I don't need to redo my computer, I just need the PRODUCT KEY, which is on motherboard

For Windows 8 machines, the Product Key is embedded in the BIOS.  You will need to try a third-party key finder (KeyFinder, Belarc, ProduKey, etc.) to try and retrieve it.

I've never heard of needing to provide a Windows Product Key for a product download at Microsoft ... what is it?

Which model do you have?  If it shipped from Dell directly to you with anything other than Windows 8/8.1, you will have a sticker on it and the Product Key would not be in BIOS anyway (Windows 8/8.1 keys are in the BIOS).  If it is a laptop, look under the battery.

What program from Microsoft requires a Windows Product Key?

Surely MICROSOFT could have the forethought to supply their windows consumers with a program that would find the key for you?  No, I guess they are more concerned about pirating, and less concerned about the hoops they make us jump through.  The program is Media Center.  You have to have a product key to get it, or you have to PAY FOR IT.  I do not know how to do the bios thing to get the product code.  I do see an ePPID number listed for the motherboard.  It is in System Info, thankfully supplied by Dell.  (in MY DELL)

I have the Inspiron 660s.  I bought it directly from Dell.  It had Win8, but I upgraded to Win8.1 in November.  This is a desktop. 

Well I went with Belarc Advisor.  It gave me a key.  But Microsoft said this key won't work.  :emotion-12:

This computer just turned one year old, and I bought it straight from Dell.  I don't understand why it says this key

won't work. 

I think I will go with either Moovida or MediaPortal.  Both are FREE.

I had Media Center on my Win7 laptop, it came free.  I was looking at files on an old SD card.  It had a couple of videos on it, plus photos.  The video opened up with XBox Video.  I guess that is where someone/or the program, accessed my location.  I don't want that, period.  So I thought I would get the old Media Center.  This is aggravating to no end.  I already found out they have this region thing with your dvds, and that is another got ya, they have pulled.  I bought a dvd from England, and now I won't be able to view it on this computer.  I have to have only Region 1 videos, so that means the 40 dollar video I bought, is no good on here.  Let's just say I'm not thrilled with Microsoft at this time.

I already found out they have this region thing with your dvds, and that is another got ya, they have pulled.  I bought a dvd from England, and now I won't be able to view it on this computer.  I have to have only Region 1 videos, so that means the 40 dollar video I bought, is no good on here.  Let's just say I'm not thrilled with Microsoft at this time.

Regions are part of the DVD standard; they are not a Microsoft invention. Buying an external DVD drive and setting its region code to 2 is a way around this.

I had Media Center on my Win7 laptop, it came free.

For Windows 7, it was free on all but the starter edition. On Windows 8, only the Pro (and Enterprise?) versions can use it and a license must be purchased.

Early purchasers of Pro (including upgrades) last year were eligible for free keys, but that promotion ended. In the end, I paid $40 to upgrade my OptiPlex GX620 to Windows 8 Professional with Media Center.

Thank you for all the info.  I have decided to try MediaPortal first.  I will then try the other program I mentioned.  As far as regions go, I never saw this until recently.  I bought a dvd movie, which I never do anymore hardly.  I popped it in, and I get the region alert stuff.  You are only allowed 5 views outside of your region code, if I remember right.  The dvd movie I bought last was region 1. (I guess maybe 2-3 weeks ago.)  I bought another dvd about a year ago, or more.  I played it when I had Win8, it never said anything about a region code.  I have 8.1 now, and there it is.  All of my dvds are genuine, no piracy.  The one I bought from England was not a movie, but something else. It was a hobby how to like video.  I have the cases and everything, this is not a burned dvd, it is an original.  I might be wrong, but I believe the update is in the Microsoft Windows program, as I haven't seen it before, ever.  I never even heard of it, until now.  If you put in region 2, it seems like you'd only be able to play region 2, except for the 5 time play exception. 

Thank you for all the vast knowledge you supplied.  Sadly, I chose the slim system.  Now I wish I had not. 

[quote user="kkay59"]I already found out they have this region thing with your dvds, and that is another got ya, they have pulled.  I bought a dvd from England, and now I won't be able to view it on this computer.  I have to have only Region 1 videos, so that means the 40 dollar video I bought, is no good on here.  Let's just say I'm not thrilled with Microsoft at this time.

Regions are part of the DVD standard; they are not a Microsoft invention. Buying an external DVD drive and setting its region code to 2 is a way around this.

[/quote]

For more information about DVD regions see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DVD-Regions_with_key-2.svg

As mentioned you can change the DVD region of your optical drive but there is the limitation of only being able to change it 5 times.

If it is not the slim system you can install a second optical drive and set the region of it to region 2, thus making your system multiregional. A standard optical drive is quite cheap however a blu-ray one can be quite pricy.

Software solutions include Slysoft AnyDVD which is a program that can be installed which unlocks all regions you may evaluate it free for 21 days:

http://www.slysoft.com/en/download.html

This overcomes the 5× limitation which is imposed by the hardware.

I believe Microsoft have made it so you need to get the Pro Pack with Media Centre for a Windows 8.0/8.1 Core (Home) install which costs $99. For Windows 8.0/8.1 Professional you need to get the Media Centre Pack for $9.99:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs

Personally I think it is a bad licensing idea because Dell and other OEMs will sell Home systems with the Core (Home) version otherwise just called Windows 8.0/8.1 and business systems with Windows 8.0/8.1 Professional. Media Centre as far as I can tell in XP MCE, Vista and 7 was more marketed towards the Home user and not the business user so its a bit absurd that Microsoft practically make users pay the price of a new Windows 8.0/8.1 license just to get media centre.

Thank you for all the vast knowledge you supplied.  Sadly, I chose the slim system.  Now I wish I had not.

AnyDVD will still work for you but there is a price for a full license of it however you can of course install the trial to watch the DVD.

Thank you very much for the info.  I only rarely watch that one dvd that is out of Region 1.  It is a "how to" video for a hobby.  I don't have any other dvds that are out of region.  This is one reason it is very frustrating. I bought it in England, because they were out of stock on it here. (with no idea when they would get another shipment)  Even if I did buy it here then, it still most likely would have been out of region, as I believe the only place that did sell it, imported them from England.  The man who made the video is English.