CD but lost product key

[williacasey]

I have a cd for Windows 8.1 but lost the product key. I want to know if I can purchase a product key from a site such as kinguin and if that will work with my cd. Further info - I have just built my first pc and I can't install my windows because I don't have the product key anymore.

 

[USAFRet]

I have a cd for Windows 8.1 but lost the product key. I want to know if I can purchase a product key from a site such as kinguin and if that will work with my cd. Further info - I have just built my first pc and I can't install my windows because I don't have the product key anymore.

kinguin and similar very often just results in wasted money.
I could link any number of threads in here where that happened.

 

[williacasey]

If I purchase an official key from Microsoft will that work with the CD I currently have?

 

[USAFRet]

If I purchase an official key from Microsoft will that work with the CD I currently have?

Yes.

 

[J_E_D_70]

If you have to buy a key anyway, I’d recommend just getting Win 10 and downloading the installer to a usb stick.

 

[williacasey]

So just to make sure. My pc has booted once and never got past booting and installing Windows cause I didn't have a product key. So purchasing another product key from Microsoft will allow me to install Windows from the CD I currently have

 

[USAFRet]

^^^^^^^^^
That too. If you're going to buy a new OS, you might as well go with Win 10.

 

[USAFRet]

So just to make sure. My pc has booted once and never got past booting and installing Windows cause I didn't have a product key. So purchasing another product key from Microsoft will allow me to install Windows from the CD I currently have

That's not quite right.
Lack of a license key should not have influenced the OS install.
Win 8.1 would run just fine, for 30 days.

 

[williacasey]

Well when I first booted it up and everything I got to the Windows install screen and it asked for the product key and there was nothing I could do without it

 

[rgd1101]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from williacasey : "Lost product key but have cd"

I just finished building my custom pc and I purchased a cd version of Windows 8.1 for my optical drive. However I lost my product key. If I purchase another official key will that still work with my CD? Basically I don't want to reorder Windows and wait for it to ship

 

[USAFRet]

Well when I first booted it up and everything I got to the Windows install screen and it asked for the product key and there was nothing I could do without it

I've not done a clean install of 8.1 recently, but there was no option to bypass that?

 

[Bluesh1ft]

Well when I first booted it up and everything I got to the Windows install screen and it asked for the product key and there was nothing I could do without it

I've not done a clean install of 8.1 recently, but there was no option to bypass that?

There are several... Redacted by Moderator
(Pretty much your whole post was how to pirate an OS)

 

[USAFRet]

I have a cd for Windows 8.1 but lost the product key. I want to know if I can purchase a product key from a site such as kinguin and if that will work with my cd. Further info - I have just built my first pc and I can't install my windows because I don't have the product key anymore.

Since you're going to buy a new valid license anyway...just install WIn 10.
You can enter the Win 10 license later, after you purchase it.