New User: Be prepared todo a clean install of Windows 8.

[Geek-9pm]

This is not new information at all. But many new users are not aware of the problem until it is too late. New users want  to make a Windows install DVD as soon as you get the new PC. Or before something goes wrong.

Here are relevant links.
Save yourself from OEM’s bad idea, get a clean install of Windows 8.1
and:
The complete guide to a Windows 8 clean installation

Feel free to add to this. 

[DaveLembke]

Just performed a clean install of 8 to my ASUS laptop that was 8 from factory that I downgraded to 7, used 7 for almost 18 months, and then removed 7 and brought back to factory 8 in prep for 10 vs blowing my Windows 7 key for the 10 free upgrade. Fortunately the 16GB thumb drive that I placed the recovery to before the downgrade to 7 worked.

Only problem I had which I am unsure if its still a problem or not is that when it got to the Windows 8 key activation, the laptop doesn't have a key on it other than one that I have been told is hidden in the BIOS. So where there is a field to normally enter a windows key, I have no information to enter wince the laptop has a Windows 8 sticker on the bottom of it, but no alpha-numeric key to enter. Fortunately this key window had a SKIP option, and so I did this and then when it got connected to the internet, I am hoping the embedded 8 key was read from the BIOS and its now satisfied. I took a few minutes looking around to see if Windows 8 needed to be activated and it didn't seem to show any indication that it needs to be activated to X-many days etc, so hopefully it will continue to work and not timeout.

UEFI was disabled on the BIOS for the Windows 7 install and installing 8 back to it, I am not sure if UEFI was reconfigured as active again from the 8 install or not. I suppose I will have to check on this as for the initial factory build had the BIOS access locked out from Delete key or any other key to try to get into the BIOS at boot, and I had to go through an extensive process to force Windows 8 to tare its claws out of the grasp of the BIOS to re-enable the BIOS hot key at POST to actually function. The initial build had where you had to ask Windows 8 to have access to the BIOS to get into the BIOS. This was one of my pet peves with Microsoft and Windows 8 to restrict BIOS access at the POST level. Which to me was intentionally done to try to anchor the Windows 8 to the hardware and make it hard for people to get rid of it as for I dont see any other strategic reason for Microsoft to target to hold hostage the BIOS access at the POST level and then hide the ease of access to gain access to the BIOS for users in which you have to request 8 to grant access to the BIOS, and then it would reboot and then allow access to the BIOS. 

[Geek-9pm]

from another source:

This BIOS replacement, UEFI, caused some serious problems with “alternative” platforms.

DaveLembke, Thank you for your response.

Ypu may get some critical remarks about this:

Which to me was intentionally done to try to anchor the Windows 8 to the hardware and make it hard for people to get rid of it as for I dont see any other strategic reason for Microsoft to target to hold hostage the BIOS access at the POST level and then hide the ease of access to gain access to the BIOS for users in which you have to request 8 to grant access to the BIOS, and then it would reboot and then allow access to the BIOS. 

Microsoft PR mantissas that the new BIOS, The UEFI, and its intimate relation with the OS  is beneficial to  MS, the OEM and the end user. 

Above I put a quote that has been posted many times elsewhere. (No reference needed. It was echoed on the Linux forums.)

The argument is that  putting limits  on user access might reduce the number of 'accidents' users have with the new computer.  It is like have having a big sign with the words 'Open only in case of fire' and then  somebody opens it just to see what is inside. 

[BC_Programmer]

The initial build had where you had to ask Windows 8 to have access to the BIOS to get into the BIOS. This was one of my pet peves with Microsoft and Windows 8 to restrict BIOS access at the POST level.

There was never a build of Windows 8 where you had to "ask Windows 8" to get access to the BIOS...

The Secure Boot feature is part of the UEFI specification, which was created by Intel, not Microsoft.

Outside of PCs for mobile systems and tablets Microsoft does require that Secure boot not have an option to be disabled. The amount of hubbub that causes is fairly surprising, considering the other Operating Systems on the market in that sector have exactly the same locked down approach (requiring unsupported jailbreaking/rooting steps)

[Geek-9pm]

There was never a build of Windows 8 where you had to "ask Windows 8" to get access to the BIOS...

True.
However, any business user may hire a company to lock down all workstations in such away that no user can change the UEFI parameters. Exceptions are to either physically violate the computer case or else employ some special hacking software. Which is forbidden by policy.

Every Corporate PC s must be under the control of central administrator. One of the biggest headaches came with users who brought in USB devices with their 'favorite' software. Intel had to do something. The UEFI was the answer. It can be setup so no low privileged user can invalid it.

And on many new systems even doing a CMOS cell removal reset will not erase the password needed to get into the UEFI parameters.

This should not be an issue for home user. Unless the PC belongs to the company.

Intel UEFI objectives.
The Intel® Platform Innovation Framework for Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

Of course, any business user should already know how to do backup and restore for Windows 8. My intent was to caution new home users who recently got  a Windows 8.1 system and found there is no install DVD provided by the OPEM.