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Product Key and ISO files - Inspiron 7437 came without key and files when I bough it
Hi there,
I bought my Inspiron 7437 in Dec 2013 in the US (I live in the UK and it is impossible for me to reach the US customer support) and I still have the original box with all that came with it, there was no disc (as there is no disc drive on the 7437) or anythihg with Microsoft product key. I upgraded it to 8.1 immediately without problems.
Now for a year, I have problems with OneDrive not syncing and Microsoft support suggested I upgrade to Windows 10, but they said that to do it, I need "Windows 8 product key" and "ISO files" that "usually come on a CD with the laptop". I am in contact with Microsoft support, we continue the process, they work on my machine remotely.
I don't have neither the key nor the ISO files because nothing came with the laptop originally. Perhaps it is possible to upgrade to Windows 10 without Windows 10 product key and the ISO files (I haven't tried) BUT, I want to do it as Microsoft support tells me because they are trying to resolve my OneDrive issue.
Pls can anyone suggest how do I get the Windows 8 product key and ISO files?
Philip_Yip
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December 2nd, 2015 05:00
Press [Windows] and [ r ] to bring up the run box. Type
msinfo32
Press [Enter]. It will tell you the model number and BIOS revision. The latest version and all earlier revisions are available here:
http://downloads.dell.com/published/pages/inspiron-14-7437.html
The Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Media Creation Tools can be used to Download the .isos:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10
http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows8
Be sure to check the Edition of your base Windows installation and download the correct corresponding .iso. My guides instruct with this. You can also use the Windows Media Creation tool to perform an in place upgrade.
Philip_Yip
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December 1st, 2015 08:00
First of all this is an OEM license and its product key is embedded in the UEFI BIOS. You can use a utility like RWEverything to locate the product key. See my guide here, which also instructs in Downloading a windows 8.1 .iso:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-microsoft-windows-and-office/download-microsoft-windows/download-windows-8-1-retail-and-oem-iso/#OEMKey
You can also download Windows 10 TH2 directly and clean install:
http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/download-windows-10-oem-and-retail-iso/
I advise ensuring your UEFI BIOS is at the latest revision before installation of Windows 10 particularly on that model as the BIOS updates fixes some issues which lead to a black screen during installation.
flxp
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December 2nd, 2015 01:00
Thanks Philip,
can you just direct me how to check if my UEFI BIOS is the latest revision and also, where do I get the ISO files (as was requested by Microsoft Support).
Also, pls remember that I don't want a "clean" install, I have files, programms, apps and settings that I can't afford to lose, so I just want an upgrade to Windows 10 that will leave all of my settings etc intact.
Thanks in advance.
flxp
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December 2nd, 2015 13:00
Plilipe,
thanks, hopefully this is my last question. Regarding update of BIOS, I checked as u suggested and my version is way out of date. I do want to update the BIOS to the latest version but I am really afraid that it may corrupt my machine and make it unworkable in some way, so that I and have the following questions:
1. Is BIOS update a risky operation? Is there a really detailed, step-by-step guide for non-experts like me how to do it?
2. Since I hadn't updated my BIOS for a few iterations - to get to the latest version, can I go straight to the latest version (here http://downloads.dell.com/published/pages/inspiron-14-7437.html as you suggested above) or I have to update them in turn, all earlier that I "missed" one after the other until I get to the newest?
thanks in advance
Philip_Yip
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December 2nd, 2015 15:00
Most BIOS Updates are cumulative so the latest version can be installed directly. If they aren't an error message will tell you that an older version is required first and the update will abort. Its recommended to take the least number of steps to get an up to date system where possible
Regarding the BIOS update. A failed BIOS Update = a bricked machine. BIOS updates very rarely fail however.
Save the BIOS update to the Desktop and make sure there are no programs running. Make sure its plugged in and has decent battery. Right click the BIOS update and select run as an administrator.
Here I demonstrate a BIOS update on an older system and give more details:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyut46uoaiI&index=1&list=PL1RkaknDn7v-Ucth4gt0U3BHVSY7oNkWr