I just in got an Acer Aspire One running win8 that has a bad HD.
I can get a USB stick from Acer for $45 with everything needed to put the machine back to factory default once a new HD is installed but I'd rather save some money and not have to put on all that preloaded crap.
Which leads me to the question: For win7 you can just install the os as a demo and then activate it afterwards because the activation keys are in the bios. Is win8 the same or do you have to have the certificate of authenticity code to activate the OS?
The idea is instead of paying to get the usb stick, I can just download win8.1 from MS and do a usb install. Sure it will take longer personal time wise, but it will have the benefit of being a clean install with just the drivers and things the laptop needs.
I've never install win8 except on a virtual machine and I have the activation code.
The machine does not have a COA sticker on the bottom.
Thanks for your help.