Hey forum, my mom recently bought a computer with windows 8. The computer came with the USB that had windows 8 and I'm planning to uild a computer using windows 8 soon. I was wondering if could save 100$ by just using the USB with windows 8 on it. Would it work on my new desktop ? Thanks for your help.
Unfortunately no. The windows 8 license that came with your mom's computer is an oem license and therefore will only work on that model made by the oem. In short you have to buy a new copy.
So there's no possible way to get it to work?not even Microsoft coukd help?2013-07-12
i *think* if you try to install windows, then when it asks for a key it won't have internet, so it'll just check that the key is one of the correct keys for that win8 version, and it'll install like normal, but when it gets to the internet it'll realize that the key was already used, what happens then i'm not 100% on, maybe it tells you to buy a key all the time, maybe it renders the install useless, i don't know what win8 does in that senario
Is the key basically the cd with windows 8 on it?
the key is the long ass number you have to enter on install
isthere any way toget a new one?
Yes, buy Windows 8.
You're not really buying Windows 8 itself when you get it, you're buying the use of the key they provide you. If you're trying to find a way to not spend $100-$140, you won't find it unless you do something illegal.
what is so bad about that
Bump. Also, so I would have to do something illegal to be able to dkwnload windows 8 from the usb key to my computer and not have a trial version? Also, if I somehow got a key for windows 8, would my new computer be able to use it because it will have all completely different hardware?
*different hardware than the laptop that came with the usb with windows 8 has?
Bump again...?
Yes though you may need to find drivers for some of your hardware