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Question

Get activated windows 8 back using Windows RE tools only?

Mar 26, 2015 11:07AM PDT

Hello everyone,
While playing around with partitions and UEFI, I messed up the recovery partition. All that is left of the HDD is this
1.1GB partition named "Windows RE Tools"
749GB of unallocated free space

The "Windows RE Tools" partition got saved somehow.
Can I reinstall
windows 8 from an iso and use the data inside Windows RE Tools to
register and do stuff the same way it used to be? I just need to have my
windows 8 installation (activated) back. Is this possible as explained
here:
https://www.winhelp.us/repair-your-computer-in-windows-8.html
I am sorry in advance if I left out an important piece of information.
Thanks

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I'm going with no.
Mar 26, 2015 11:14AM PDT

That web site didn't work for you and you have a damaged recovery partition.

There is some good news for some owners like Dell that can download the Dell OS DVD. But I suggest recovery media because folk had a devil of a week finding all the drivers and APPS!!! to get it all working.

Order the recovery media and why not backup the entire drive when it's working?
Bob

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Should I delete the Windows RE Tools?
Mar 26, 2015 11:23AM PDT

Thanks R. Proffitt.
Should I delete the "Windows RE Tools" partition as well since it is of no use now, right? The free space gets a Gig more Happy This is an HP Probook 450 G1. Yeah, I should have but its too late now.
What use can the "Windows RE Tools" partition be given the current situtation?

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Have to write no.
Mar 26, 2015 11:38AM PDT

I have seen this question before and when it's blown so badly the onboard recovery fails we use the recovery media.

I didn't write no to the ISO. No PC made boots from an ISO. Some have tried that and will continue to do so. The ISO is to create the bootable DVD but as you can guess some lose days trying to boot the ISO.

HP has one answer at http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Operating-Systems-Software-Recovery/Download-Windows-8-1-ISO/td-p/3034695 but you are out a license key for that. Recovery media from HP is cheaper than the Windows 8 license.

Maybe, just maybe you can install Windows 10?
Bob

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Answer
Re: re-activating Win8
Apr 2, 2015 12:59PM PDT

Hi _harIsh3_

By mistaking Windows 8.! as being "The ultimate System", I bought 2 Full CD versions of it believing it to supposedly be an improve on Win7, which turned out worse than "the Vista Sys" - HORRORS!

My win8.1 whole system crashed totally after I downloaded and installed a bundle of many update bundles of updates via "windows updates", and so had to format my 1Tb HD as IZ could no longer access it. Then as much as I hate Win 8.1 and hoping to make my sys more compatible with 8.1 and after reinstalling Windows 8.1 onto my updated my Sys (6core) and I rang Microsoft for re-activating and after explaining as above they did allow and helped me to do so.
Hope this helps - Hank