Windows locked Vista *key specified can no longer be used!!* Microsoft BLOWS!!!

Unbeliveable for some reason windows forced me to re-activate for whatever reason when I booted my PC up today, it locked windows down until I reactivated...

Ive changed no hardware or recently updated anything!!

Re-entered my key and it now says:

"The Software Licensing Service determined that this specified product key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installations"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????

What the hell does that mean!? My key (upgrade key) is completly legit bought from Dabs and installed from the original disk supplied!

Does this mean I have to completely format to fix this? Unbelievable!!!!!!!

The only thing I can think of is when I installed vista ages ago I did the "Clean install" by selecting no product code and selecting Microsoft Business Edition the entering my key after it had all been installed so I didnt need to install XP.

Someone help me please need my PC for work!!

 

If you did not install ON TOP OF another XP or Vista installation, it sounds like you are foobar'ed.

 

Thats ridiculous I bought vista upgrade thinking I could just install clean and that it would ask for the XP disk again to scan so that I could just install vista...

After finding a way around to clean install without installing XP first it works and activates fine then it suddnely locks for no reason at all sigh......

 

the reason you are getting this error is because you have a upgrade license key for vista and this only works if you are upgrading from microsoft XP. you cannot use this key to do a clean install.

do not fear though as there is a simple workaround. what you have to do is to trick the system into doing an upgrade. the problem here is that if you have any files you are probably going to lose them.

what you need to do is to reboot the computer using the vista dvd and use the upgrade option and make sure you enter your upgrade key when it prompts you. this should fix the problem.

if it doesn't work, then do a clean install of vista, select the version of vista you have but do not enter your product key when it prompts you. after the process is complete. repeat the installation again but this time select upgrade and then make sure you enter your product key when prompted.

this should definitely fix your problem. i hope what i have said so far makes sense.

 

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070128-8717.html
Published: January 28, 2007

You could have just asked beforehand. Most of us knew a long time ago that upgrades couldn't do clean installs.

 

Wow, this is insane. You need a PHd to understand MS licensing structure. So are you saying that if he used his original key(not upgrade key) he would have been fine?