Installing Windows 8.1 on Ideapad - unable to activate

Hi,
I've installed Windows 8.1 on my Ideapad z500 which I understand is a free update if you have Windows 8 (Which came pre-installed)
I've come to install it, and there's no product key on the machine. I've read that the Windows 8 key is in the bios and it will automatically activate ... but it keeps asking for the license key.
I notice that a large number of people have managed to install it ... what am I missing, where is the license key?
I'd appreciate any help or advice anyone can give.
Thanks
John
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Use RWEverything and write down the Windows 8 serial key from the ACPI > MSDM table.
Next
Right-click the bottom left of the screen and open COMMAND PROMPT AS ADMINISTRATOR.
Then enter these commands:
slmgr -ipk #####-#####-#####-#####-##### (serial key goes at hashes)
slmgr -ato (this command will activate Windows)
This should and will work.
If having issues, do a clean Windows 8 install, and to the upgrade using Windows Store like it was meant to be. You shouldn't have any issues.
If you need more help let me know !
Jonas
Microsoft MVP: Windows Consumer Expert
Yoga Tablet 2 10 || ThinkPad X1 Carbon (20A7007MPH) || ThinkPad Helix (3698-6EU) || IdeaCentre B540
Twitter: @jonashendrickx

Similar Messages

  • Step by step to install Windows 8 Pro on IdeaPad U310

    Hello community.
    I have read for very long time now this forums and can't find a clean solution to install Windows 8 Pro on my IdeaPad U.
    Can somebody post this step by step? I need this Intel Rapid Start Technology working too (like in the win 7 home, which was installed when I bought it).
    PS: please do not ask why I want this, I need this for my work.

    Apple has not announced support for Windows 8 yet.
    Allan

  • What's the best way to install Windows Xp Pro on IdeaPad S10

    I need to get Xp Pro onto my idea pad S10. What's the best way of going about it?
    USB CD Rom and Install from CD Rom?
    Is there any thing that I should watch out for. I have been reading online how some people can no seem to install Windows Xp Home form CD.
    Keyboard Cowboy

    I would in fact recommend a universal 2.5" and 3.5" to USB that is readily available online. Shouldn't cost more than $15 USD and you can use it for SATA, IDE, and PATA. And besides, you never know when it will come in handy.
    \\ I do not respond to PM regarding individual tech support. Keep discussions in the forum for the benefit of others //

  • After installing windows 8 on my mac unable to use my mac ios

    I am using a macbook pro..and earlier in it i m using mac os mountain lion and i also wanted to use windows as well with it but when i installed windows in my mac i m enable to use my mac ios i.e. mountain lion only window is opening..pls help

    Welcome to Apple Support Communities
    When you install Windows, your computer starts in Windows by default. To start in OS X, hold the X key while your MacBook Pro is starting or hold the Option (Alt) key and choose your OS X volume. If you want to start always in OS X, open System Preferences > Startup Disk, and select the OS X volume

  • [Guide] How to install windows 8 on U410 IdeaPad SSD

    Hi All,
    Please find below description of how i got windows 8 pro installed on my ideapad u410 SSD.
    1. Get windows Pro - I just got the upgrade from Microsoft it is available in several places
    2. Call MS customer support to get the ISO image for windows - need to get to level 2 support engineer, they can either  
    shipping you a DVD for free and\or log-in and remotely downloading the image by generating a new product key
    3. Get USB with GParted installed, boot into it and delete all the partitions. Format the SSD as NTFS with default values
    4. Get the windows ISO on a bootable USB
    4. Place a PID.txt file in usb /sources folder, format should be as Here
    5. In Bios change EFI boot to legacy
    6. Boot from USB and select the SSD partition>new> create a size that is a little smaller but > 25G
    7. Done

    Hello, The Hatter.
    (killer cool pics of your cats )
    I hope you will help me, pleaseeeeee. Pretty please.
    Do you mind if I ask you three questions?
    I  am still *new* to APPLE forums. My info is alinc4/gmail
    I LUV my APPLE stuff, just not their way of tying my hands. (cannot merge iTunes accounts, knockered by why I have multiple libraries, annnnddd.... hope I can upgrade my late 2008 unibody Mac to save $$$ ..... SIGH.
    I saw your photo of - vietnam..... I'm guessing bc you look young enough to not have been in Korea. If those are your kitties, awwwww..... have a few myself, luv my boysies and the ratty lil girl .
    Hope your day is EPIC.
    Most sincerely,
    ALLI :-)

  • How to: Install Windows XP on Lenovo IdeaPad N580

    Hi and thank you for reading my post.
    Due to compatability issues with software that I need to install on the IdeaPad, I need to utilize the Windows XP operating system rather than Windows 7 or 8. The N580 comes with 8.  Is there a step by step "how to" document to ... wipe clean, re-partition, and load XP while also re-installing the specific software associated with the N580 hardware?
    On a side note, the software being used is MS Foxpro 2.6 as well as a program editor on the DOS platform. Yep... trying to get software of the early 90's to work on new hardware...
    Any help that can be provided is hugely appreciated.
    Thanks,
    joe
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    Hi Joe,
    Lenovo Drivers page for IdeaPad N580 offers no Win-XP drivers for download.
    http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/research/hints-or-tips/detail.page?&LegacyDocID=NOTE-MATRIX
    may try to run your older programs in compatibility mode...
    http://www.online-tech-tips.com/windows-8/run-a-program-in-compatibility-mode-in-windows-8/
    Zehn

  • How to Install windows 8 professional on IdeaPad u410

    Hi, 
     I have U410 with windows 8 standard, need to upgrade it to windows 8 professional, I tried all possible solutions and nothing work. if anyone can HELP ?? I'll be so grateful to.
    Amer

    Dear Customer
    Welcome in lenovo forums
    you will need first to have this upgaraded version from microsoft, 
    For example a CD , Follow the below steps to boot from CD
    1- Switch on the machine and Insert the CD
    2- Once you switch on the machine press F12 to boot from CD then you will go to the installation process
    Let me know
    Thanks
    Alaa
    Did someone help you today? Press the star on the left to thank them with a Kudo!
    If you find a post helpful and it answers your question, please mark it as an "Accepted Solution"! This will help the rest of the Community with similar issues identify the verified solution and benefit from it.
    Follow @LenovoForums on Twitter!

  • Lumia 2520 Windows RT 8.1 Tablet unable to activat...

    About a week or so ago, my Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet with Power Keyboard (purchased through Telstra in Australia) wouldn't start and took me to the Windows RT 8.1 Recovery options. After unsuccessfully trying to use the recovery options to do a refresh, I decided to do a full Reset as all my data was either stored on a MicroSD card or in OneDrive.
    Unfortunately, the device has not worked since. The cause of the problem is that when I reset the device (effectively doing a reset to factory default) and then going through the initial set up of Windows RT 8.1, I am advised that I need to activate the device, but the device failes activation and I am getting an error, Error code: 0xc004f012 the licensing software service reported that the call has failed because the value for the input was not found.
    I am unable to use Microsoft Office as I am advised it isn't licensed and about 75% of Windows updates fail. I have now reset the device a few times, but I am getting nowwhere.
    I rang and spoke to Nokia Australia Support today on 1300 366 733 and they advised me to search and run a command "slui 4", which started a wizard to perform a phone activation, but after selecting Australia as the country, the next windows, which is meant to provide the number to call and provide the installation ID from which I am meant to get an confirmation ID to enter. Unfortunately, the details of the telephone number and installation ID are never displayed, with the circling little dots going for ever!!
    In essence, the Windows Activation process is looking for a Windows Product Key, which is not provided.  Consequently, I am being asked for a Product key for Windows RT 8.1 even though you don't get one.
    Although I will try with Nokia Support again tomorrow, I am starting to getting desperate! Any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Regards,
    DB Jones
    PS Does anyone know how to change your alias. My alias was created by accident.
    Solved!
    Go to Solution.

    The date/time is it correct in your tablet? adjust de date and try again to test.
    DBJOn wrote:
    About a week or so ago, my Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet with Power Keyboard (purchased through Telstra in Australia) wouldn't start and took me to the Windows RT 8.1 Recovery options. After unsuccessfully trying to use the recovery options to do a refresh, I decided to do a full Reset as all my data was either stored on a MicroSD card or in OneDrive.
    Unfortunately, the device has not worked since. The cause of the problem is that when I reset the device (effectively doing a reset to factory default) and then going through the initial set up of Windows RT 8.1, I am advised that I need to activate the device, but the device failes activation and I am getting an error, Error code: 0xc004f012 the licensing software service reported that the call has failed because the value for the input was not found.
    I am unable to use Microsoft Office as I am advised it isn't licensed and about 75% of Windows updates fail. I have now reset the device a few times, but I am getting nowwhere.
    I rang and spoke to Nokia Australia Support today on 1300 366 733 and they advised me to search and run a command "slui 4", which started a wizard to perform a phone activation, but after selecting Australia as the country, the next windows, which is meant to provide the number to call and provide the installation ID from which I am meant to get an confirmation ID to enter. Unfortunately, the details of the telephone number and installation ID are never displayed, with the circling little dots going for ever!!
    In essence, the Windows Activation process is looking for a Windows Product Key, which is not provided.  Consequently, I am being asked for a Product key for Windows RT 8.1 even though you don't get one.
    Although I will try with Nokia Support again tomorrow, I am starting to getting desperate! Any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Regards,
    DB Jones
    PS Does anyone know how to change your alias. My alias was created by accident.Te

  • I recently had to re-install Photoshop CS and I am unable to activate.

    What do I need to do to be able to use my version of Photoshop?

    if that's really an old ps cs version, you can no longer activate it.
    however, you can download and activate ps cs2.  read about it here:  http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/policy-pricing/creative-suite-2-activation-end-life.htm l

  • Windows 7 Professional on IdeaPad laptops

    Hi,
    Is it possible to install Windows 7 Professional on IdeaPad laptops?
    Thanks

    hi coolarchtek.
    you can upgrade the windows anytime you want but probably you will need to buy another windows copy to install windows 7 pro.
    hope this helps.

  • Re-installing windows, will i have to re buy office 2013

    I am going to re install windows on my laptop,I was wondering if I would have to buy office again if I wiped my hard drive and re install windows.

    Hi,
    You can reinstall Office and activate it with your original product key. As long as your hardware is not substantially different, Office product key will still works.
    If you have made changes to the hardware, then it will be considered as a new computer. You may choose the phone activation and activate the Office. You might check this link to see how to do a phone activation:
    https://support.office.com/en-US/Article/Activate-Office-2013-Office-365-Home-or-Office-365-Personal-1144e0de-e849-496e-8e33-ed6fb1b34202
    Regards,
    Ethan Hua
    TechNet Community Support
    It's recommended to download and install
    Configuration Analyzer Tool (OffCAT), which is developed by Microsoft Support teams. Once the tool is installed, you can run it at any time to scan for hundreds of known issues in Office
    programs.

  • HP Stream 13 tried clean install windows 10. Invalid Key

    EDIT:  I have am HP Stream 13 that came with 8.1   The hard drive ont hese things is not large enough to compleate the upgrade to windows 10. So i preformed a clean install from a USB.  Now i have 10 and it is not activated.  NOW I read that you MUSST preform the upgrade first in order for windows to detect your hardware and register it as valis for the free windows 10.   BUT since upgrade was not posible I have a windows 8.1 key that is useless since there is no service to change the key to a windows 10 key..   This is insane. these laptops are being advertisd with the free upgrade to windows 10 yet are not able to be upgraded.  Not sure what to do now.    I am running a new HP stream 13 touchscreen with windows 8.1 I want to upgrade to windows 10 before I am back to school (before i have to install all kinds of software and files) Obciously the Stream does not have enough SSD left to preform the upgrade.  I have created a clean install USB thumb drive but am worried about using it.  From what i have read the recovery partition that is not deleteable houses files that the system accesses. When i do a Clean install wiping the C drive (but not the partition) will everything work? will i loose the use of that partition space forever?   and lastly I used a program to access my windows key since it is located in the bios not on a sticker but I want to know if anyone else has done this and did it auto detect? or did they run in to any problems.  Sorry if this is all posted somewhere else but i am not finding any information at all.  EDIT!   I do have a USB recovery that i can use if i must to windows 8.1    I installed 10 from a USB and it is workign fine other than it is now saying my KEY isnt valid for this clean install. How do i convert my 8.1 key to a key that will work for 10? I cant see myself buying a new key from microsoft when the laptop was sold with an advert saying free upgrade to 10.   It isnt posible to do a upgrade because of the space required for the upgrade to do its work. this is a real pain. 

    Hi, I had the same problem on the Stream 7 tablet, I used a third party tool to extract the Windows 8.1 with Bing license key and then I wiped the hard drive clean and did a fresh install of Windows 10 from a USB.  Windows 10 would not recognize the license key from my system board and it would not accept the key that I manually inputted.  As you said, it appears you have to upgrade Windows 8.1 in-place first, wait for Windows 10 to activate it, and then you can supposedly wipe the drive clean and install Windows 10 fresh and it will then activate it.  I intend to restore Windows 8.1 from my recovery USB and try this.  Since you also have the recovery media, it sounds like you could try this too?  After a fresh recovery, there is around 20 GB available on the C: drive I think so there should be enough room to upgrade to Windows 10? 

  • Unable to log in to user account after installing windows 7 using Bootcamp

    Hi everyone,
    I need help. I have been at it for days, I have googled every which way but I am not able to fix this. Basically my problem is that I am unable to log in to my user account after I used Bootcamp to install windows 7. I will explain what I did up until I couldn't log in.
    I backed up my user account using Time Machine(I was logged in as the user). The account had FileVault activated and I neglected to disable FileVault before back up. I just didn't think to, it did not even occur to me! Then I partitioned Macintosh HD, I was doing this with my step son and he thought we were supposed to partition the hard drive first before running Bootcamp! After that was done, I couldn't run Bootcamp because obviously we had whipped the HD clean! Anyway, I reinstalled the OS X using the internet, after which I run Bootcamp and successfully installed windows 7. Then I went on to restore my account using Time Machine, only when I try to log in I get the error message "you are unable to log in to the user account at this time". I tried every possible solution I could find on here, including creating a new admin account, deleting the old account but saving the user folder and then routing the new account to the old user folder. Still nothing. I have tried logging in as a root user, reset the master password and deleted FileVault files from Library/keychain in the hope I would access the user account, but to no avail. What's more is that I can't even see the sparse bundle or sparse image files that people keep referring too. I can't even find it on the Time Machine back up! I then thought I would cut my losses and try system recovery using Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery (cost me £81) but it did not recover any of my photos, music, videos or documents.
    I honestly can't come to terms with the fact that I am unable to login to an account with 3 years worth of pictures and documents. I am having a hard time letting go. Is there anyway possible to crack this?
    Thank you in advance.
    By the way, I am running Mountain Lion OX 10.8.4 on MacBook mid 2010

    I have this exact problem. Installed Bootcamp on a networked iMac running Mountain lion and and can no longer log in to my Mac user account. Would love if any of the pro users on here can shed a bit of light.

  • HT5639 Unable to install windows 8 in my Macbook pro 13" .. after the upgrade ..:(

    I have updated my Mountain Lion (10.8.3) yesterday .. which includes the latest Bootcamp update which allows the user to install Windows8.
    Am unable to install Windows8 .. "Windows 8 is not supported on this Mac" .. My MacBook Pro is ..13-inch, Mid 2010.
    Any idea ????

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
    See > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5634 Mid 2010 and newer MacBooks Pro support Windows 8, except the Mid 2010 13-inch MacBook Pro, so unfortunately, you can't install Windows 8 officially on your computer.
    However, Windows 8 is completely compatible with your computer, but Apple didn't want to provide compatibility for your MacBook. There are some guides in Macs forums (I think there's one here) that helps you to install Windows 8 on your unsupported computer through Boot Camp, installing the Boot Camp drivers, too. Do that at your own risk

  • Unable to install Windows 7 RC x64 on macbook 2.2

    hi
    im unable to install windows 7 x64 rc on my macbook. i have a macbook 2.2 (white)
    after creating the partion using boot camp my comp restarts and gets stuck on a black screen that says
    1.
    2.
    choose CD-ROM boot type :
    thats it.. nothing more.. jst a blinking cursor.
    any idea wat the error is.
    1. can my macbook 2.2 (white) run x64?
    2. i have downloaded a patch for bootcamp (bootcampx64.msi) , wat do i do with it?
    3. what should i do next?

    http://jowie.com/blog/post/2008/02/24/Select-CD-ROM-Boot-Type-prompt-while-tryin g-to-boot-from-Vista-x64-DVD-burnt-from-iso-file.aspx
    Read carefuly that article. It describes step by step how-to modify Windows 7 64x RC DVD image to boot smoothly on any Mac. Be sure to creat 8 sector disk instead of 4
    Thanks to Jowie I was able to install Windows 7 64x on my early Aluminium iMac.
    PS: Be sure to download Boot Camp version 2.1.1 and modify it so setup will run without errors. I can't hel you with direct links but I can at least warn you. Have fun and good luck

Maybe you are looking for