Recommended Posts

Just got my new Dell, it had Windows 8 Home 64-bit on it and tons of bloat/spamware. Some stuff you can't uninstall, including some mandatory apps. So I decided to do a clean install with my Windows 8 Pro disc. However I got "The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images available for installation. Enter a different product key." I found that has to do with Dell embedding the product key that came with it in BIOS, so a workaround is to install Vista or 7, which I did and then upgrade to 8 pro. Worked fine but now whenever I turn PC on, it says something like no boot device is found, SATA 0: Installed, SATA 1: Installed. So I changed boot mode in BIOS to Legacy from UIFE (I forgot the name) and it loads Windows 8 fine. However why can't I use UIFE with secure boot anymore and how do I restore that?

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it.

Just got my new Dell, it had Windows 8 Home 64-bit on it and tons of bloat/spamware. Some stuff you can't uninstall, including some mandatory apps. So I decided to do a clean install with my Windows 8 Pro disc. However I got "The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images available for installation. Enter a different product key." I found that has to do with Dell embedding the product key that came with it in BIOS, so a workaround is to install Vista or 7, which I did and then upgrade to 8 pro. Worked fine but now whenever I turn PC on, it says something like no boot device is found, SATA 0: Installed, SATA 1: Installed. So I changed boot mode in BIOS to Legacy from UIFE (I forgot the name) and it loads Windows 8 fine. However why can't I use UIFE with secure boot anymore and how do I restore that?

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it.

Probably has something to do with the certificate used to make the UEFI SecureBoot work. Your Dell machine likely only has the certificate to make an Dell-specific copy of Windows work with secureboot, so really the only way to make it work again given that constraint is reinstall your OEM Window copy from the recovery disks (if you got them).

Unless I'm completely misunderstanding how SecureBoot works.

Just got my new Dell, it had Windows 8 Home 64-bit on it and tons of bloat/spamware. Some stuff you can't uninstall, including some mandatory apps. So I decided to do a clean install with my Windows 8 Pro disc. However I got "The product key entered does not match any of the Windows images available for installation. Enter a different product key." I found that has to do with Dell embedding the product key that came with it in BIOS, so a workaround is to install Vista or 7, which I did and then upgrade to 8 pro. Worked fine but now whenever I turn PC on, it says something like no boot device is found, SATA 0: Installed, SATA 1: Installed. So I changed boot mode in BIOS to Legacy from UIFE (I forgot the name) and it loads Windows 8 fine. However why can't I use UIFE with secure boot anymore and how do I restore that?

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it.

Are you using a full windows 8 disc or the upgrade disc?

In case anyone has a similar issue, the Windows 8 Home 64-bit DVD worked perfectly. I restored UEFI and SecureBoot, popped the disc in and it automatically began the installation process with SecureBoot enabled. If anyone buys a Dell, call and request the DVD so you can format without hassle. Thanks for helping, Sharp.

In case anyone has a similar issue, the Windows 8 Home 64-bit DVD worked perfectly. I restored UEFI and SecureBoot, popped the disc in and it automatically began the installation process with SecureBoot enabled. If anyone buys a Dell, call and request the DVD so you can format without hassle. Thanks for helping, Sharp.

You're welcome :)

Ya I think the upgrade disc was your issue. You need a full version disc. It doesn't have to be from dell.

It does have to be from Dell if Dell's keys are the only ones that UEFI recognizes on his machine.

It does have to be from Dell if Dell's keys are the only ones that UEFI recognizes on his machine.

IF that is the case then yes. But we won't know if that's the case and I doubt it was. He was just using an update disc. At least on an HP probook which came with windows 8 preinstalled I reinstalled using a pro disc on a new drive. It never asked for a key and it activated by itself.

IF that is the case then yes. But we won't know if that's the case and I doubt it was. He was just using an update disc. At least on an HP probook which came with windows 8 preinstalled I reinstalled using a pro disc on a new drive. It never asked for a key and it activated by itself.

I was just reading about how the SecureBoot thing works with Win8, and it seems MS leaves it up to OEM to make the keys. I would also guess that different OEMs use different processes. I really don't know.

I was just reading about how the SecureBoot thing works with Win8, and it seems MS leaves it up to OEM to make the keys. I would also guess that different OEMs use different processes. I really don't know.

I would think there would be a pretty standard process. I don't think it matters the OEM. If it mattered it would be a repair nightmare with out a sticker. Seeming my experience with a clean install it worked just as i hoped it would.

The embedded key will match whichever version of 8 shipped with the PC. A downloaded 'Core/Home' disc would have installed and been automatically activated, just the same as the OEM disc shipped to you by Dell.

I know this because I, too, just purchased a Dell system and jumped through the same hoops. A DigitalRiver .iso installed and auto-activated exactly the same as the Dell OEM disc I had them mail me.

Just got my new Dell, it had Windows 8 Home 64-bit on it and tons of bloat/spamware. Some stuff you can't uninstall, including some mandatory apps. So I decided to do a clean install with my Windows 8 Pro disc.

Just for future reference

http://blogs.msdn.co...et-your-pc.aspx

Our solution in Windows 8 consists of two related features:

  • Reset your PC ? Remove all personal data, apps, and settings from the PC, and reinstall Windows.
  • Refresh your PC ? Keep all personal data, Metro style apps, and important settings from the PC, and reinstall Windows.

I don't think you needed to reinstall manually at all.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • Disabling open on hover, great! That was so stupid! They need to do a fix, where if a network share is disconnected, it doesn't hang when opening "This PC" for 20 seconds.
    • Microsoft releases major feature updates for stock Windows 11 apps by Taras Buria In addition to releasing new Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft announced that inbox Windows apps now have dedicated release notes in the official documentation. At long last, users have access to all the release notes for each app, with changes listed in chronological order. Microsoft used to announce feature updates for stock apps with each build. Now, with Windows Insider release notes hosted on the Microsoft Learn website, each app has a dedicated space for its changelog, which is very useful for those who want to track new features and improvements. Alongside that, Microsoft dropped massive feature updates for six stock apps: Clock, Media Player, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Photos, and Paint. Each app packs quite a lot of changes and new capabilities, so here are the release notes. Here are quick notes so that you can jump to the app you are interested in the most: Calculator Camera Clock Media Player Paint Photos Sound Recorder Here is what is new for the Calculator in version 11.2605.9.0: More accurate square-root results — Fixed rare cases where a calculation that should equal zero (like sqrt(2.25) - 1.5) returned a tiny leftover value instead. Readable text in High Contrast themes — Settings text now shows the correct colors in the High Contrast Aquatic and Desert themes. Fixed layout for right-to-left languages — For languages like Arabic and Hebrew, the graph, number pad, equation fields, and scroll buttons now appear correctly oriented. Reliable launch after upgrading — Fixed an issue where upgrading from much older versions could leave outdated settings that stopped the app from opening. Here is what is new for the Camera app (version 2026.2605.7.0): Zoom slider works on more cameras — The zoom slider now works on the latest cameras, respects your system zoom settings, and updates instantly when you change those settings. Full range of zoom levels — Fixed an issue where the zoom slider only showed three steps on some devices that zoom in finer increments. Front camera works on more devices — Resolved a problem that blocked the front-facing camera on certain wide-angle devices. More video resolution choices — You can now pick video resolutions that were previously hidden; the app shows a heads-up warning instead of removing them. QR links you can still use — When a scanned QR code points to something with no matching app, the link is now copied to your clipboard (with a notification) while still offering a Store search. Smarter default settings — When you haven't set a preference, the app now follows your system settings by default. The Clock app has a massive changelog with the following improvements in version 11.2605.9.0: Timers keep counting after they hit zero — When a timer runs out, it now keeps counting up (for example, -00:27:31) so you can see how far past the time you've gone. You can turn off the daily goal — Focus Sessions now include an "Off" option so you can skip setting a daily goal entirely. New 15-minute snooze option — Alarms now offer a 15-minute snooze interval. Run up to 3 countdowns at once — The Countdown Widget now supports three simultaneous countdowns, up from two. Timer Widget notifications now appear — Fixed an issue where the "timer finished" notification didn't show when the timer was started from the widget. Less clutter in Focus Sessions — Tasks you've already completed no longer show up in the Focus Session task list. More accurate focus progress — Fixed a rounding issue that could show your daily focus progress as a minute short (for example, 49 minutes instead of 50). Smoother World Clock comparisons — The World Clock compare page now loads dates as you scroll, so it feels more responsive. Up-to-date World Clock locations — Refreshed country and city names to match their current names. Correct sun and moon icons during midnight sun — Fixed an icon that wrongly showed a moon during all-day daylight in polar regions. Fixed back-button behavior in clock comparisons — Pressing back once now takes you back as expected, instead of jumping the date to 1926. Corrected the Newfoundland time zone — Newfoundland now uses the right time zone (St. John's). Disabled alarms stay looking disabled — Editing a turned-off alarm no longer makes it appear turned on. Cleaner timer cards — The expand button is now turned off on timer cards that have no time set, preventing actions that wouldn't do anything. Clearer theme setting — Updated the wording to "Choose your preferred app theme." Smoother Settings links — The "About" links in Settings no longer trigger an unexpected "switch apps" prompt. Fixed spacing in Spotify settings — Corrected uneven spacing in the Spotify settings card. Better focus visibility in High Contrast — The focus highlight in World Clock is now clearly visible in the High Contrast Aquatic and Desert themes. No more double announcements — Screen readers no longer read the timer value twice. Countdown names read correctly — Screen readers now properly announce the name of each countdown. Keyboard focus stays put — Focus no longer disappears after you press the Timer Reset button. Clearer alarm toggle for screen readers — Tidied up how the alarm on/off switch is announced. The Media Player app received plenty of changes as well (version 11.2605.14.0): Custom captions — You can now personalize how closed captions appear, with caption styling tied to your Windows caption settings, plus a quick link to open those settings directly. "Indexing" banner in the play queue — When your media library is still being scanned, a banner now explains why some items may not appear yet. Fixed the look of selected items — Corrected a layout glitch with selected items in lists. Fewer playback failures — Improved how the app recognizes supported file types, so more files play without issues. Playlists need a name — You can no longer accidentally save a playlist with a blank name. Cleaner look for empty playlists — Improved how a playlist appears when it has no items yet. More stable play queue edits — Fixed a crash that could happen when changing the play queue while the app was switching between sessions. Clearer "missing codec" message — Improved the dialog that appears when a file needs a codec you don't have, with clearer guidance on what to do. A big update is also available for Paint in version 11.2605.61.0: Adjustable eraser transparency — You can now control how transparent the eraser is. Cleaner stamp brush strokes — Fixed visible color shifts and artifacts when using stamp-style brushes. JPEG photos save in place — Opening a rotated JPEG and pressing Save now overwrites the original instead of unexpectedly prompting "Save As." No more crash on bad image files — Opening a damaged or invalid image, from within the app, by double click, or commandline, now shows a clear error message instead of closing the app. Classic selection behavior restored — The selection outline now hides while you move, resize, or rotate a selection, just like in classic Paint. Tidier AI image panel — Fixed missing spacing at the bottom of the AI image generation panel for a cleaner layout. Visible button hover in light theme — Toolbar split buttons now show a clear hover highlight in the light theme. Snappier toolbar — Streamlined how the ribbon lays out, giving a small speed boost at startup. Fewer background crashes — Fixed a crash that could happen while background tasks were finishing up. Stable app shutdown — Prevented rare crashes when closing the app. Fixed layer removal glitch — Deleting the active layer no longer leaves the layers list in an inconsistent state. Here is what is new in the Photos app (version 2026.11060.2004.0): AI watermarking — AI-generated or edited images can now carry a visible Copilot watermark. You choose Never, Always, or Ask Every Time in Settings, with a confirmation when saving. The watermarking is off by default in settings. Better viewing of small images and pixel art — Tiny images (like 16×16 pixel art) now zoom in far more to fill the screen and stay crisp instead of looking blurry. Select scanned text with the keyboard — When text is detected in an image, you can now navigate and select it using the arrow keys, Shift+Arrow, Home/End, and Ctrl+A, with a clear focus highlight. Fixed a crash in text recognition — Resolved a crash that could close Photos while detecting text in images; the app now recovers gracefully. Easier keyboard navigation — Tabbing through the navigation bar no longer stops on hidden controls, so it takes a single Tab to move past it instead of three. And finally, here is the Sound Recorder (version 11.2605.1.0): Waveform shows with Bluetooth mics — The live waveform now displays correctly when you record using a Bluetooth audio device. No more stray scrollbar — A non-working horizontal scrollbar no longer appears at the bottom of the waveform unless you've zoomed in. Mark button ready right away — The Mark button no longer looks grayed out until you hover over it after opening the app. Markers hidden for WAV files — Markers are now turned off for WAV recordings, since that format can't store them — so they're no longer lost silently. Smoother deleting — Quickly pressing Delete and Enter to remove several recordings in a row no longer triggers a "file doesn't exist" error. Fixed a memory issue — Resolved a memory leak that occurred each time a recording started. You can find all these changelogs in the official documentation here.
    • again, an article about Microsoft Edge and ridicules hater's comments
    • From this very same article: "For organizations that prefer a “more deliberate pace”, the Extended Stable channel remains an option."
    • Or every other browser, because they all behave the same, at least the mainstream ones. Firefox does exactly the same: background updates, restart to install them. Haters gotta hate, I guess.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Very Popular
      AndrewSteel earned a badge
      Very Popular
    • Veteran
      Taliseian went up a rank
      Veteran
    • One Month Later
      Clizby earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      Timaximus earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Timaximus earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      514
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      170
    3. 3
      +Edouard
      162
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      84
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      78
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!