gateway p-7801u + vista cd key question

hello, this is a question mainly about the vista cd key that came with the notebook. i received my laptop today and decided to do a clean install using the vista cd key at the bottom of the gateway laptop and to my surprise the cd key did not work. i am wondering if anyone had experience this before?? i am using a microsoft "upgrade anytime" windows dvd that came with my hp notebook that i purchased some years back.

 

Just a guess, but if you don't use the same "type" installation disk (ie: Gateway supplied), then the key may not work.

I had the same experience with a Dell and XP. I didn't have the original disk but I had the key from the bottom of the lappy so I tried a generic disk from another machine with the Dell key. No go. Had to call MS to activate the installation. Called Dell and got a new XP disk. Next time I installed, no prob. Didn't even need the key...

I believe the Gateway disk may look at the BIOS and find a "key" there. That's how Dell works anyway. Any Dell OEM OS disk will work in any Dell that shipped with the same OS. No Key required.

Just my $0.02 YMMV

 

= ( thanks, didn't know it worked like that.

 

In that case, anybody know the number to the gateway vista disc support? I also have a 7801 and there's no disc. Hope they don't charge you for it!

 

lol let me know if u get a disc for free.

 

You can't use an OEM key with a retail version of Windows. Been like that since Win 95.....

 

Good luck getting the disk; they wouldn't give it to me even when I offered to pay for it. The only disks they would give me were recovery disks and they want to charge me for them, glad I created them before wiping out the recovery partition. I tried talking them into giving me the Vista disks, stating that I paid for the OS so I should at least get the media for it but they wouldn't budge. Bunch of crap if you ask me.

 

For those who have done a complete OS re-install; was the key needed or did the OS (from the Gateway disk) install without the need for a key?

 

On the P8705u there is no OS disk, just recovery disks that you have to create and when you use them to recover, it recovers to factory defaults with all the bloatware included. No Key required for me I assume because It must imbed the key when you create the recovery disks.

 

Any 6831/60 7811 users care to jump in with their experiences with re-install and keys? The 68-series did come with OS disks, and I believe the 7811 did as well.

Granted, this thread is 7801 specific (and by extension 7805), but others read them as well...

Not trying to hijack the thread, just curious if my assumptions about the keys (earlier post in this thread) are correct.

 

I haven't got my 7801 yet, but maybe someone can put together a recovery disk torrent to support the fellow 78xx users.

 

yes, my 6860 came with an OS disk, and it doesn't ask for the key when you reinstall. I've been wondering about the whole key thing cause i wanted to make a copy with all my programs.

 

This is how it works:

The key on the bottom is an OEM system builder key. It isn't actually a key at all. Its Gateway's way of saying, "Microsoft, we purchased Vista to put on this machine."

The version of Vista that you get with recovery disks is specifically tailored for that laptop. It won't work on a Dell, or Sony, etc. Essentially, the CD key on the bottom of the laptop is worthless and pointless. The only thing that is "worth anything" is the recovery disks and they only work on this brand of laptop.... so they aren't worth much either.

Want to hear the kicker?

This was my first Gateway laptop. Like all my laptops, I instantly wiped and went to re-install (thinking recovery media was in the packaging) and quickly found out what you are finding out now.

I called Gateway support.

Level 1 offered to send me, free of charge, recovery media. When they tried to enter it into the system, they couldn't find the p-7805u media listed. They transferred me to level 2.

Level 2 came to the same conclusion and apparently put me on a waiting list for the media. That was a month ago and I still haven't received it.

At this point in time - THERE IS NO RECOVERY MEDIA AVAILABLE FROM GATEWAY. And trust me, they are s about it.

I asked if my warranty wouldn't start until I had recovery media since I essentially had a worthless laptop on my desk. They said, "Nope. Its your fault that you wiped it without making recovery disks." As soon as I knew I wasn't going to get my way, I ripped them a new .

At any rate... having experiencing shoddy companies in the past, I knew I would be an idiot if I had waited for them (I'd still be waiting and I purchased my laptop a month ago). So, I quickly got on the torrents and downloaded a version of Vista Ultimate x64 that never asked me for a cd key, works flawlessly, and never needs to validate.

The hardware is awesome, but Gateway support is a piece of . Sorry.

1) They don't include media (which is dirt cheap - puhlease).
2) They don't even have media available - anywhere a month after the product's street date.
3) Anyone who has "been a stupid user and wiped their OS somehow" essentially has a warranty ticking away for a laptop they can't use because of #1 and #2.

 

has anyone experienced a lock up during the vista ultimate update installation??
mine seems to never go pass update installation 19 of 71..... i just got my 7801u today and thinking about returning it to newegg.

 

Thanx, that confirms my deduction. I knew Dell did this, I heard IBM did this, and now I know Gateway also does this.

For those without discs, you should be able to get an OS disc from anyone using the same OS on their Gateway machine. Just have them burn a copy for you. No piracy issue because you've already paid for the OS, the disc will recognize your BIOS as legit for the install, and the disc will only work on machines that originally had this OS. No key issues to worry about.

Cool!

 

I used a key extractor to get the real key (assuming you still have OEM Vista installed). After installing, I just went to System Properties, and there I could input my Gateway key to activate Windows.

 

Whoa key extractor? Hook it up! Didn't know you can dig up your key like that.

 

tonester

Please provide a link to this software as I am sure more (NBR) members would like to download this software. It was legal, right?

 

Just search for "Find Vista Product Key"

or try this one:

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

Worked easily.

 

That's a good question. I always wondered about that. I think it should be as long as you have a legitimate CD key. Many of these have cracks so you don't need a key, but if you have one, why not use it and make it legit. Of course you would only be able to use Home Premium and not Ultimate because that's what your key is good for.

 

My 6860FX came with media, but I lost it unfortunately. I requested replacements from Gateway, but they charged me for it. I was not too pleased, but what happened next was what pissed me off the most.

When I tried reinstalling with the new discs Gateway provided, the installation failed. When asked about it, I was told by Gateway support that they didn't provide replacements or returns.