mode, windows repair etc. but with no luck.
I have a Windows 8.1 install disk and will re-install the o/s but it will need a product key. Their tag has worn off so the number is illegible. I have tried several utilities to try to read the key / serial number from DOS but with no luck, the utilities find all the relevant information and even lists the field for the product key / serial number but its blank.
Before I do an install (which I expect to fail without the product key) is there anything else that I need to do?
Thanks
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If it was bought as a Windows 8.x machine then the chances are it will have a recovery partition and no recovery CD.
Anyway that may not be needed. Boot it into the CD and use the menus to fix start up. Shouldn't need the OS re-installing, if it does then it's probably something which would only temporarily be fixed by re-installing the OS.
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It was a Windows 8.0 machine originally and upgraded to 8.1
It will not recover and I suspect that the HD is damaged but was willing to try a re-install before swapping out the HD.
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....given that you say you've used DOS utilities to attempt a retrieve, then I'm assuming that the m/c boots successfully into DOS, and thus certain hardware problems can be discounted.
IMO, it would also be worthwhile running a DOS-based hard-drive diagnostic program to ensure that the drive is not iffy.
Next question is the provenance of the Windows version, and the age of the laptop. If Windows was installed as an OEM version (i.e. the laptop was bought new with Windows installed), and it was originally 8.1 (or has been legitimately updated to it), there is a chance that the Product Key is retained in BIOS (I understand this is the case from 8.1, which might be why you can't read one).
If the hard-drive checks out OK, it might be worthwhile attempting an install from your disc to see if the product-key is automatically populated, rather than requested. There are indications that re-installing the same version (Home, Pro, etc.) of Win 8.1 to an OEM install should do this).
(though, TBH, I would by preference download Microsoft's recovery version of the install software, and use that rather than your DVD, as I think the chances of success are higher).
windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media
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Thanks both!
All original OEM, with the upgrade to 8.1 from 8.0 through Windows update.
I will try with the DOS HD utility, hoping that the drivers for the CD will be there.
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Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong - no matter what the state of the hard drive, you should be able to at least get it to boot from CD. No drivers required. If you can't even do that then it's more than the hard disk that's gone.
Do you really mean won't Boot as in you get a blue screen or code which says so, or do you mean it won't start? If the former then it's much simpler to fix the boot record than reload everything, and mess around in DOS...
Only a week ago I fixed a "won't boot" issue on a Windows 8.x laptop for someone using just repair options on Windows 10 CD.
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It boots but Windows will not start and the recovery programs will not work.
Problem is that they don't have the CD.
I am hoping that the ISO that I made (downloaded from MS) will include the utilities to repair but I can't check it at the moment.
I am also hoping that the HD is a simple slot in affair unlike one on a laptop recently that was glued in to place!
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If this is a legit install, then Microsoft's licensing servers will have details of the installation. If you have (almost) identical hardware, then the install will check with MS and get the licence details. Major hardware changes and the unique ID created on install won't match and you'd need to contact Microsoft.
But you need to install the same version of OS.
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...as an additional possibility.....
I have had success in the past repairing XP installations with hard-drive issues without losing user data.
In each case, I used the HD manufacturers specific (DOS) diagnostics, and chose to "repair" the disk, once it was diagnosed as faulty.
This effectively excludes faulty sectors at a hardware level, and was successful in allowing the OS to boot (albeit with some broken/missing software, where it was previously failing at a disk-hardware level).
I then repaired XP using the install disks, which gave a good install and data, and rapidly cloned the dying disk to a new one.
If you Google "ultimate boot CD" a download (choose a recent version) will give you an ISO for a bootable CD that has "acres" of DOS diagnostic and repair tools on it, including HD diagnostics for many manufacturers (and some universal ones).
(there's also a USB version hanging around somewhere).
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...and, as I missed the edit...
If the product key is in BIOS, this link proposes a (somewhat convoluted) way of obtaining it, even on a non-bootable Windows installation.
itsolutionsblog.net/3-ways-to-extract-the-windows-8-product-key/
(assuming it maps over to Win 8.1)
..but if it isin the BIOS, then a re-install should probably populate it for you during the process anyway.
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Take the drive out and use a SATA to USB adaptor on your PC/laptop/whatever to recover any data/photos/whatever before you start rebuilding.
Edit: Just read you suspect HD damage in which case I'd still take the drive out and see what I could salvage and mirror onto a new drive or SSD.
Last edited by: gmac on Mon 21 Dec 15 at 19:28
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If it came with Windows 8, the product key should be in the BIOS if so legally download the latest update of Windows 10 onto a USB stick, it will activate from the Windows 8 stored in the BIOS no need for any messing about.
www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
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Re-Installing Windows / Product Key - smokie
