Update/Activation problem 8.1

I'll ask my questions first, which might give me the answer I can use to solve my dilemma (activation of 8.1), without burdening anyone with lots of info about my ongoing problem getting 8.1 to not go blue screen shortly after re-install.  I have done 6 or 8 tries at a reinstall.  

Is my factory Dell Win 8.1 disc envelope, with seal on the back and the following sequence, US - ORGH4G -XXXXX - XXX - XXXX, or the  "Product I.D." (4- 5 number groups, from "PC" Info in 8.1) the same as a Key Code?  

For safety, I have a C drive for the OS, with a D internal drive and a USB HDD, for backup.  When installing 8.1, would Windows put info on any of the alternate drives, that, if I changing drive letters to a different letter sequence, might cause problems with 8.1 functioning?  I don't like the default sequence created during installation.

Thanks for any insight someone might have, and I can provide more info about what has been happening, if anyone reads this. Gene