Windows 7 Trouble Activating Windows 7 with Original Product Key After Upgrading Hard Drive

[John Whitworth]

I purchased a used E machine ER1402-05 and it had a 160 GB hard drive so i bought a upgrade 1 TB hybrid solid state drive and installed it i then installed the windows 7 home premium OS on it and used the original product key that was on the side of the mini desktop but it is not accepting it this is the same OS that was originally on it and i was wondering why the product key is not working

 

[VsUK]

Probably because the Product key has been saved by it's previous owners or resold multiple times & microsoft has terminated the key. If a product key is openly visible then it's most likely been sold unless when you bought the pc, it clearly stated it comes with product key.

 

[John Whitworth]

It was clearly stated i used the code when i first activated the os and it worked for a month then the pc started poping up on start up that i need a new key the key worked on the old drive and as i said for the 1st month on the new one idk what happened

 

[John Whitworth]

it is a genuine code only used on this pc and i don't know where to go from here?

 

[VsUK]

The key was a system builder license. Companies like Dell, Toshiba & Asus buy them at a fraction of the price as we do retail. But the key is locked to the hardware it is purchased for, normally the motherboard. So changing the hardware will require a re activation & because you can't resell these keys or re use them on other systems is why its so cheap for manafacturers to buy them this way.

I sent you a pm btw!

 

[strollin]

You may still be able to activate the system by calling MS. You will have to type in a long series of numbers for validation and then the automated system may activate your license. If not, you will then be able to talk to a rep and explain your situation and the rep may then be able to activate your license. If the license is not valid for reasons such as the ones given in previous posts they won't activate it. Over the years, I have called the activation line about 6 times and have always been able to activate using the automated system.

 

[John Whitworth]

thnx! i'll give it a try

 

[Meldt]

I had a similar problem and finally solved it by purchasing a new key from Removed This was the most reasonably priced at 22.31 Euros. The reply and download was almost immediate (allowing for time differences UK to Australia) and the key was perfect.

 

[davidhk129]

Warning .....................

Microsoft NEVER sells product key WITHOUT accompanied by an installation software.

If you bought a key alone without the software, you have more than most likely purchased a counterfeit or a key that has been reused on another computer(s).
Be prepared that one day you'll find message of " Not Genuine ", and MS might even block your computer from running.

 

[Meldt]

Bought it with the download but didn't use the download as I have a good copy.

 

[kemical]

I had a similar problem and finally solved it by purchasing a new key from Removed This was the most reasonably priced at 22.31 Euros. The reply and download was almost immediate (allowing for time differences UK to Australia) and the key was perfect.

Buying keys is, as Davidhk129 correctly wrote, isn't truly legal and whilst they may work for a short while are not considered legal by Microsoft

Recently there has been some debate on the legality on the buying and selling of Microsoft activation key's. Luckily for us Microsoft are quite clear about this:

With the exception of Product Key Cards (PKC’s) distributed with COA’s, Microsoft does not distribute products keys as standalone products. If you see a listing on an auction site, online classified ad, or other online page advertising product keys for sale, it’s a good indication that the keys are likely stolen or counterfeit. If you were to purchase and use a stolen or counterfeit product key to activate Windows installed on your PC, the key may not work for activation, may already be in use on another PC, or it might be blocked from use later by Microsoft when the key is reported stolen. The best way to get everything you expect up front is to buy Link Removed or Link Removed.

Ref:
Link Removed

Users may have bought keys that work but basically they are not legal.

Any threads or posts relating to the selling of keys will either be edited or removed as spam.

Ref:
http://windowsforum.com/threads/buying-microsoft-keys-online.191161/