HP Desktop Install Windows 7, need key?

H

H-street

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 25, 2005
Messages
4,538
Are HP desktops setup similar to Dell's? in that if I have the recovery media for the brand and I install the OS from that disk (windows 7) that it automatically pulls the key from the bios?

I have an HP desktop that someone put an illegal copy of windows 8.1 and I don't see a windows 7 COA sticker on the case.. Want to make sure this box is legit and so need to know if I can just get the windows 7 recovery disk for HP and be good like with Dells or if I need to purchase an OS for it
 
What model is it? Also, does I have a sticker on it that says Windows 8?
 
If you can't find the COA sticker on the case anywhere (inside or out, so check thoroughly) the only way to verify the factory OS is to call HP and ask. You can also look up the product quick specs which will be a single page at HP's support website that lists all the possible hardware and software options for that given machine and will typically also list the factory installed OS. With that in mind, yes an HP machine would work exactly like a Dell machine meaning if you want to reinstall Windows on it, you'd need to have the HP branded media, aka HP for HP, Dell for Dell, and so on. The HP branded media has files on it that make it only install and activate on an HP, basically, tying the media to the brand of hardware in several ways.

Another thing about HP machines is that usually - not always but usually if you boot the machine and press F10 during startup to get into the System BIOS/UEFI you will see an entry for Factory installed OS somewhere on the first page or somewhere in the informational pages that tells you what the factory installed OS was.

You didn't specify a model or product number so I can't look it up myself but turn the machine on, press F10 to get into the System BIOS/UEFI (pretty sure it won't have UEFI so...) and then right there on the first page of data it should list the factory installed OS, if not then look through all the available pages to find out what that happened to be. If it's not shown anywhere in the BIOS, again a call to HP or doing a search for that model/product will turn up that info.

With respect to installing Windows 7 again, that will only work if a) it had Windows 7 (whichever edition) from the factory because it'll need the SLIC 2.1 table in the BIOS (Vista machines didn't have that upon release, they used SLIC 2.0) and b) you have an actual piece of HP reinstallation media that has the necessary config files/scripts and the HP digital licensing certificate (which is an xrm-ms file) in the content of the media. You have to match the edition of Windows as well, typically - if it had Home Premium on it, that's what you need to reinstall.

Like it or not, if the COA sticker is now missing, that's a problem in terms of legitimate licensing because the sticker is the actual license. Without it the install is questionable but given that HP doesn't give a shit about older hardware nowadays any more than Microsoft gives a shit about Windows 7 I don't think you have to ever worry about having your door kicked in just because you're using a machine without that damned sticker on it. :D
 
I thought I had a few COA stickers missing, and they were located underneath the battery.
 
There are utilities to read SLIC data from BIOS, but as others have mentioned if you're worrying about how "legit" it is you have a problem due to a missing COA.

If you just wanted to install Windows 7 on it, sure just grab HP OEM installation media which should include the appropriate license file and default key. It should install with minimal fuss if the PC includes appropriate SLIC data.
 
The SLIC table in the BIOS/UEFI doesn't have a Product Key anyway - that's stored (the OEM Royalty Product Key) in a config file on the HP branded installation media. The info stored in the BIOS/UEFI is a digital certificate that matches up with the xrm-ms certificate file that's also on the installation media - those two checked out against each other + the Royalty Product Key + the hardware hash = the activation hash for a given machine with respect to Windows Vista/7/8/8.1.

Windows 10 obviously does things different now by computing the necessary activation hash based on the same variables but stores it on Microsoft's servers which is a vast improvement over previous methods and it also has the benefit of the end user never having to enter the Product Key (as long as everything is working as expected, that is).
 
Tiberian said:
The SLIC table in the BIOS/UEFI doesn't have a Product Key anyway - that's stored (the OEM Royalty Product Key) in a config file on the HP branded installation media.
Click to expand...

pxc said:
If you just wanted to install Windows 7 on it, sure just grab HP OEM installation media which should include the appropriate license file and default key.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if you were offering that as a correction, but it's essentially the same as what I wrote. lol
 
Yeah, the statements and info were very similar but I suppose my meaning was that unless the machine in question came with Windows 7 from the factory it more than likely had Vista on it - if that's true that means the BIOS would have a SLIC 2.0 table in it and Windows 7 requires a SLIC 2.1 table. Without that 2.1 table being present, using an actual HP Windows 7 branded installation DVD won't matter: it won't activate and it will require a valid Retail Windows 7 Product Key (not the Royalty Product key which is only for OEM use with SLIC 2.0/2.1 as required).

Bleh, you people can figure this shit out. :)
 
if your machine came with Win 7 and you have a HP recovery disk, you will not need to enter in the key. The setup program will read the BIOS and validate the Windows install
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top