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Install Windows 8.1 OEM without the manufacturer overlay

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lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   -  
lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   -
Hello everyone :)

I'm in the process of resetting a friend's Acer notebook running Windows 8.1 Core back to factory settings. Everything is going well, but it is quite slow, mainly due to the Acer manufacturer's bloatware and all the unwanted stuff for a laptop equipped with only 2 GB of RAM (expandable to 8 on a single slot).

I tried installing the same version of Windows 8.1 Core in French with the evaluation product key, and there, without the aforementioned bloatware, the system is much more responsive (I'm surprised by the result; I didn't know Windows 8 was sold on machines with only 2 GB).

A detail that may be important: it was purchased in the United States and the system is in the American version (the keyboard is in QWERTY of course).

From what I understand, the product key is read in the BIOS and I have a plethora of applications (including RWEverything) that return the same product key, but during installation, it is rejected.

How can I activate the license on the more responsive French version?

Thank you in advance for the time you will dedicate to me ;)

With brotherly love,
lnj

3 answers

  1.
    brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171
     
    Hello,

    The answer is in the question and the link that provides these keys: they only allow you to install Windows, not to activate it.

    But if it's an OEM PC, I don't understand the question: whether you install the same version of Windows with or without the overlay, the license will still be read in the BIOS, where we can, if it doesn't activate automatically, look for it using various tools.
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    1. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62
       
      Hi brucine :),

      These keys: they only allow you to install Windows, not activate it.
      Yes, I used them to test the official version (without the Acer overlay) and it works quite well, but what I want now is to activate the license with the original PK (same version, edition, only the language changes), the one provided by the BIOS.

      When I go to the general system information, I notice that the license is not activated. When I try to activate it, it asks me for the PK. I enter the PK extracted from the BIOS, and the following message appears:
      "This key cannot be used to activate this edition of Windows. Try another key."

      Isn't it a problem with the language of the system (USA vs France)? In that case, I would need the American ISO...

      We can, if it doesn't activate automatically, search for it using different tools.
      I have tried a lot of them, and they all return the same PK. Some gave other PKs but I don't know what to attribute them to. Anyway, I also tested them without any more success!

      I don't see what is different between the factory version and the one I installed...

      Note: I just saw that 
      slmgr /dli
      returns: 
      Name : Windows(R), Core edition
      Description : Windows(R) Operating System, RETAIL channel
      Partial product key : D3VPT
      License status : notification
      Reason for notification : 0xC004F009 (the grace period has expired).


      Do you have any idea on how to install the same OEM version without the overlay?
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    2. brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171 > lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
       
      The full key can be obtained via PowerShell:

      wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey

      but I’m not sure it changes anything in the situation.

      Upon checking, it seems to be from prehistoric times, there are several versions of 8.1 for each type including a "Single Language" (but then it would have remained in English, I don't know if that's the case).

      Under these circumstances, it might be necessary to recreate a Windows 8.1 ISO from the appropriate US version:

      https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/windows8ISO

      I had a similar problem with an HP OEM PC that, despite being formatted and reinstalled from a "neutral" 21H2 ISO, resurrected the "factory" version of Windows (1703) along with a number of junk that came with it: this is a Plan B, reinstall the factory version then get rid of all the crap ("software" bundled that serves no purpose, useless utilities, scheduled tasks...).

      It is tedious because it is also necessary to clean up the autorun entries and corresponding services, but it’s not very difficult, and in fact, a sluggish PC does not suffer so much from stored software as from the consumption due to unnecessary tasks and services that need to be ruthlessly disabled.

      It is also clear that, on such weak machines, one must forgo a number of resource-hungry software.
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    3. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62 > brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       
      The full key can be obtained via PowerShell:
      Already done, and I get the BIOS PK (I know it's from the BIOS thanks to RWEverything)

      In these conditions, it may be necessary to recreate a Windows 8.1 ISO from the appropriate US version
      Oh really, we can recreate an ISO! How do you do that :D ???

      it's a plan B
      That’s what I feared... Having to manually remove the manufacturer overlay; we'll call it plan Z then ;)

      I just saw this thread but I don't see a COA sticker because the battery is integrated and NOT external (maybe under the cover, but I prefer to avoid disassembling it).
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    4. brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171 > lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
       
      The COA label has been discontinued since Windows 7; starting with Windows 8, the license is purely digital:

      https://lecrabeinfo.net/tout-savoir-sur-les-licences-windows-retail-oem-vl-cle-produit.html

      I didn't tell you to create your customized ISO (though it's entirely possible), but to burn it onto a DVD or to make a bootable USB drive, for example, see here in 64 bits, I haven't tried:

      https://webintopc.com/windows-8-1-oem-core-single-language-64-bit-free-download/
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    5. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62 > brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       
      The COA label has not existed since Windows 7; starting from Windows 8, the license is only digital.
      Oops, I had forgotten, thanks for refreshing my memory :)

      I didn't tell you to create your custom ISO (even though that's entirely possible) but to burn it to a DVD or make a bootable USB, see for example there in 64 bits, I haven't tried:
      I didn't understand that; I thought you were saying we could recreate an OEM ISO.

      I'm in the process of downloading the Windows 8.1 OEM Core ISO to test (58 minutes announced).
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  2. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62
     
    According to @MPMP10 (whose thread has disappeared), the license would be locked to the OEM system with the manufacturer overlay. So to put it simply, you can't activate the license elsewhere.

    That seems completely unfair considering the capabilities of the machine. With the factory system just reinstalled, it takes a minute to display a menu. "They sell this????"

    --
    I have questions about all your answers. (Woody Allen)
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    1. brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171
       
      No,

      the license is indeed tied to the original manufacturer’s PC, but not to the salt and pepper they added in Windows; you just need an appropriate and identical OEM version for all manufacturers, still to be found.

      I'm mulling it over, it's possible that the PC reads the trial key which, in principle, was registered elsewhere (hidden file, registry...) and that it would still need to be killed by slmgr to prevent the machine from getting mixed up in reading the license.
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    2. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62 > brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       
      The license is indeed linked to the manufacturer PC, but not to the salt and pepper it added in Windows.
      Are you sure about what you are saying, because MPMP10 seemed to affirm the opposite?

      It's possible that the PC reads the trial key ... elsewhere (hidden file, registry...)
      A priori, I can already rule out the registry since I analyzed the result of LicenceCrawler - trial version.

      The only PKs found are those in the BIOS and another in this registry key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DefaultProductKey
      => I don't know what it's for but I tested it WITHOUT success!

      Am I mistaken or are you giving me hope here? :D
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    3. brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171 > lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
       
      There are series of OEM license keys that are assigned to a specific manufacturer rather than another, but an OEM ISO is, in principle, the same for everyone.

      The problem is that, since they are OEM, it is not Microsoft that distributes them but rather the manufacturer that adds its own twist (for example, at least at one time Dell had its "customized" ISOs available for download), and they are therefore difficult to find, requiring that they be not only OEM, but also correspond to the correct key deployment version (if I remember correctly, there are at least 3 or 4), in the correct language if they are single-language versions...

      The situation, at least for European versions, is less true since a European directive has, to simplify, stated that one cannot resell what has already been sold but that one cannot oppose this transfer either: this is why one finds everywhere on the Internet licenses for a few euros that officially correspond only to "fees" and that, when they are honest, come from machines that have been destroyed.

      In other words, the licenses that can be found at low prices on the Internet, I assume there must also be some for Windows 8.1, are either volume licenses (in which case they are illegal) or OEM licenses.

      If I remember correctly, at least after Windows 10, there are no longer any OEM ISOs, but only one per version (Home, Pro...) and even then not always, as the license only unlocks the capabilities of the version to which it corresponds.
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    4. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62 > brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
       
      Very interesting!

      I'm not really sure what to do because after more than 8 hours of searching, I'm feeling lazy about finding a solution, especially since Microsoft makes their licenses and the rights to use them fully a real headache (it almost feels like they're doing it on purpose :D ).

      The solution that seems the least painful would indeed be to go back to the factory version and (attempt) to remove the manufacturer overlay (the plan Z, I remind you). But that takes time too, and having done it before, you can forget crucial points.

      Or I could buy a Windows 8.1 OEM license (I saw one for 1€) to maybe upgrade to the Pro edition.

      The full story is that the PC had become unusable since the forced upgrade to Windows 10 (on a notebook with 2 GB of RAM, I remind you). Initially, when I couldn't restore with Windows 8.1 (the restoration installed Windows 10), I suggested reinstalling Windows 7, which is more suitable for 2 GB. To that end, a few days ago I bought a Windows 7 Pro OEM license for 1€ that I haven't received yet. Today, while getting my hands "dirty," I managed to restore the factory WIM image of Windows 8.1 that was stored in a hidden partition (I can detail my approach if you're interested), but Windows 10 was preventing the restoration.

      I don’t know how reliable these 1€ OEM licenses are...

      for example, at one time, at least Dell had its "customized" ISOs available for download
      Do you have a link you could suggest?
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    5. brucine Posted messages 24870 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 171 > lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention  
       
      As if by design, I can no longer find the direct Dell link that I thought I had stumbled upon yesterday and that wouldn't have been of much use to you since it added Dell utilities.

      We can find unmodified Windows 8.1 versions on the Dell forums that lead to Microsoft.

      https://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-microsoft-windows/download-windows-8-1-retail-and-oem-iso-video-tutorial/

      Regarding your recovery image, it will contain the Asus stuff unless you've modified it; I haven't engaged in this activity for ages, but the wim images from manufacturers are usually just original ISOs most often added to with simple scripts (if I remember correctly, at HP, it's bat) leading to the installation of bloatware, and it is therefore "sufficient" to intercept these for the bloatware not to be installed.
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  3. lenainjaune Posted messages 726 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   62
     

    Hello :) ! Any news ...

    After spending a lot of time reading, searching, and testing, I finally managed to successfully remove the manufacturer overlay from the Windows 8.1 Core 64-bit factory image and to switch the system to French entirely! In the end, the system is fast (reboot test: 10-20s to shut down and 40s to start up) just like when installing it with the Retail version, and the license is retained and activated. How cool is that B-) ...

    Before detailing my process (I don't provide a timeline; I take my time based on my availability, desires, and health), I suggest an overview of the method that will allow those who have some experience (or those who aren't afraid to dig) to get rid of the manufacturer overlay.

    1. Backup the entire disk to be able to revert to 0 (in my case, I use Clonezilla and backup to an external drive)
    2. Retrieve the WIM image file of the system as created by the manufacturer (in my case, the largest WIM file stored in a hidden recovery partition named "Push Button Reset")
    3. From a Windows system (7/8/8.1/10) with the automated installation kit WAIK or ADK installed, ensure that the WIM file contains the desired volume using Dism or ImageX (for me, Windows 8.1 Core 64-bit); if not, go back to (2) to try another image until you find the right one
    4. Mount the WIM image file with ImageX (for me, it required a partition with 22 GB free); optionally, to minimize the storage space of the WIM image, one can create a new WIM image by extracting only the desired volume from the factory image.
    5. Delete the main manufacturer folder (in my case, a hidden folder at the root named OEM :'D ) and the bloatware installation folders and the like (see below MY STATE OF AFFAIRS). WARNING: do NOT delete the manufacturer's application folders at this stage (in my case, from Program Files, Program Files (x86), ProgramData, and Programs), as uninstalling the applications may prove difficult.
    6. Dismount the modified volume by validating the changes (/Commit)
    7. Copy the modified WIM image, timestamp it, and give it a descriptive name to precisely identify the changes it contains (in my case, I use the same external drive as for the backup)
    8. Boot into a WinPE environment with integrated ImageX with access to the modified WIM image (in my case, from an external drive connected before booting), format the system partition (in my case, I use diskpart to format C:) and apply the modified WIM image to C: with ImageX. Restart.
    9. Complete the system installation and verify that the system is operational (see below what I call OPERATIONAL SYSTEM); if it is NOT conclusive, go back to step (4)
    10. I assume here that the system is operational (at least we have the applied and activated license). From the Programs and Features section, it's time to remove the remaining bloatware applications and manufacturer applications (see below REMOVE BLOATWARES AND SIMILARS). Some applications may fail to uninstall (see REMOVE A BLOCKED APPLICATION below). Finally, there may be scheduled tasks that were not removed during uninstallation that can be deleted manually (see below ORPHANED SCHEDULED TASKS).
    11. [Option] One can change the system language in sessions and on the welcome screen (see below CHANGE THE SYSTEM LANGUAGE)
    12. If you reach this point, you have an operational system without the manufacturer layer, you can then back up the system partition (in my case, still Clonezilla) and store it in a hidden partition for restoration in case of need (in my case, before backing up, as I intended to keep both the Clonezilla backup and the factory WIM image to revert to 0 with the manufacturer layer or restore the system without the manufacturer layer; since the recovery partition was too small, I had to reduce the system partition to allocate to the recovery one first)

    MY STATE OF AFFAIRS

    Note: it is necessary for the file manager to show hidden folders and files.

    List of marked folders and shortcuts (between _ and _ ) that I have deleted from the modified WIM image; everything not marked will be deleted after finalization from the system.

     [3] \mount\AcerCloud [4] \mount\_OEM_ [1] \mount\Program Files (x86)\Acer [1] \mount\Program Files (x86)\Amazon [1] \mount\Program Files (x86)\CyberLink [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_mcafee.com_ [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_McAfee_ [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_Microsoft Office_ [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_Spotify_ [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_WildGames_ [ ] \mount\Program Files (x86)\_WildTangent Games_ [1] \mount\ProgramData\Acer [ ] \mount\ProgramData\_McAfee_ [2] \mount\ProgramData\OEM [1] \mount\ProgramData\Soluto [ ] \mount\ProgramData\_WildTangent_ [1] \mount\Programs\Acer [ ] \mount\Programs\_Booking.COM_ [ ] \mount\Programs\_mcafee.com_ [ ] \mount\Programs\_mcafee_ [5] \mount\Programs\_Private Wifi_ [1] \mount\Programs\Soluto [2] \mount\Windows\System32\OEM [6] \mount\Users\Public\Desktop\_*_.lnk Legend: [ ] Nothing to report [1] not uninstallable if folder deleted (uninstallable after), so we won’t touch it [2] apparently not linked to Acer OEM [3] "Acer Docs Office Addin" not uninstallable if removed (delete after) [4] THE OEM folder :D [5] unnecessary application layer [6] shortcuts copied to the desktop of each new user (lightens the display) app application folder NOT to be deleted from the volume (will be deleted from the system) _ele_ item (folder or link) marked for deletion

    See also below REMOVE BLOATWARES AND SIMILARS.

    REMOVE BLOATWARES AND SIMILARS

    Manual removal of bloatwares and similars: WildTangent, Spotify, Soluto, Pokki Start Menu (close IE at the end), Office 365 (trial version), McAffee LiveSafe - Internet Security (curiously was not removed when deleting the folders), Cyberlink (PowerDirector, PhotoDirector), Amazon 1Button (Change > Repair or Remove > Configure to not install => uninstall)

    Acer overlay removal: Live Updater, Identity Card, Video Player, User Experience Improvement (Framework + Program Monitor), Remote Files, Recovery Management, Quick Access, Power Management,
    Portal, Photo, Media, Launch Manager, Explorer Agent, Acer Docs, and finally Acer Docs Office Addin (which caused issues, see below REMOVE A BLOCKED APPLICATION)

    OPERATIONAL SYSTEM

    Points to check:

    • No error at login;
    • No resident bloatwares (popup at startup, icons in the systray, Windows startup configuration msconfig, etc.)
    • OEM license applied and activated
    • The remaining installed bloatwares are uninstallable and uninstalled

    Other useful points:

    • Other Language Packs (e.g., FR) installable (see below CHANGE THE SYSTEM LANGUAGE)
    • Using/testing the system provides a smooth experience

    ORPHANED SCHEDULED TASKS

    By chance, I discovered in the Windows Registry that after uninstalling the manufacturer application layer, there were scheduled tasks left behind, so orphaned.

    I found them here:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\TaskCache\Tree

    Note: I can't say if this key exists in every Windows system, regardless of version-edition-architecture

    It’s enough to look at which key the task is located in to find it from the Task Scheduler in Windows (the subkeys of the Tree key in the registry reflect the task folders in the scheduler) and delete it manually.

    REMOVE A BLOCKED APPLICATION

    When uninstalling an application fails, my experience and tests have allowed me to discover that the solution is also found in the Windows Registry.

    In my case, in this key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products

    Note: this key would exist in every Windows system, regardless of version-edition-architecture

    I had a problem uninstalling the application Acer Docs Office Addin. So I searched with regedit the text "acer" from this Products key and found occurrences in the InstallProperties value, in subkeys such as:

    ...\0B8EF4ACC892D5E44A683FB321D6A6A0\InstallProperties

    Looking at the other values, I noticed that one of them was named UninstallString and its content was MsiExec.exe /X{CA4FE8B0-298C-4E5D-A486-F33B126D6A0A}

    I then tried to execute the MsiExec command as is, and an uninstallation window popped up allowing me to uninstall properly.

    Note: in another case, since the uninstallation failed, I attempted to do a repair from the uninstallation window since it was offered, and then try to uninstall again ... and it worked!

    CHANGE THE SYSTEM LANGUAGE

    Successfully tested with Windows 8.1 and 10.

    In my case, since the computer was purchased in the United States, I have to change the system language from EN to FR.

    Download the Language Pack without error and change the system language to FR (Config panel > Language), and to see the effects on the session, you must log out.

    Note: to change the language of the welcome page, system accounts, and new user accounts (Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region > Region, Administrative tab, section Welcome screen and new user accounts > Copy settings) and restart*

    => the entire system is now in FR

    That's it, hoping this can help!

    It is "a priori" NOT possible to activate an OEM license by performing an installation from a Retail ISO. So I renamed the thread from "Enter and activate PK Windows 8.1 OEM" to "Install Windows 8.1 OEM without the manufacturer overlay," which better corresponds to the content.

    So the problem is resolved :) !

    See you soon :D !

    lnj

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