New HD and Clean Install Results in Windows 7 Product Code Failure

Hello all and many thanks for any advice given.

A coworker's Asus laptop crashed with a Status Oxc000000f error. He was unable to get to any other screen. I offered to try to fix it and have just run into error after error. Ultimately after everything else had failed I bought a new Hard Drive to install and ran a clean install from a disc I had burned. The laptop came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium with the Product Code sticker right there on the bottom. After the laptop booted to the desktop there is a Windows Build 7601 This copy of Windows is not Genuine error message in the bottom right corner of the screen. Almost everything seems normal otherwise. Except for internet access, when I try internet explore it will not load and the diagnostics show that it is missing a properly installed network adapter.

I am not a computer wiz by any stretch of the imagination, probably shouldn't have attempted as much as I have, but I'm in this deep I'd like to see it through. If any one has any advice on how I can correct these issues I would be very greatful.

I have no reason not to believe it is a genuine copy.

I burned the ISO from a site I found online, but now I wish I had tracked down an OEM copy.

The 7601 error eventually led to a pop up screen turned the background black and insisted on a new product key to continue anything.

I shut down the laptop and tried to reboot only to receive a BOOTMGR error.

I found that the BIOS was not recognizing the new HD and have since reinstalled the old one. Now I have a new error

File: \windows\system32\config\system
Status: 0xc0000225
Info: windows failed to load because the system registry file is missing, or corrupt

You do not have to get an oem disc, the one you have will be sufficient.

Have you installed the network driver yet, can you get out to the net ?

Sounds like you just have to activate the pc.

Get the network drivers while you use the working hard drive, put the driver on a flash drive, put in the new hard drive and install the driver.

Then activate windows.

Thank you addram. the original hd was not working to where I could get to desktop, only error screens. Tried to burn drivers to dvd from asus website but will not load on problem comp. Doesn't seem to recognize format.

You can`t copy drivers from another computer, you have to go to the manufacturer`s website to download the drivers. Put the network drivers on a flash drive or cd, a flash drive is much easier.

Don`t use driver programs, you don`t need them.