Adding an SSD to an Area 51 R2 .. how to get Respawn to load the O/S onto the new drive

I can't even find my Express Service Code or my Product Key for the Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro 64bit English. The only sticker that's visible is the Service Tag which is located on the back of the computer.

the product key  is actually embedded in the bios of the motherboard,  it is designed to help deter redistribution of the key , if you install windows looks for that key and will activate automatically, I upgraded my M18X to ssd's and had no issue with activation..

also unless you  made the recovery media partition smaller at time of USB build  it might not allow it to install on a 500gb since original was 2tb and that's what it looks for..  that's why it is installing on that drive..

Last Saturday, Tech Support told me my OS on my Area 51 would be activated by Microsoft a week after delivery. Well it is a week and I'm not activated yet. I'm getting messages to tell me to activate but I have NO product key. 

This isn't working very well, I wish there was some information that would have told us of this activation process. 

Hmm .. the product key (purportedly legal, above boards and already paid for via the master volume license agreement between Dell/Alienware and Micro$oft)  for the Area 51 R2 is supposed to be contained in an encrypted format on the motherboard (in the BIOS I suspect, or some other known ROM on the motherboard).  Activation, therefore, should be a pro-forma excerise.

Try this .. use the online activation process (view System properties and there should be a link for activation) .. don't bother to add a product key, as it should be there already.  Continue with the activation process (as though you did enter a key) and see what happens.  If that doesn't work, use the telephone option.  Explain, ONLY if asked, that you have a new Dell/Alienware computer that didn't activate properly.

The activation process needs a key in order for the button to change from Cancel to Ok ( I guess). I'll call Tech support, this is there problem they need to fix. If they want to get a deal on master license agreements then they need to fix it. 

Sure would have been nice if told us this so we don't have to go through all this grief. The average computer buyer wouldn't know the difference. 

I don't need the DVD, as I have an installation DVD from MSDN. What I do need is a product key.

Don't assume this substitution will work seamlessly. Did it Activate?

Why not just get genuine DVD from Dell?

gzt7d8gs The activation process needs a key in order for the button to change from Cancel to Ok ( I guess). I'll call Tech support, this is there problem they need to fix. If they want to get a deal on master license agreements then they need to fix it.    Sure would have been nice if told us this so we don't have to go through all this grief. The average computer buyer wouldn't know the difference.      IIRC, you can go to Control Panel/ System . Toward the bottom ... it will show Activated or you can click an arrow to reveal a message. What is error message? Is it prompting you for Activation on every boot yet? If so, you should be able to exit-out for now.

I checked and there is no message at the bottom of the screen. Just reads "Windows is not activated" and the Activate Windows link is to the right. The activate me screen shows up EVERY time I boot up and will appear even after I have been booted up for awhile. Very annoying. 

By dumb luck I bought a Samsung SSD and it came with a USB to SATA cable and cloning software. After it finished mirroring the HDD, i swapped drives and everything was cool.