How do I find the product key for Windows 8.1

The only entity that "owns" the software is Microsoft and it will never relinquish that, this is a fairly normal situation for software development, that still applies to this day for the very 1st version of DOS. HP or any other manufacturer do not own the software.

What they sell is a license to use the software and that is only to the end user. What the manufacturer buys is the right to install the software and sell it on to the end user, they never own the software or the license. It is covered by the End User License Agreement and the manufacturer is never the end user. A small manufacturer may buy the installation media itself along with the key and the right to provide it to you the end user, they cannot legally buy the license under those terms and use it themselves. Large manufacturers work slightly differently in that they notify Microsoft how many they have sold and pay the fees afterwards. Both do this on the basis that they provide support not Microsoft.

Windows 8.1 was a departure from the previous system in that it was an upgrade not an update for 8.0 users and free only to them. Any other upgrade requires a new key, 8.0 to 8.1 does not, the free upgrade was only available via the Store and was the 1st time this mechanism was used. This was not that smooth a process and we will have to wait and see how the free Windows 10 is released.

I am assuming that you are worried about getting windows 10 installed and you believe that you have to have the key for the last upgrade. (I don’t work for MS) first the key is buried in your Bios and will be detected by windows 10 for authentication just as windows 8.1 did for windows 8. I had windows 7 and was told that when windows 8 came out I could have a free upgrade, a few months later it came out and I installed thru HP, it detected the key and installed on its own. Later on MS said sent a notice of the 8.1 and it did the same thing. It is my understanding is that the operating system that came in your computer is owned by the company you bought it from and not MS (yes it is a MS product but owned by the builder), when I upgraded to 8.0 I had to go to HP to get the download. I had problems with windows 8 and had to go to HP for help, it was free. When I downloaded windows 8.1 I received it from the MS store, now they own the system. MS says the new method keeps people from making and selling copies of the software, so they say. The key is different from the manufacture than from MS and tells them who it belongs to. I know it is a little muddy but that is what I was told.

Micky

***@msn.com 

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Many thanks again. ill attempt to implement F8 on startup now since i believe my O/S's are setup as you describe now,  you will realize why this 8.1 upgrade and update was such a mission for me as i in fact lost both systems back to back and then went through the process to get them both back twice, the long way:(

It appears i also have some homework to do on bootstrapping and one time boot menus.