New install of Win8 on Asus Vivobook

[Tyce]

I bought an Asus vivobook (S400CA) about 2 weeks ago and I tried to install a new SSD to replace the old 5400rpm HDD. Long story short, I messed up cloning the original hard drive so it will no longer boot at all. I already have an extra copy of a windows 8 DVD (with an unused product key) available, and I'm thinking I can somehow put that windows 8 dvd onto a USB and "recover" the new Windows 8 to the SSD. However, when I spoke to Asus about this, I believe they mentioned something along the lines of how you cant install a new windows 8 OS to the laptop, because the motherboard is bound to the old windows 8 key. If this is true, it kind of seems like I'm stuck. I there anyway to get around this? And I also asked Asus for recovery disks and they said that they no longer provide the recovery disk service.

 

[noble]

Well if the laptop came with windows 8 you can still use that key. There is no need in using an extra license, and even if you did there wouldnt be a problem.
You can install infinite number of new unused windows keys on a certain pc, what you cannot do is use a single key on different devices. It wouldnt activate on more than one setup. Still you could use a phone service to reactivate a used key if something in your setup changed and caused your laptop to be identified as a different than the original setup. I hope I'm not confusing you. To cut a long story short try and install windows 8 again with your dvd and original laptop cd key and let us know how it turns out...

 

[Tyce]

Well that's the problem... The laptop came with Windows 8 pre installed, and I havent found any product key label on the box or inside the computer. I called Asus and they said they do not have the Windows 8 activation code info... Idk maybe the customer service rep at asus was just being lazy lol.

 

[noble]

Just read that windows 8 OEM comes with no sticker. Supposedly key is embedded in BIOS and windows installer gets it from there. Why don't you try installing it and see how it goes? Try the DVD that you have or find an OEM installation CD if yours isn't. Other than that you could get asus service to replace your recovery partition with a cost obviously.

http://superuser.com/questions/497660/will-a-clean-install-of-windows-8-recognize-an-oem-license-product-key

On the link above some users report successful installation of windows 8 even with other windows media, and are never asked of installation keys etc