Can You Install Retail Windows 7 and use OEM serial #

Shine said:

ASo I used my retail copy of home premium to format and install windows on the laptop and entered the serial number that came with windows home premium that was already installed on the laptop.

In this post, you say "I ..........entered the serial number that came with windows home premium that was already installed on the laptop."

In post 4 you said: "I now see the 25 number/letter combination for the CD key".

Clarify this: are these 2 numbers the same and did that number in fact come from a sticker on the Toshiba to which you are trying to install Windows?

Sorry if I have not been clear. The only two numbers that I have are a product ID# and the CD key (serial #). These two are quite different, the product ID is 5 digits followed by -OEM-7digits-5digits. The CD key a 25 digit number/letter combination. It was this 25 digits combination that I entered while trying to activate. Was this not correct?

There are no number's on the back of this laptop other than model and laptop serial #. I checked under the battery and there is nothing there either. Perhaps something else is missing.

Product ID number is irrelevant.

The 25 character "serial number" you refer to is presumably a Product Key, not a serial number.

You haven't said so explicitly, but I assume that the answer to the question I asked in post 21 is that the numbers are the same, but that the number came from YOUR retail upgrade disk and NOT from anywhere on the Toshiba.

If that is so, I wouldn't expect success since that Product Key is presumably in use on your own PC and cannot be reused.

But the question is----why doesn't the Toshiba have a 25 character Product Key on a sticker? I thought manufacturers such as Toshiba, Dell, HP, etc were required to include this sticker. It's not to be confused with the other Product Key that is hidden and used to automatically reactivate a recovery installation--as opposed to a clean install such as you are doing.

Did you ask Toshiba why no sticker?

ignatzatsonic . No I did not use the product key that is in use for my PC to try and activate the laptop. I got the laptop product key from the laptop itself by running magical jelly bean key finder before I reformatted it. It was this product key that I tried to use to activate. I hope that is clearer.

No I did not ask Toshiba why there was no sticker but your right I should have. I suppose it could have peeled off in the last 2 years. If it had been under the battery I would have to think it would still be there. I've only had the laptop back with me for about 5 days. I will be shipping it back to my daughter later this week. When I call her I will ask if she remembers any other sort of sticker ever being on the back, but I doubt she would take much notice of it.

The answer to your question is YES you can use your OEM key on the bottom of the laptop with your retail disc. Retail discs and oem discs are exactly the same thing, the only difference is the key.

DON`T WASTE YOUR RETAIL KEY IF YOU HAVE AN OEM KEY !!!

And most certainly you should have a COA sticker on the bottom of the pc.

Did you purchase it new ?

Yes it was purchased new. Believe me I am not arguing that there should be and may have been a COA sticker on the bottom of this laptop. But as I look at it now there is none to be found. Now that I think of it, my daughter did buy an extra battery for this laptop as the first one didn't hold a charge long enough. Maybe the sticker was attached to the other battery.

Normally, I'd say the key that Magic Jelly Bean found would correspond to the key that should have been on that sticker.

If that is true, I can't understand why MS would say it is blocked or invalid.

But---maybe Magic Jelly Bean can be inaccurate?

Or maybe the installation on the Toshiba at the time you ran Magic Jelly Bean is not the original installation?

Shine said:

Yes it was purchased new. Believe me I am not arguing that there should be and may have been a COA sticker on the bottom of this laptop. But as I look at it now there is none to be found. Now that I think of it, my daughter did buy an extra battery for this laptop as the first one didn't hold a charge long enough. Maybe the sticker was attached to the other battery.

The COA is inside the Battery compartment. Most manufacturers don't put it on the outside of notebooks anymore because it is to easy to steal it when on the outside. So most all now place it inside the battery compartment. Take the battery out and you will find it.