Reactivating Windows 7 after Clean Reinstall on Desktop Issue

Have a Dell xps 8100 and i did a clean reinstall of it by following this page



Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums


So it seemed like everything is fine now. However when i right click my computer, i noticed the message


Windows Activation

XX Days To Activate Activate Windows now


25 digit key that i had typed earlier which is in the sticker on my desktop.




When i click activate winddows now, it give me few option of doing it by phone number or two other options. Can someone tell me what im suppose to do here?


So that mean if i dont activate it within days left, that means my desktop computer will no longer work? Im confused why i have this message as i did the clean reinstall then used the 25 digit/letter code so why does it show i still have to activate windows?

 

1. If needed download the latest official Win7 OS installer ISO file with SP1 and Media Refresh for your 32-bit or 64-bit licensed Windows version.

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• You can slipstream the latest Updates into the installer ISO to save at least an hour's Updating after install using Update 7 installation media.
However it may take an hour to do this so consider how much you want this.

• If the licensed OS printed on the COA sticker on bottom is Home Basic or Starter then download Home Premium, run the eicfg removal tool to unlock all versions, later during install choose the licensed version from menu.
2. Burn ISO to DVD or write to USB flash stick (minimum size of 4GB required) using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool.



This is where i think is the issue to solve this problem? If so, im still confused because
Im not sure how to fix this issue. I downloaded small file and put it on usb then put it on desktop. But how am i suppose to run it?


When i click on it, it ask where i want to open it to and thus i need to type something.


I was told this in another forum



Extract and run .exe as Admin to remove ei.cfg.



But not sure how i do this as im not sure how to extract it as left click and right click the options don't have that.

 

Obviously you need to activate windows to continue using it, nothing special here 99.9% certain that phone/robot activation goes thru.

You need to this because automatic activation was refused. I'm pretty sure that happened since this was your first time activating that particular license key? When you reinstall windows again in a year or so, then activation should go thru automatically (because system already knows that this key belongs with that certain set of hardware).

 

Hi. Well the thing is when i did the clean reinstall, i already typed in that 25 digit/letter code thats on the sticker of my dell xps 8100 desktop so i thought that was enough.


When i got this new computer few years ago, I didn't had to do any activation or reactivation so i was confused why i had to do this this time. I assumes its b/c when dell sent me the computer they already did it buf if i were to ever reinstall it again... i have to do this? Also i had this desktop reinstalled many times and dont recall seeing this. However.... each time this was done, my computer wasn't wiped fully as the old windows folder was still there. So thats probably the case for this?

 

That should be enough, unless some specific conditions are met.

Usually phone activation is required when manufacturer oem key if used first time or there has been significant hardware changes, same key has been used many times in a short period and there is probably other reasons too. Either this is the many times or other reasons, hard to tell.

As long as phone activation goes thru, nothing is wrong.

 

If you type it in one of the prompt forms during windows install and told it to automatically activate over the internet then you would need to be connected. It is actually better not to do it at this time but to wait until the drivers to connect the LAN/WLAN are installed and then manually activate using the 25 Char. key.

Anyway, it should work out fine by using the telephone number they provide.

 

Okay contacted the phone number and its automated. Then it pretty much worked, had to type that long code and then i had to input my own one later on.