Windows 8 Windows 8 Upgrade Product Key

[Guitarman54]

A couple of years ago I upgraded from XP to Windows 8 when Microsoft where charging £30 for the upgrade, which seemed to be a no brainer. Two years down the line my Dell Precision desktop feels sluggish compared to how it was performing with a fresh install (upgrade) to Windows 8 (I have since upgraded to Windows 8.1). The solution appears simple, Refresh your PC without affecting your files. Exactly what I want to do. Click on it..wait a few and then get the message "Insert Media, some files are missing, your Windows installation or recovery media will provide these files". Which installation or recovery media? Never had any.

Plan B, download installation/recovery media from Microsoft. Result...I insert my Windows product key and get the message that my key is an upgrade key and cannot be used for a fresh installation. I don't really want to re-install, just refresh. Haven't I paid Microsoft enough money to allow me to refresh my installation?

Any ideas?

Link Removed

 

[Trouble]

Did you attempt to grab the 8.1 media from here
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

 

[Guitarman54]

Did you attempt to grab the 8.1 media from here
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

Got the tee shirt. Your product key is an upgrade key.

 

[ussnorway]

The solution appears simple, Refresh your PC without affecting your files.

I'd roll the system back first given that a re-install will take longer... remove programs that are not needed and turn off non-Microsoft services to see if the system speeds back up enough to keep you happy however if you do go the longer re-install parth then this time around make a back-up image of your fresh system.

I use Acronis true image but others on this forum report (free) works well as well... Mike has posted a couple of 'how too' for his and that would save you a lot of hassle next time.

"Insert Media, some files are missing, your Windows installation or recovery media will provide these files".

Got the tee shirt. Your product key is an upgrade key.

So thats a yes? I know your key is an upgrade but that does NOT stop you downloading the in-stall files. Microsoft will let everyone have this download now...very generous of them really.

 

[Saltgrass]

As Trouble mentions, you can download the media, as per your Plan B and use that media to Refresh your system.

If you want to go to Plan B and do a clean install, you should be able to boot into the Downloaded 8.1 media and use the general 8.1 key to install. During the install, you can delete the prior partitions and then install as if it were a new install. After you complete the install, the 8.0 key should allow you to activate the install.

 

[Atifraza]

Hello,

I decided to upgrade my pc and last night I got everything together and did a fresh install of 8.1 Pro on a new SSD. I also made some hardware changes in the form of a new video card (970GTX) and took out 8 gigs of Mushkin Blackline ram and put in 16 gigs





________________
Atif

 

[ussnorway]

Hello,

I decided to upgrade my pc and last night I got everything together and did a fresh install of 8.1 Pro on a new SSD. I also made some hardware changes in the form of a new video card (970GTX) and took out 8 gigs of Mushkin Blackline ram and put in 16 gigs

Hi Atif,
Is there a question in there someplace and I just can't see it?