Embedded product key version

I have a quick question. I have two dell computers, a desktop which came with Win 8 installed, and a laptop which came with 8.1 installed. Neither machine has a COA sticker, as the product key is now embedded in the BIOS. So I installed an SSD into the desktop (Win 8), and as I was obviously losing the recovery partition with the new drive, I had to call Dell who sent me an OS DVD with 8 on it. Everything worked fine, it didn't ask for a product key as it was in the BIOS, good to go. Recently I went to install a new HDD into the laptop (Win 8.1), and went through the same process, however this time it asked me for a product key as I was using the Win 8 Dell disc, and the prod key in the BIOS was for 8.1. So I had to contact Dell and get a second OS disc (8.1) to get it done, which eventually worked. So here's my question: If I had not known which OSs those two computers came with, how could I find out? I dug through the BIOS on both machines and there is no indication as to which OS version the prod key supports. I mean I knew, but only because I was the original owner of both machines. Is there a way to tell without going through trial and error? With 10 coming in now it's going to add a third variable to the equation. Anybody have any ideas on this?

 

Google PID checker, there are a few tools that will take the key and tell you about it.
http://www.chip.de/downloads/The-Ultimate-PID-Checker_76313770.html


To retrieve the key you might need a PE disk with some tools like:
http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-retrieve-windows-8-oem-product-key-from-bios/10

 

Thanks for the info. I'm not even worried about getting the key itself, but more so just knowing which version of windows it supports. If I want to reinstall the OS on a machine that I'm unfamiliar with, I would basically have to start at 8 and try installing different OSs until I got one that worked.

 

Well to know what OS you need to install you'd need the key and then run it through PID program and it will tell you what OS you need. That should cut down on the trial & error.

 

I see. I was kind of hoping there would be something quicker than that but I guess not. Thanks for all the info and the links.

 

Those links are pretty good, but the thing is that in order to use any of the software in them you would have to have a working copy of Windows installed on the machine. What if the computer won't boot, or you wanted to install a new HDD? Is there anything anybody knows about that will run as a stand alone tool/utility at boot? Or even in Linux using Parted Magic or a live copy of Ubuntu? I've checked around but everything seems to run from Windows.

 

A "live" Windows disk, called a PE disk (Preinstallation Environment).
Example:
http://www.aomeitech.com/pebuilder/addtools.html

winbuilder.net
help
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=security/winbuilder-win7pe-se-tutorial

 

Doesn't that just add additional tools to your Windows installation?

 

PE disks can boot a computer without launching Windows and are self contained, i.e. they can perform whatever actions they were created to perform without needing to access any Windows files on the HD. A classic example is the rescue disk you create when using an imaging program such as Acronis, Macrium Reflect etc. Mostly they are created to perform a specific task, but foogoo's link to Aomei's PE disk, which apparently allows you to add those portable apps you want looks interesting and I'll be taking a closer look.