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Finding my windows product key

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Stalk
Brolly Dolly



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
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PostPosted: 11:31 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Finding my windows product key Reply with quote
Hello all!
I have a HP Stream laptop with a 28 (?) Gb hard drive that originally came with windows 8.1. It has since upgraded itself to windows 10 which appears to have filled the hard drive and made the machine very unresponsive. I have done the clearing out unused files thing and don't have much stored on it, but when I do use it I would like it to work. So I am thinking that the best thing to do is to revert to windows 8.1. The laptop now will not let me do that from its own set back to factory settings process so I have downloaded 8.1 onto a memory stick, but I no longer have the product key that came on the box. There is a lot of different programs out there in google land to recover the product key, but I thought I would ask here as some may have first hand experience of these things. I should point out that when it comes to computers I am a bit thick.
Thanks in advance for any help you may give!
Cheers
Stalk
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Pjay
World Chat Champion



Joined: 18 Jan 2016
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PostPosted: 11:33 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/produkey.html
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P.
Red Rocket



Joined: 14 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: 12:24 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Why won't it roll back to 8.1? I've rolled my nieces back and since turned off updates because it happens so frequently.
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Stalk
Brolly Dolly



Joined: 26 Dec 2005
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PostPosted: 12:39 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Pjay!

Paddy,
First time rolled back to 8.1, second time would only roll back to 10. Probably I did something wrong
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P.
Red Rocket



Joined: 14 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: 12:43 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thats fucking shit Sad

Good luck on the 8.1 install Thumbs Up
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Pjay
World Chat Champion



Joined: 18 Jan 2016
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PostPosted: 12:49 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Stalk wrote:
Thanks Pjay!

No problemo.
I tend to stick it in a Winkey.txt file in C: for future reference.
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chris-red
Have you considered a TDM?



Joined: 21 Sep 2005
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PostPosted: 21:15 - 28 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
mpd72 wrote:
I'm surprised a 10 install takes up more disc space than an 8.1
Could it not be the 4GB download of 10 and the "Windows.old" folder taking up the space?


This, run disk cleaner then click on clean up system files.
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P.
Red Rocket



Joined: 14 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: 08:39 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
My fresh install of Win10 Home (yes, I actually moved from 7 and bought a legit key wtf Laughing ) with drivers, even set as 'single language' is using 31GB of space.

Thats a non modified install from MS with the latest updates on it. Nothing else on that drive as its OS only. That is a chunk of space when the stream has 32 or 64gb Laughing
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Loui5D
Brolly Dolly



Joined: 22 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: 15:31 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
chris-red wrote:
mpd72 wrote:
I'm surprised a 10 install takes up more disc space than an 8.1
Could it not be the 4GB download of 10 and the "Windows.old" folder taking up the space?


This, run disk cleaner then click on clean up system files.


I'd suggest being careful with this, might just have been me but it broke Windows on my system.

I upgraded from 7 to 10, i ran the built in cleanup util & selected to remove system files etc. That then caused my PC to get stuck in a loop when trying to load the OS, the boot ini (can't remember the exact one) was still referring to Win 7 components which no longer exist...

I've had to re-install windows 10 completely from fresh.
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P.
Red Rocket



Joined: 14 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: 15:36 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
mpd72 wrote:
That's odd. There are plenty of tablets with 10 Home pre installed, which only have a max of 32GB of storage.


I agree. I was quite amazed. Laughing

I have a Linx tablet with Win10 which only has 32GB... so... Neutral
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kawakid
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Joined: 15 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: 19:30 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
I work in IT and have had a similar issue with a user's own personal laptop.

It had updated from 8.1 to 10, then she somehow managed to reset the ntfs permissions on the C:\windows folder.

To cut a long story short, I thought that she would need to purchase a license for 10. (She had no 8.1 recovery).

But I was wrong, on another computer I downloaded the Windows 10 installer, basically a full ISO, which I burned to a DVD and booted from.

What Microsoft have done is they have a record of everyone who has Windows 10. As soon as I had installed the machine (especially the Network Card), Windows 10 checked and became the version she had had (Home edition I think).

I have documentated this on my works knowledge base, I am at home. Though if you can't find the link I will be able to VPN in and look perhaps on Sunday my notes.
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M.C
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Joined: 29 Sep 2015
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PostPosted: 20:34 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think you can still upgrade for free to Win' 10 using the assistive technologies upgrade until the end of the year: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/accessibility/windows10upgrade
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kawakid
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Joined: 15 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: 20:56 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
M.C wrote:
I think you can still upgrade for free to Win' 10 using the assistive technologies upgrade until the end of the year: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/accessibility/windows10upgrade


You can, but the poster doesn't have a restore to 8.1.

I have done a couple of Windows 7 32bit to 10 this week and there is currently a bug with the installer. It will download Windows 10, but then come up with an api.dll error, basically there is a dll in c:\windows\system32 you need to overwrite in c:\windows10upgrade (or whatever it calls itself).

The poster above, needs to do what I have said in my earlier post.
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M.C
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Joined: 29 Sep 2015
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PostPosted: 22:28 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
kawakid wrote:
I thought that she would need to purchase a license for 10.

That's the bit I was referring to, and Paddy saying he bought a key. F**k paying for Win' 10 Razz

The OP's problem is why I told a relative with a ~£150 laptop budget to save up more money. 32GB eMMC Laughing
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P.
Red Rocket



Joined: 14 Feb 2008
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PostPosted: 22:54 - 29 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
M.C wrote:
That's the bit I was referring to, and Paddy saying he bought a key. F**k paying for Win' 10 Razz


I have never ever had a genuine copy of Windows. For £2.99, I ain't complaining. Laughing
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M.C
Super Spammer



Joined: 29 Sep 2015
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PostPosted: 15:55 - 30 Dec 2017    Post subject: Reply with quote
Me either Smile I only bought a genuine copy of OS X because I couldn't get a torrented version to work Crying or Very sad
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