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I don't need to redo my computer, I just need the PRODUCT KEY, which is on motherboard
Is it the ePPID number, or I am going to have to figure out how to get into BIOS to the motherboard. There is no sticker. I want to download a program from Microsoft, but they want the product key. It is OEM, and I don't have a sticker. :emotion-18:
rdunnill
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January 7th, 2014 21:00
For Windows 8/8.1, Media Center is extra-cost.
theflash1932
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January 7th, 2014 19:00
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?
theflash1932
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January 7th, 2014 19:00
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?
kkay59
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January 7th, 2014 19:00
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)
kkay59
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January 7th, 2014 19:00
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.
kkay59
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January 7th, 2014 20:00
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.
kkay59
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January 7th, 2014 21:00
I think I will go with either Moovida or MediaPortal. Both are FREE.
kkay59
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January 7th, 2014 21:00
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.
rdunnill
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January 8th, 2014 19:00
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.
rdunnill
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January 8th, 2014 19:00
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.
kkay59
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January 8th, 2014 20:00
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.
kkay59
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January 8th, 2014 23:00
Thank you for all the vast knowledge you supplied. Sadly, I chose the slim system. Now I wish I had not.
Philip_Yip
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January 8th, 2014 23:00
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.
Philip_Yip
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January 9th, 2014 00:00
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.
kkay59
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January 9th, 2014 08:00
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.