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#1
Another problem with activating Windows 7 - and this one IS genuine
Brand-new, first time visitor here. I just took a look at a similar recent thread, but the poster said his (or her) copy of Windows 7 was 'from a friend.' My problem: my geek son (who built my original computer and lives more than 200 miles away) recently did an overhaul on my computer, which was then running Windows XP) to clean it out, upgrade some things, yadda yadda. Once back home, the problems began...my son realized that because he'd installed a new motherboard, XP wasn't recognizing it (I'm probably using the wrong words to describe this - plus this is now a 1.5 month old problem and my brain is broken). His suggestion was that we upgrade to Windows 7. I bought a copy at the local WalMart, took the computer back to him and he installed.
It seemed to run ok when he started it up. But not once I got back home...I've entered the product key, but the system simiply will not recognize it as genuine. I get constant messages that the product is not genuine and askes me to activate. (Which I've done to no avail). When I go to sites, it may load the original site, but anything I try to visit from there....I get "security certificate is not valid" message and have to click on "go anyway (not recommended". I've been to the MS Help pages and nearly committed hari kari in frustration. It was an hours long bout of Catch 22, sending me back to the same places, asking for the same information and never letting me make any progress at all.
Back in the beginning, before we upgraded, I tried the help phone number. I got an automated program; it gave me a 25 digit number to enter. I did so. It wasn't 'recognized' (or whatever, it didn't like it) and said I'd be connected to a live person. I held. I was disconnected. I gave up.
Further complicating things, I live rural and am on a landline, so I can't be on the phone and doing anything on the computer. And I can't get a dependable signal on my cel while sitting inside at the desk, so I haven't used that route.
Does anyone have any ideas to help me out of this quagmire???? Thank you!