Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key

So, here's my problem. I just bought a new hard drive for my Lenovo T61p. When I tried to install Windows 7 Profession 64 Bit on this new hard drive, it told me that my product key wasn't valid... I think it's because I purchased Windows 7 with a Student Discount, and that discount must include an upgrade for Windows Vista... (I don't remember to have bought an Upgrade thought. I bought WIN 7 in December 2009 and the discount price was 39.99 in that time...) I think it doesn't make sense that I have an upgrade key, because when I first installed WIN 7 on my laptop, I had Windows Vista Home Premium 32 Bit, so I had to format and perform a clean install....

Does anyone remember is the 39.99$ deal for students was for an upgrade or for a full version ?

What can I do if my product key still doesn't work ? Like I said before, I can't reinstall WIN Vista to upgrade from there, because it won't upgrade from 32 bit to 64 bit...

Thank you for your help...

 

It looks like you have to have a valid version of windows already installed to use the Win7 student, as it seems to be an upgrade, rather than full retail version.

 

Do you mean that it won't let you activate online? Did you try the phone activation system?

I have the same problem myself. I reinstalled and activated windows 7 a bunch of times and after a few times it refused to activate online. So I clicked the phone activation option and ever since, I had to use this method everytime to activate since then.

It should be simple. It should be all automated, and remember to answer ONE when they ask you "How many computers have been installed with this copy of windows?" If you get a customer service rep, simply explain what you did.

I am not sure whether the Win7 student deal from the end of 2009 gave us a "Full Purchase Product" or "Upgrade" key since I have been able to successfully activate windows 7 without installing Vista first.

 

the windows 7 from the student store is a upgrade key... You have to have a previous windows os on the drive otherwise the key wont take...I know I have a win 7 x64 pro key I got from the student store myself.... You can install any os, xp or vista then when you install windows 7 over it the key should take... you can still do a clean install

 

Install Win7 without a product key and do not activate it. When the install finishes and gives you the desktop, run the Win7 installer again from within Windows and input your upgrade key. It will work.

This is legal, as your laptop obviously came with some version of Windows installed on it at some point.

 

Syberia's method is correct. Here are some more details:
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media