window 8 product key loss

[knight4sue]

I have some HP pro desk 600 G1 DM with Windows 8 pro sticker ( tiny sticker ). When we purchased it 5-6 years ago, we first fog it, then install Windows 10 and run it inside the server. Now, we going to get rid of them, so I fog it for sales, but after fog the Windows key 8 repeats for every computer ( as the same Windows key ) and I just can’t update Windows 10. Seems like FOG took the first image and run the same key to every computer. Just want to ask if there is a chance to get the key back?

[george1421]

@knight4sue I’m not sure I understand your problem because the windows 8 key is stored in the firmware so if you are putting an OEM image back onto the computer it should activate itself using the built in key.

Now, I’ve done something similar to you to put the computers back to the default OS as we purchased them. Typically before we even boot the new computer into the as purchased OS we will use FOG to capture an unactivated version of windows from that new computer. If you did not do this originally you can still do what you want to do.

Take one of these computers and an OEM version of the OS that was delivered with the computer. Install windows from the DVD or usb media. But this part is important. The windows installed will install the base OS and then reboot. Power off the computer when it starts to reboot. Its important you stop it in this exact spot. So what is on the hard drive is the OS files before windows boots for the first time and windows setup begins. NOW capture this disk image with FOG. Leave the original computer untouched, but deploy what you just captured to a new target computer. The first time that computer boots winsetup and oobe will start. They OS will not know it was cloned to a second computer and it should activate on its own with the OEM windows key.

[knight4sue]

@george1421 Hi, thank you for your reply.
yes, I agree with you that windows 8 should be stored in the firmware, but then I just don’t understand why when we fog from win 10 back to windows 8 by the image we have 5 years ago, it then grabs the same key to every computer. ( I fog 5 computers and 5 both have the same exact key ). I tried several ways to get the original key from bios by Powershell, cmd, or even registry and nothing worked. All value is empty or no value

again, sorry for the misunderstanding. I am a student worker and try to fog some old computers for sales. What I thought is the fog, will bring the computer back to the time before we going to join domain, and delete everything sensitive inside of it.
I dont think we still keep the cd. But I will try to see if your way work. Thank you again!