Windows 7 activation problem, HELP

none ^ | 01/01/0001 | none

[Neidermeyer]

Simple question here ,, I'm looking to avoid the pain of dealing directly with Microsoft... here's the problem

1.) bought off-lease Dell laptop from corporate seller

a.) laptop has valid original Windows 7 product key tag

b.) laptop was originally loaded with Win7Pro at Dell and immediately reloaded with authorized site licensed copy of XP by said corp. before being put in use

c.) MIS dept scrubs and reloads pc to be sold with fresh copy of XP prior to sale.

2.) I installed extra memory and reloaded laptop from a DELL OEM Win7Pro 64bit disk

a.) during install I was asked for and supplied the product key for Win7 from the tag on laptop, Windows reported "activation successful"

b.) started receiving "not activated" messages , sure enough key doesn't match what I inputted.

c.) changed key AGAIN through "my computer" "system" etc. etc.

d.) product key still shows the (same) wrong key , not the new one I inputted..

How do I fix this?

[molson209]

check youtube ,people wanting to change from 32 bit to 64 bit using same key

[Jean S]

I don’t know if this will help. It worked for me.

---

Down below is your key and your instructions for downloading it. You can burn it to a CD, and do a fresh install if you want. Because this is an upgrade version, activating it after a fresh install takes a couple extra steps which are:

Open regedit.exe with Start Menu Search and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/

Change MediaBootInstall from “1” to “0”.

Close RegEdit.

Start Menu on the Command Line utility. Right-click this shortcut and choose “Run as administrator.”
Click Yes to the UAC prompt.

In the command line window, type: slmgr /rearm press enter

wait for the “Command completed successfully” dialog.

Then, close the command line window and reboot.
After Windows 7 reboots, Right Click Computer select Properties select change product Key.

[Las Vegas Ron]

I haven’t see “my computer” since win 98 let alone being able to change a product key after install.

[Usagi_yo]

You call up microsoft and explain the problem. Keep escalating it higher up as minions tell you there is nothing they can do.

Microsoft has it rigged so that some people — the lazy rich or stupid ones constantly buy new Windows.

I’ve bought Windows 7 pro, not upgrade, the full version and couldn’t install it — despite putting it in exactly as it was on the tag.

I’ve upgraded processors, memory and then the OS reports defunct license.

Microsoft plays dumb when you call them. The objective is to get you to buy another copy. But if you persevere eventually they will relent and relicense you over the phone.

On the back of your dell there should be a license tag. It’s the correct license, but it won’t work until you call microsoft and arrange it to work.

Things to remember — first sales doctrine, That instance of the license is not running on any other computer, I’ve upgraded my system and would like my copy of Windows(x) to work again.

[corbe]

BMEMdotNET has not failed me yet. not a free solution but cheaper than the Hooligans in charge of the ‘process’ now.

FREEP MAIL me with any questions.

[swampthang77]

I hate computers. HATE.

[eyeamok]

Have you considered Linux instead of Winblows?? But you could always download the Windows loader, just google it

[Kirkwood]

The way to do this that has the fewest hassles is to go to Dell.com support and enter the service tag number. Request an OEM OS recovery disk. Should arrive in a couple of days. Install it. If it turns out the original OS wasn’t Win7 as you were led to believe, you can upgrade with the Win7 disks you have, assuming it is legal and not already used elsewhere if an OEM disk. OEM licenses are not easily transferred, but retail licenses can be.

[Neidermeyer]

If it turns out the original OS wasn’t Win7 as you were led to believe, you can upgrade
*************************************
The drivers listed on dell.com are all Vista Business 32 or Win7Pro drivers,, this laptop was built after XP was discontinued as an OEM option...

Will contact Dell for recovery disk ... don’t see how it would help as I loaded from a genuine win7prosp1/64 recovery disk for “latitude” and it wasn’t a burned copy... funny thing is it ALWAYS said “activated” in control panel> all control panel items > system ...

[Greysard]

I'm afraid you need to learn slmgr.vbs.

It is possible that Dell changed slightly the OEM version that they ship. I faintly recall that OEM releases are tied to the BIOS of the manufacturer, so an OEM DVD of Windows from HP won't work on Dell or Acer... The idea of contacting Dell and getting a recovery DVD is the best so far.

[Neidermeyer]

I’ve used Linux and like it ... but this is a laptop likely to be used by people familiar with windows and I’m not good enough with unix/linux to risk getting that call from a barely literate who screwed something up.. I can usually fix windows pretty quick...and since 2000pro I haven’t had to do much fixing.

[Neidermeyer]

OEM releases are tied to the BIOS of the manufacturer
*****************************
That sucks ,, I upgraded bios and chipset firmware to newest when I first got it

I’m on a chat with Dell right now ..

[Kirkwood]

I hope you realize that OEM windows install disks can only be activated once. That is probably why your activation doesn’t work - the key has already been used. You can install/reinstall from the OEM disk many times, but once the OEM key is activated and linked to a motherboard serial number, it can never be activated again on another computer (unless you also transferred the motherboard).

Also, Dell uses different variations of their OEM install disks, so if someone told you that all Dell OEM disks are the same and work with any windows key or motherboard version, they were wrong. So if you order a replacement OEM disk using the service tag number, you should get the correct disk to go with the key for your motherboard (assuming the MB was never replaced).

Now having said that, if the original OS was 32 bit and you have loaded the machine up with more than 4 Gb of memory, you can’t access that extra memory until you upgrade to 64 bit. So you may have to buy a new 64 bit OS anyway. A new OEM Win7 pro 64 bit disk costs about $135. Retail install disks cost a bit more, but the licenses can be activated multiple times and are not tied to the motherboard, but to the customer.

[Greysard]

I upgraded bios and chipset firmware to newest when I first got it

I don't think Dell would release a BIOS to the customer that would break their own licensing. Here is how it works.

But since you are talking to Dell, you are already on the way to resolve this. Nobody else can help you, not even Microsoft. Once MS sold the sticker to Dell, their role is over.

[Neidermeyer]

I did bump the memory and did install from a 64bit Dell oem dvd ... dell had me make some registry changes and turn some processes off and on ,, said it was fixed... They are sending me a 32bit sp1 w7 disk from the service tag info .. according to dell however they didn’t see a problem with using that oem dvd ,, they said that it should have worked without requesting the key .. and I did tell them that it came with a Dell desktop .. they knew it wasn’t from that laptop... it was marked for Inspiron (laptop) and Optiplex (desktop)... It was my understanding that the oem cd/dvd install media pulls a key for windows from a hidden/protected area in the bios...