Windows 7 license code became unreadable, HP and MS refuse service, what now?

The sticker underneath my laptop has become unreadable after just 7 months.

I contacted MS, they say contact HP. I contacted HP, they say 'Sorry can't help you. The number is unique and we don't have it.'

Next time I will be writing down the number somewhere else, but what now?

 

Thanks, I did not know about that.

Unfortunately I've done a clean install and I don't have the recovery partition anymore.

 

Unless you have used the key from the COA on the bottom of the laptop to activate Windows 7 during your last install it will not be the key returned with the key finder program. The key returned will be the manufacturers OEM key.

In that case the unreadable key on the laptop COA is history, sorry.

You don't need the recovery partition to be in place to retrieve the key. If you used the product key on the COA to activate Windows 7 on your last install, a program such as Magic JellyBean will return it with no problem. Assuming of course that you still have your Windows 7 installation intact.

Edit: I have gotton in the habit of putting a piece of clear tape (either Scotch Tape or a more heavy duty clear packing tape) over the COA so it doesn't get destroyed over time.

 

If you can find an member with the exact same notebook , it will have the exact same pre-activated key as yours , they are all the same and will only work with your make and model, the program below will read the key.

ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us

 

Actually as long as the OEM key and the CERT match up you can even activate with another manufacturers OEM key. I accidently activated Windows 7 on my HP laptop with an Acer OEM key and Cert several months ago. I discovered my mistake a couple of months later and corrected it.

It was a total mistake, I used the wrong ABR file to restore the OEM serial and Cert after an install.

 

Thanks. I have not entered the number so I think it's lost.

I will do that too.

Could I use the same key on two laptops?

 

Yes, all OEM keys and CERTS for a given manufacturer and OS are the same. You can use ABR on another HP laptop running Windows 7 and restore the info to your laptop after the W7 install. The Windows 7 version must be the same (i.e. Home, Pro, etc) as the OEM serial does change by version.

This is only valid if your original laptop came with Windows 7 installed.

 

I removed my posts that could be considered illegal. Thanks for warning me deeastman.

Sorry about deleting others' posts.

 

Om-nom-nom

 

some manufactures put the licence key sticker under the battery, which seems like a good idea to me, to stop it from getting damaged.

 

I remember back in the XP days the COA stickers were glossy and durable but with Vista and 7 the COA stickers went to paper that just smudges off over time.

So lately I just place some clear sticky tape over the COA with a new system, this way I know that it's protected from wear and tear and is readable should you want to sell the system later on.

 

Phil,
Check your PM for more info.

 

What is CERT?

Phil, If you've done a clean install before without needing the key at the botom, could you not use the same procedure in the future if you want to reinstall?
Since you did not need to kwy when you reinstalled, you should not need it in the future?

 

OEM activation (the one big companies use) is made of three parts:
Certificate, certain mark in the bios and certain brand-specific install key. All three parts have to match in order to activate Windows. Certificate and generic brand-key are provided in the install cd and bios mark, well, it's in the bios.

If you do clean install with non-branded oem media, you need to activate with key in the bottom instead. Usually it also needs phone activation the first time (because some vendors took the stickers and glued them on the white-box machines the automatic activation was removed from branded OEM keys).

 

When you do clean install you can use it for 30 days without activation, that's how I could do it.

 

KLF, thanks.

Phil: Actually you can use it for 120 days using rearm(kindly provided and blessed by MS); or perhaps 360 days(legal, but without the blessing of MS).

 

You can also use non-branded media with a program such as ABR, which was mentioned earlier in this thread if you have a copy of the Certificate and a matching brand-specific install key. You bios does have to be at the proper SLIC level for the OS to be installed. If your PC came with Windows 7 installed then the bios is already correct.

P.S. This info is NOT intended to describe a method to illegally install windows 7 but to help an OP with installing Windows 7 he aready bought and paid for but is not receiving help from the OEM.

 

Seems like you know it... then why did you ask?

 

Phil, what laptop model is this?

I find it hard to beleive that HP would not have a record of the license.

 

None of the OEMs will go hunt down your license for you. The likely scenario is that they record the fact that you got one, not which one you got.

 

It's a HP DM3 1044nr, about one year old.

According to HP and the Microsoftstore (where it was bought) they don't have the number.

 

It could also be done manually from the command-line, but ABR was already mentioned at page 1 Plain certificates and keys are also wildly available in the 'net, yet they naturally only work with computers sold with Win7.

Multitude of different activators will do the same thing, except there's a nasty possibility of getting some trojans or keyloggers with them and I haven't yet seen one that wouldn't include a loader component = not good. Also those are Microsoft's target in antipiracy war, they will go down sooner or later.

Those licenses aren't stored anywhere. Nobody has, they are unique. Lose one and you'll never get it back. That's why they should be treated as any object that could be broken or lost. In my 5101 the license text is also coming off, so far only the XP Home Edition text is gone but actual license key is still here.

 

If your system has SLIC2.1 enabled in the bios (OS is NOT "non-vista") then the HP Win7 install/recover will installing a HP certificate and license.

[removed]

 

That last bit is pushing into dangerous territory.

 

That bat file includes the Certificate and HP OEM serial numbers to activate Windows 7. In essence it is a crack and I don't think it should be posted here. Will leave it to the mods to make that decision.

The ABR file discussed allows you to backup and restore your current configuration for easy OEM activation and in itself is not illegal or a crack. While it can do the same thing as win7lic.bat it does not provide Certificates or Serial Numbers (both are available on the web but we should not provide pointers to them).

I would recommend that if the OP has all the information he requires and his question has been answered, this thread be closed.

 

Ditto. 10 Char.

 

The HP certificate and license I posted came on the HP OEM Win7 CD. It will only activate your Win7 if you have the matching HP SLIC 2.1 table in your bios which means your system must come with a Win7 installation CD or have a Win7 recovery process.

The bit I'm not sure of is whether it activates higher-spec Win7 installs than you paid for. In which case it could be considered a crack. I'll let a moderator decide and delete my previous post if that is the case.

 

Just look at website
My Digital Life Forums
There you will find all needed information.
As your notebook came with Windows 7 the mentioned method is legal, at least in my opinion.