Windows question, Installing fresh with no recovery option.

[dajones]

So windows 8.1 is doing my nut in due to compatibility with things and i wish to roll back to windows 8.
The recovery is on a cd at home (Im living away from home)
There is no recovery installed onto the computer.

If i source a windows disk am i right in thinking that my BIOS will automatically enter my product key for windows 8?
The product key is the OEM Dell/Alienware key, so will i need a specific copy of windows?

 

[supptora]

The key should be on a sticker somewhere on the laptop/system case, just enter that when you reinstall windows and it should work out what version to install etcetc.

 

[Greeny.]

So windows 8.1 is doing my nut in due to compatibility with things and i wish to roll back to windows 8.
The recovery is on a cd at home (Im living away from home)
There is no recovery installed onto the computer.

If i source a windows disk am i right in thinking that my BIOS will automatically enter my product key for windows 8?
The product key is the OEM Dell/Alienware key, so will i need a specific copy of windows?

Any Dell Windows 8 DVD should work, there is no key to enter as it picks up you're running a Dell machine from the BIOS.

 

[dajones]

The key should be on a sticker somewhere on the laptop/system case, just enter that when you reinstall windows and it should work out what version to install etcetc.

Windows 8 onwards theyve stopped doing the stickers. Its all embedded now.

 

[supptora]

Windows 8 onwards theyve stopped doing the stickers. Its all embedded now.

Ah, I've not had a prebuilt system since about 8 years ago, but as Greeny. pointed out, it should work via the BIOS then.
​Any CD/DVD/USB/etc for W8 should work fine, as long as something gives it the correct key it should work out what version to install.

 

[dajones]

Oh ill put this in here. If anyone is after they're product key (mine didnt come with a code physically printed) I used a tool called belarc advisor