How do I find the product key for Windows 8.1

A lot of these issues have become moot recently with the update to Windows 8.1 Update.

   The issues a lot of people were having were not being answered correctly because many thought that they were talking about systems that came with Windows preinstalled . Not all cases were. 

   You could have bought a computer with Windows 8 preinstalled on it. In which case you had a manufacturers volume license key, or you could have bought a copy of WIndows 8 , in which case you would have had a full version license key .

    In any case , when Microsoft updated Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 .... they forgot about those that had purchased an individual copy of Windows 8 . Those people wanted to make a backup of Windows immediately , or to make reinstall media on either DVD or USB drive . They couldn't make backups at all because the backup feature required a Windows 8.1 key ..... which we did not have. You could make the install DVD or USB ... but they were useless because upon trying to reinstall with them .... you needed a Windows 8.1 key ..... which we did not have.

    That upset a LOT of people. So in when they put out the update ( Windows 8.1 Update ) , they set it up so that your Windows 8 key would work to make DVD and USB restore media , and fresh install media .

    They seem to have learned from that lesson apparently . From what I have been told , when the free Upgrade to Windows 10 comes out soon , we will be able to make clean install media right off the bat.

   And apparently , as soon as we upgrade , we will be given a key FOR that upgrade , so if we do need to reinstall , there will not be this huge hassle again.

Excellent information, many thanks! Makes sense.

One one year old Dell [8.0 upgraded to 8.1] shows the little flag icon for Win 10.

My two year old Dell [same, 8.0 to 8.1] does not show the flag icon.

First computer has KB3035583, which I'm told creates that flag icon for W 10.

Second computer does not have that KB3035583. Don't know how to get it.

Windows Upgrade does not install it.

Not too worried, just confused.

A lot of these issues have become moot recently with the update to Windows 8.1 Update.

   The issues a lot of people were having were not being answered correctly because many thought that they were talking about systems that came with Windows preinstalled . Not all cases were. 

   You could have bought a computer with Windows 8 preinstalled on it. In which case you had a manufacturers volume license key, or you could have bought a copy of WIndows 8 , in which case you would have had a full version license key .

    In any case , when Microsoft updated Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 .... they forgot about those that had purchased an individual copy of Windows 8 . Those people wanted to make a backup of Windows immediately , or to make reinstall media on either DVD or USB drive . They couldn't make backups at all because the backup feature required a Windows 8.1 key ..... which we did not have. You could make the install DVD or USB ... but they were useless because upon trying to reinstall with them .... you needed a Windows 8.1 key ..... which we did not have.

    That upset a LOT of people. So in when they put out the update ( Windows 8.1 Update ) , they set it up so that your Windows 8 key would work to make DVD and USB restore media , and fresh install media .

    They seem to have learned from that lesson apparently . From what I have been told , when the free Upgrade to Windows 10 comes out soon , we will be able to make clean install media right off the bat.

   And apparently , as soon as we upgrade , we will be given a key FOR that upgrade , so if we do need to reinstall , there will not be this huge hassle again.

Yes it upset a lot of people I wrote an entire guide related to the flaws of the previous downloaders and the workarounds and it ended up being very popular...

I just want to correct you in something slightly. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 do not have generic manufacturer system locked preinstallation keys like the case of Major OEM XP, Vista and 7. For Major OEM Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 a unique 25 digit product key is embedded in the UEFI BIOS hence there is no affixed COA. This also removed the issues of faded COAs.

I do hope Microsoft have taken the feedback from the many upset customers and from installation guides like mine. However they did make exactly the same flaws for the Windows 7 Microsoft Software Recovery Tool after removing the Digital River .isos (and finally fixing Windows 8.1 with the exception of Bing Editions).

I see however they have took some of the feedback from my guide into account and called Windows 10 Home not Windows 10. This removes the confusion between the Windows 8 Edition and Windows 8 Product Family. They also seem to be removing the with Bing, Single Language and N editions which caused a huge amount of confusion for reinstallation purposes.

robertpri , Microsoft seems to be sending out the update/invitation in waves . I know several people that have it on one machine, and not another . Then a week later , the rest populated with it. All of your machines should eventually receive the update.

Many thanks. Not very worried about it. I like 8.1 and no problem keeping it on the second machine.