The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Installing onto a new HD - product key question

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by seigezunt, Feb 24, 2010.

  1. seigezunt

    seigezunt Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Sorry if this is a really dumb question, but I need a little help.

    I bought Windows 7 upgrade disc to upgrade my XP. Installed fine, but it turned out my HD was too small to tranfer all my files back from Windows Easy Transfer.

    I got a new HD, and did a custom install of Windows 7, but it tells me the product key I entered is invalid. Checked and checked again, right number. So I left it blank, and it installed OK.

    What should I be doing to validate it? Or should I? I got the impression it wouldn't let you install...but it did. Is it going to report me to the MS police for re-installing a product I legitimately bought?

    Thanks for the help.
     
    seigezunt, Feb 24, 2010
    #1
  2. UserofFZ21Z

    UserofFZ21Z Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    1
    Messages:
    168
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Try activating by phone.
     
    UserofFZ21Z, Feb 24, 2010
    #2
  3. H.A.L. 9000

    H.A.L. 9000 Occam's Chainsaw

    Reputations:
    6,415
    Messages:
    5,296
    Likes Received:
    552
    Trophy Points:
    281
    It will only let you validate it once by the internet, so then your product key is still valid, you'll just have to call Microsoft to activate by phone.
     
    H.A.L. 9000, Feb 24, 2010
    #3
  4. zfactor

    zfactor Mastershake

    Reputations:
    2,894
    Messages:
    11,134
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    455
    once you call them normally that will reset that key so the next time you will be able to once activate online but then you would have to call again etc.. its because you used a upgrade key to install a fresh copy. it will work fine though
     
    zfactor, Feb 25, 2010
    #4