how to activate Windows * on new cpu

See my wiki Windows Reinstallation Guide:

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/f/3524/t/19480753.aspx

Try pressing [Windows] and [ r ] and type in:

slui 4

The phone activation screen should hopefully return.

As usual, I am a little confused. There is nothing on my desktop screen except an icon for the recycle bin and for e-bay.  There is no start button to see the programs and etc. I did get the MSN site so I could browse and  which allowed me to access my Comcast.e-mail  but no where that I can see is there a "window" to press. At this time the above MSN aned Comcast connection is the only fucntions I have

The windows key is not on the screen--it's on the keyboard on the lower left same as in win 7. You can also move the mouse to the lower left corner to get to the start page. Why did you install win 8 on a new computer? Didn't it come with windows 8?

The user interface of Windows 8 has changed, personally I dislike the changes however, you should have a look at the following videos to help you get your way around:

• Working with the New Start Screen [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Hot Corners and Shortcuts [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Using the Share Charm [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Working with SkyDrive [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Setting Up A Picture Password [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Working With Internet Explorer 10 [Dell Travis Bailey]
• Working with the Mail App [Dell Travis Bailey]

 Also

• Dell Windows 8 Guide for Dummies

Might be useful. I was indeed refering to the WIndows key (which will bring up the new start menu if pressed on its own).

If the windows key is pressed in combination with r it will bring up the run command.

Here is the UK keyboard for example:

That worked as far as activation goes and answered  my question.  Windows 8 did come with the CPU. I did not install it.  I set up the CPU and expected to see a screen like I had seen before. There wa nothing but a recyle bin icon and one for e-bay.I thought I needed to activate it since noting was there and it did ask me to so so during the "set up"  I will go through the videes sentand see what happens. Rifght now all I get when I press the windows key is a page that says start but has nothing but a great number od things that sto me. At this point I do not know how to restart the computer, if needed.  That was always an extenstion of the start button.  I will diligently  study the tutorials but at t his time I think Windows 8 sucks.  Thank for all of the help.

As I said I don't like the new interface either.

I greatly prefer Windows 7 and if your system has a Windows 7 license you can always reinstall Windows 7. However have a quick glance at the videos and play with Windows 8 for a little while. If you still hate it you can install Start8 http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ or StartIsBack as I have done http://www.startisback.com/ or ClassicShell http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/ 

Can also see this review here:

http://darktips.com/start-menu-in-windows-8/

http://download.cnet.com/Start8/3000-2072_4-75732532.html

My old CPU was Vista so I suppose I do not have a license for Windows 7.  Can I obtain one--buy one.?  I have spent several hours on the Window * tutors and sill find them to be chaotic.  I have Comcast broadband with vonage tele which requires powercyclling oftnr which includes restart.  I still have not found how to restart the Cpmputer except by bringing it down hard. In short Windows 8 if filled with things I do not want or need.  Even now I have to search to get my Comcast e-mail connction.  I also prefer Openoffice to Microsoft Workds but was unable to download it.  In the midst of my trying my MSN search site was replace by AOL.  I am not asking that you instruct me on any of thiese problems but to let me know if t here is anyway I can return to a more user friendly interface..    

You can probably buy a Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade license from Amazon as you have a Vista license. However it will cost a bit ~$100.

However first try the Start8 free trial:

http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/download.asp

This will make a Start menu you are more used to. See how comfortable you are with Start8 and if you like it purchase it ($5). You get the trial to decide if you like it or not.

In the meantime you will need to change your search provider back to Bing or Google if you don't like AOL: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/Change-or-choose-a-search-provider-in-Internet-Explorer

OpenOffice should work with Windows 8. I will test it on my Windows 8 machine.

yes I can live very comfortably with Stardock. As I have only a few applications that I use frequently, it brings them to me. I will buy it. Thank you very much. You have made an old man very happy.

Great, glad to hear it. :) 

Also Open Office 3.4.1 runs fine on my Windows 8 laptop so it should also run fine for you.

Thanks again. In case it
may be useful in helping others, I am sending this info.  When I got
the new CPU, I had 140 days left on my Norton subsctiption.  The new
CPU came with a trial McAfee but I did not enable it because I knew I
was going to uninstall it.  In the meantime I tried to navigate the
new Windows 8. I found that I could not do hardly anything at first.
I tried to download Openoffice to see if I could do that. I
apparently got one of the sites that look like the legitimate site.
It was not.  I uninstalled all the crap that the download installed
(none were openoffice) and doing that I uninstalled a file named
“yontoo.)  That did not remove that file. I tried to download from
the official download site and got the same bi tof garbage. I  then
installed my Norton and did a scan.  It came up with the “yontoo.”
file and removed.  I just download OpenOffice successfully. Thanks again for all the hlop

It seems like something got on your system and changed your Internet Explorer search provider to take you to dodgy websites that look legitimate to fool users in to downloading junk.

Its worth scanning your system with Malwarebytes' AntiMalware also. Download and install Malwarebytes' AntiMalware (just the free version), you don't need to enable the trila of the pro version during the install.

Select Update and then click for Updates.

Select perform Full Scan. Scanning with Malwarebytes' will look for Malware and Potenetial Unwanted Programs and Remove them. The free version will do this.

The pro version of Malwarebytes' offers excellent realtime protection and I personally use it but if you are using Norton you may want to just use the free version and to scan with it periodically.

You may also download and install CCleaner (you don't need to pay for it the free version will do, select download from Piriform). Close all programs and run CCleaner.

Select Analyse and then run Cleaner.

This will clean out your temporary Internet Files and other files which can pile up and reduce system performance.

You can also run the registry cleaner within CCleaner.

Select Scan for Issues and then Fix Selected Issues. This will remove incorrect or invalid registry entries which can slow your system down. Note back up the registry when prompted. Most programs I don't trust as registry cleaners and have done more harm than good but CCleaner has never broke anything on any of my systems however ensure that you backup the registry when prompted.

In addition download and install Defraggler (you don't need to pay for it the free version will do, select download from Piriform). Close all programs and run Defraggler.

Select analyse and then defrag to remove fragmented files from your hard drive which can reduce system performance.