Unsolved
1 Rookie
•
5 Posts
0
37
July 27th, 2025 18:30
No more Windows
Windows was preinstalled on the xps8590 PC I bought in July, 2023. I wrote down the product key and saved it electronically on 2 drives as well. I don't remember ever registering nor using Dell for anything at all during the last 2 years. I hardly even used the Windows Pro 11 version on the PC other than running updates to it.
Sometime in late 2024 or early 2025 I inadvertently wiped out Windows entirely with a partitioning mistake over a Linux installation. I'd had a dual boot and almost always ran Linux.
My understanding is that while I've erased and reinstalled Linux endlessly, that original OEM product is BRANDED into the PC's motherboard. I don't have any Windows license it says in my Microsoft account, just Office 365, but not Windows.
Can I somehow re-use that original product key or do I blow over $200 just for attempting and most likely failing to install a retail Windows Pro 11 or from a downloaded Microsoft online version onto a USB? What are my options if any? Am I sunk? Should I even try to lose the $200 at least, knowing there's next to no hope?
Thank you for reading so much and for ANY ANY way to do this.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
0
July 27th, 2025 19:07
As long as the system has the original mainboard, and Windows 11 Pro has been activated on it before, simply install it using the MS Media Creation Tool and once you connect to to the Internet, it will activate against Microsoft's activation servers.
You do not need a product key to do the installation.
nsdesu16
1 Rookie
•
5 Posts
0
July 27th, 2025 20:42
ejin63, thank you but I do not have a "PC" environment, i.e., there is no way I can run an .exe which is what the MS Media Creation Tool is. That's my problem: all of the Microsoft websites I've looked at and all the research always foolishly seem to assume that I already have a Windows environment so I can install Windows. I don't. I cannot run any .exe from any computer I have. The "PC" I have cannot now run an .exe ... and I've been through the Wine mess. That's a no-go as well. But thank you for responding.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
1
July 27th, 2025 20:55
You can also download Windows as an ISO and use whatever you'd like to write it to a flash drive.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11
anne_droid
3 Apprentice
•
649 Posts
0
July 28th, 2025 09:26
Hi
Use Ventoy, perhaps, and drop the iso onto there, just as @ejn63 states.
Don't forget to H#SH the download, not using PowerShell, but using something like...
Much like this...
ann@Lapmargin: 0;">cachyos-desktop-linux-250530.iso refind-cd-0.14.2.iso
debian-12.11.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso rescuezilla-2.6.1-64bit.oracular.iso
gparted-live-1.7.0-8-amd64.iso 'System Volume Information'
HBCD_PE_x64.iso Win11_24H2_EnglishInternational_x64.iso
linuxmint-22.1-cinnamon-64bit.iso
(edited)
nsdesu16
1 Rookie
•
5 Posts
0
July 28th, 2025 15:01
Good morning anne_droid and ejn63,
Can't get it to respond. I used woeusb in Arch and did create a bootable 16GB usb stick which does at least attempt an installation. I set up EOS (Arch flavor of Linux) the way I'm familar with on an old iMac and have all of my files and data, then I totally wiped the internal disk on the 2023 PC.
Nope. It can't find it. I enabled TPM, I have the bios set to UEFI, I created a new partition table on the internal PC disk with gpt and created two partitions, a fat32 2GB and the rest of it ntfs using gparted. And it the 16GB stick STILL can't find it.
Ann, about your info ... a bit over my head but on the old iMac I am sitting here currently watching endless streams of "make" running in trying to install ventoy but the Microsoft website where I created the iso won't let me try again ... calls it an error, most likely because I just attempted the whole process early this morning.
Looks like a total no-go at this point. Not enough knowledge to say this but i really do think my motherboard is BRANDED, preventing the internal disk from being exposed and available.
Thank you both anyway ... the "attempt" expires tomorrow morning at 3:46 am.
nsdesu16
1 Rookie
•
5 Posts
0
July 28th, 2025 16:31
I guess the problem is no brains: I have no Windoze license. I haven't been asked to pay anything. Maybe the link ejn63 provided: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 ... already assumes my license exists. It doesn't.
If all the above is really why I can install most likely any Linux on that blank internal formatted gpt disk but not Windoze, then that ends it because I'm not paying.
ejn63
10 Elder
•
28.6K Posts
0
July 28th, 2025 16:45
If the system was shipped with Windows, there is a license key for Windows on the mainboard.
I suspect the issue in not being able to boot the Windows install media may be that the drive is in IRST (Intel RAID) mode -- is it? F2 at powerup to check. If it is you will need to pause the installation when indicated and insert the VMD or IRST install mode driver before the installer will see the drive. You DO NOT need to partition or format the drive onto which you're installing. Just write the ISO to the flash drive using an ISO write utility.
nsdesu16
1 Rookie
•
5 Posts
0
July 28th, 2025 19:39
Oh man, thanks so much! That was it. Your suspicions were correct! I did find a setting in F2 ... in Advanced if I remember, which had a toggle of choosing RAID or "ahci/nvme" (the names for SSD drives) and yep, it was on RAID. I flipped it to ahci/nvme or whatever it was, that one, saved and exited and then poof, it DID see the drive but still would not allow me to install. Never needed to locate any drivers, Dells or otherwise, thank God.
I deleted its partitions I'd set up, giving it total space, and magically THEN got passed it ... I saw the INSTALL button. It's installed now and running updates. I'm surprised to see it's WDoze HOME though. I did read that I'd have a choice. Nope. Well, ok I guess.
I never have used RAID, not being involved with redundancies ... I'm not a data center with hundreds of servers ... just one old guy with older computers lying around. This 2023 PC is the newest one.
I've just added my Microsoft account, reluctantly. My whole purpose in all of this is just to have WDoze around "just in case" ... at least for another few years until they want $$$ again. I'm still waiting to be charged for something.
Thank you so much for taking the time to help me. Not sure I'm out of the quicksand yet but I've gotten this far thanks to you.