Where is my WIN 8.1 disk & product key?

[BrettM_MSFT]

If you want to create a recovery key, there are instructions here: Create a USB recovery drive - Windows Help

Surface Pro 3 is provisioned with an OEM activation (OA) 3.0 key that is put directly into the BIOS. When you system goes online, it will try to activate using that key.

 

[malberttoo]

If you want to create a recovery key, there are instructions here: Create a USB recovery drive - Windows Help

Surface Pro 3 is provisioned with an OEM activation (OA) 3.0 key that is put directly into the BIOS. When you system goes online, it will try to activate using that key.

Hey Brett thanks for the info! Is this a clean install? Or is it a "factory image", including any bloatware that the manufacturer has loaded on it?

 

[unruledboy]

Here you go:

View attachment 2307

nice.... now I see the true power of the SP pen........ well done!

but I am shocked with the 3 hidden partitions.... I am a kind of neat freak, I can't stand multiple stuffs....

 

[leeshor]

In addition to what Jeff said... I played around a lot with 8.1 as soon as it came out and various ways of doing "clean" installs, specifically on a ThinkPad that came loaded with WAY too many Lenovo utilities and apps. Long story short, if you use a KeyFinder utility, it will almost certainly not be a key that you can actually activate the OS with. Instead, it seems like on new machines, the product key is actually embedded in the BIOS somehow, or something. Basically, you should be able to simply do a clean install of the exact same OS that came on the device, and it will activate automatically using the product key that's in the BIOS.

If anyone has any more info on that, I'd really like to hear it.

Close, (as they say), but no cigar. The key is not embedded in the BIOS but is tied to the BIOS signature. (almost like a CRC). The recover partitions and SN are specific the the model. Nobody sends out laptops (or desktops), with any software or recover disks any more. Boxed software is disappearing rapidly.

I have in fact installed Windows 7 on Lenovo laptops that had totally trashed disks. It can be done but it may balk a few times before it works and all the drivers still need to be downloaded to make all the components work correctly.

 

[KVerb]

I received my SP3 on June 20. I had expected a copy of WIN 8.1 (DVD or USB stick) along with the Product Key.

I found my Surface Pro 3 running Windows 8.1, Windows activation Product ID in the control panel under <Control Panel> <System and Security> <System>. It is on the very bottom of the page. I have written it down, but have not had to use it yet, so I don't know if this is the Product ID Microsoft will be looking for in a recovery situation.

 

[Kris]

If all else fails there is always https://www.microsoft.com/surface/e...ervice-and-recovery/downloadablerecoveryimage

 

[Rahul]

go to : www.belarc.com

Click on the ' Free Download ' button, and download the Belarc Advisor

Install, and run the exe, and wait for the report.

Scroll down, and you should see your Windows Product Key listed in full