Swapping HD for SSD question in new laptop

I am a non TechNet user, so where can I download the ISO file of windows 8 basic? I recently purchased an HP Envy 15 TouchSmart and want to sway its HDD with an SSD.

But instead of cloning the software, I would prefer a clean install. Can someone tell me the procedure to download windows 8 basic and use the OEM license is embedded in the UEFI, so that I don't need to do anything, during the clean install it will automatically use the existing license.

Quoting Sean's Windows 8 Install Guide on where to get the ISO:

Follow this link: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only
Click the "Install Windows 8" button
Download the file
Open it and enter your product key
Download the Windows 8 installer files
Once downloaded you will have the option to make a Windows 8 iso or to create a USB install device

Click to expand...

So you'll need the product key that is embedded in the BIOS. You can use ProduKey to find out what it is (do this before you remove the HDD).

It is even possible to remove the embedded OEM license should you wish to install a different version of Windows 8 or Windows 7, but it doesn't sound like you want to do that (I note it here for others).

evilsofa said:

Quoting Sean's Windows 8 Install Guide on where to get the ISO:



So you'll need the product key that is embedded in the BIOS. You can use ProduKey to find out what it is (do this before you remove the HDD).

It is even possible to remove the embedded OEM license should you wish to install a different version of Windows 8 or Windows 7, but it doesn't sound like you want to do that (I note it here for others).

Click to expand...

I opened the BIOS but can't find the product key. Where is it in the BIOS. Is it the product configuration ID?

maverick786us said:

I opened the BIOS but can't find the product key. Where is it in the BIOS. Is it the product configuration ID?

Click to expand...

The product key is not displayed anywhere in the BIOS. That's why you need to use a third-party application like ProduKey (which is freeware) to retrieve it.

OK when I entered this product key,
xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
It displayed this error stating that "this product key cannot be used to install a retail version of Window 8"

For downloading why do we need a product key?

Edit your post to remove your key... Others will use that for their install....

The key is for an OEM install. You won't be able to use that link for the ISO.

edit - the only links I can find for OEM ISO's are torrents... Depending on how you feel about those, it may be an option.

I don't believe there is a consumer image of Windows 8 base. All Windows 8 ISOs are the same - the version is only determined by single file that you can edit. So if you download the Pro version you can edit the file and have it become base.

I purchased a W700 some months ago and wanted to do a clean install, so I was in the situation as you. The Pro ISO was able to retrieve the oem key from the uefi and I was activated once I was on the Internet. The only issue is that the Pro REQUIRES you to enter a valid key before installation, but you can remove that option by editing the aforementioned file. Unfortunately I don't remember which file I had to edit since it's been so long so you would have to find that information on your own.

You should edit the product key out of your post.

Looks like I was mistaken; that's the ISO for retail versions of Windows 8 and won't work with the Basic version shipped on laptops. No ISO exists to install Windows 8 Basic. I'm sorry I started out with the wrong answer. Here's the right answer:

You get a clean install on your laptop by doing a factory reset of the laptop. The Windows 8 Basic installer exists on a partition of the HDD that you can't ordinarily see, and when you do the factory reset, Windows 8 Basic is installed from that partition.

The only way you'll get what you want is to clone the laptop's HDD, including all partitions, onto the SSD. This walkthrough shows you one way to get it done:

http://www.eightforums.com/installation-setup/17083-how-migrate-os-new-hard-disk.html

If your BIOS has a proper SLIC key, you won't need to enter a license key for Windows install. Don't enter one at all, the system should activate anyway.

thank you so much. I thought that the license key can only be used by my machine I'd / mac address. Yes I can consider downloading ISO file from torrent if it is not cracked or doesn't consist of any viruses. Software cloning is a good option, but I will use it as a secondary choice. Clean install is always fast. Can you provide me a torrent file which consist of Windows 8 ISO, which is not OIS activated and cracked?