Wiped & reinstalled Win 7, Product Key "blocked"

Hi,

I've wiped and reinstalled the OS on my older N53Jf notebook.

It came with Win7 Home Premium 64-bit.

When I used the recovery DVDs that I had made when new, unfortunately one of them was corrupted so that method failed.
So I downloaded an ISO of the OS from Windows, and reinstalled everything.

When I reactivated using my original Windows product key (based on a Belarc system summary that I'd saved before wiping), it wasn't accepted. A call to Microsoft told me that the product key is blocked and that I had to contact the manufacturer.

Asus' support is remarkably poor and they haven't responded yet. I should add that I never used the product key on any computer except the Asus notebook.


Any advice to resolve this? Thanks

 

Short answer: use the key from license sticker instead.

Long answer: the key you saved is the manufacturer specific OEM key. It alone isn't enough to activate, install disk has a certificate and computer bios third part. Only when all three match, windows activates.

 

Thanks, that fixed it. Can't believe I stupidly relied on the Win 7 Product Key from the Belarc system scan and assumed without checking it was the same as the sticker Key.

 

The key under the sticker is an OEM key you cannot simply use it to activate a retail ISO which you have downloaded.

The way its activation is done is that you have a certificate buried in your BIOS and the key you have is an SLP key, first the key needs to be installed from your BIOS into your current windows installation via a DOS command prompt, then you can activate your key

You have to google ASUS SLP certificate and also research how to do it through DOS, it's very simple once you get it the first time

if you aren't able to figure it out still, let me know and Ill post a step by step guide for you although I'm not sure if this is allowed or not

 

Thanks Ferris23. By "fixed" I meant that I did the activation again and entered the key from the sticker -- it was accepted and now Windows is showing as activated.

I had been googling the SLP issues and had downloaded the SLIC Toolkit to get started in that direction if necessary. With activation accepted, am I now good to go or are there other/future issues lurking?

 

nope you're good to go for eternity! you only need to do this manual SLP certificate injection / SLP Key activation through DOS if the key wasn't accepted to activate online. If you did it, then you saved yourself the trouble.

PS: Delete Belarc Advisor please and never rely on it, there are better more guaranteed ways of getting a key.

 

Belarc is history.

And thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.

 

Actually this will work I done it with Vista example I had a Vista Premium OEM disk and I installed it on a laptop that came with Vista Premium and used their COA and it registered and worked just fine. So you can still use the ISO download but the Product Key will before Windows 8 determine which version of the O/S is installed. This I know work for Vista and 7. So what you said isn't entirely true.

This is for Windows 8 machine...not Windows 7 machine...we need to make that distinction here. Previous Windows loaded machine had the COA stickers on them.

I will atest with Vista Premium install from OEM using the manufacture product key this will work. Just like my reply to Ferris23 reply.

 

You mixed up two different OEM methods to activate. Bios+key+certificate combo is used by the factory to preinstall hundreds of thousands of computers at once and the sticker key is totally different thing.

Sticker key is just a personal unique key, similar what one would get when bought a white-box OEM disc/key from a supplier. That's why it works with normal unbranded installation discs.

Certain OEM branded install discs would contain the key and certificate, thus require no key during installation and automatically activate.

Nope. Windows 7 had SLP marker in bios, a generic key was used. Windows 8 instead has the whole key written in bios, no generic key exists.

Both 7 and 8 if bought "white box oem" will come with a sticker key. Factory OEM is more complicated.

 

That is true but my references was prefab Windows 7 machine from electronics retailer those has the sticker COA on them and using same matching Retail version matching the retailer bought Windows O/S version it will do a standalone install but use the same key. This I tested and it worked on a Vista Premium laptop installed with aftermarket Retailer Vista Premium and used their COA and it installed and registered with no problem.

 

Yes, but the key on the sticker even if the license is factory OEM for 7 will activate. It may not activate through Internet, but calling to activate will work. Making a backup of the activation is more complicated than for retail, that's a given.

 

You mixed up two different OEM methods. Of course COA key activates, it is essentially the same thing as a retail box or OEM sticker key. It has no knowledge of brand. While sticker may read Acer laptop, it will activate a homebuilt gaming pc. Well, not recommended, but possible.

The factory OEM key will not activate on a regular disc. Different thing. It is meant to activate only when coupled with certificate and bios marker and then it will not require internet connection either. That key is the one you will find in a fresh factory installation with a special program.

That's pretty much the idea. If original discs are lost, there's always the possibility to use plain discs with the COA key. There is nothing else "factory related" in the COA sticker than the brand name.

However I've never understood why backups of activation is such a big fuss when it can be done with one file and two lines in command prompt afterwards. Nothing unique there, manufacturers do it in millions using the exact same license key. In the end, it's all about the integrity of the user how to activate windows