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To further expand my question, I plan to dual-boot Windows 8 and Ubuntu together using Windows Boot Manager over GRUB. However, I would always like a way for me to completely undo everything I did to dual boot my computer.

Luckily, I have found a resource that can help me. However, this requires me to have to have the Windows 8 installation disk. My question is, because I don't plan to uninstall Windows but just Ubuntu, do I need the Windows 8 key to restore items?

I am worrying about the Windows 8 key because when my computer was pre-built from ASUS, it came with nothing other than the computer and the required cables. I did use Belarc to retrieve my product key, but there was a side note: "This may be the manufacturer's factory installed product key rather than yours".

So technically there are two questions that I have, do I need to get my Windows 8 key in order to restore it, which I would like to get answered here, and if possible, if I were to input the manufacturer's key in the Windows 8 installation, what would happen?

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  • You can but the installer will automatically detect your license
    – Ramhound
    Commented Nov 29, 2014 at 23:49

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Do I need to get my Windows 8 key in order to restore it?

You don't need the Windows 8 key to repair your computer. You only need it during/after installation to activate Windows.

If I were to input the manufacturer's key in the Windows 8 installation, what would happen?

You won't be prompted to enter the key since you aren't installing it, you are merely repairing the bootloader. In fact, you could do the same thing on a Win7 computer using a Win8 repair disc/USB.

Now for the dual-boot:

It is easier to just boot into Windows and install EasyBCD once you have successfully dual-booted. I've answered a similar question here. Basically you just Write MBR then add Ubuntu in Add Entry. But feel free to use the guide's method as it works too.

Now for the uninstalling of Ubuntu:

Again it is way easier to use EasyBCD - you don't even need to have the Win8 USB. Just delete the Ubuntu entry, click Save and you're done!

EDIT: This is assuming the Windows bootloader is already by default. If it is GRUB instead then you won't be able to boot into Windows, so you'll have to use the repair disc.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT OVERWRITE YOUR WINDOWS PARTITION WHEN INSTALLING OR DELETE IT WHEN UNINSTALLING UBUNTU.

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  • Thanks for the tip on using EasyBCD for both cases, but I was wondering for the manufacurer's key if I were to do that during installation of Windows, what would happen?
    – JoeyChor
    Commented Nov 29, 2014 at 23:45
  • What do you mean during installation of Windows?
    – Rsya Studios
    Commented Nov 29, 2014 at 23:46
  • If I was to install a fresh copy of Windows onto a computer and put the manufacturer's key in it when requested, would it pass as a legitimate key or give off some sort of error?
    – JoeyChor
    Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 0:11
  • Yes it would. Also newer computers preinstalled with Windows do not need product keys, Windows will automatically detect it in the BIOS.
    – Rsya Studios
    Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 0:18
  • But you won't need to reinstall Windows to remove Ubuntu anyway, unless you want to start afresh?
    – Rsya Studios
    Commented Nov 30, 2014 at 0:18

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