Windows 7: Problem with validation

Have posted before re an old machine that I have installed my friends Vista onto and all had gone well - updates service pack 2 et etc until today when it pops up a message that it is not a genuine OS.

Now I know it is as it was originally on another machine of hers that I put 7 on. This machine I wanted to give to her daughter to stop her mucking up the one with 7 as ha happened i the past.

I contacted Microsoft and to cut a long story short the tech told me the was no security on the machine - Comodo is and he suggested I put MSE on it - and that there were many reg errors. He offered to fix these for me and I thought great until he announced that it was going to cost $149 to do it plus an ongoing fee to keep the machine going.

Now I am hopping mad not because I am trying to get it on this other machine so much that the OS was paid for and what would have happened if the HDD died and it needed reinstalling on a new one?

In any case I need to know if there are any reliable and safe reg cleaners or rectifiers out here that I can use.

The install took me a good two days to do and if this is how M$ treat customers then I have a good mind to install Unbuntu or Linux Mint on the machine and they can have their precious Vista back

Sorry for the rant but I have had it with this mob after all the money I have spent with them

John if the Vista came installed on the 1st machine, it is likely an OEM version so it is forever tied to that machine. Also if it was a purchased OEM it would be tied to the first machine it's installed on too.

People buy OEM since they are $100 or so cheaper than a retail version. OEM has no MS support either.

To properly analyse and solve problems with Activation and Validation, we need to see a full copy of the report produced by the MGADiag tool
(download and save to desktop - http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012 )
Once saved, run the tool.
Click on the Continue button, which will produce the report.
To copy the report to your response, click on the Copy button in the tool (ignore any error messages at this point), and then paste (using either r-click/Paste, or Ctrl+V ) into your response.
- **in your own thread**, please
Please also state the Version and Edition of Windows quoted on your COA sticker (if you have one) on the case of your machine (or inside the battery compartment), but do NOT quote the Key on the sticker!
How to Tell


Note that OEM Licenses cannot be moved between machines - and can only be used on changed motherboards in cases of warrnty replacement.

NoelDP, what did you mean **in your own thread**, please?
I was replying to the OP which you partially restated in your response.

That's a rather hopeful plea to others who come along later to create their own thread - this one is ICit2lol's , so he/she can post their reponse here without me complaining

Validation/Activation threads can get complex enough without having to try and deal with more than one case in a thread at a time.

Ahh, thread hi-jacking is kind of too common.

Ok the disk looks like it might be an OEM as the wording on it is the same as my own 7 OEM disks (licenced to be used with new machine) the original the builders of the original machine gave the owner the whole lot that was put on the machine the Vista disk. Asus drivers and utilities etc.
On first sight I took it to be a non OEM.

So perhaps this is where it is all falling apart. My beef is that if for instance the old machine and HDD (which the HDD did) - died then how would or could you put another drive in and reinstall?? I just feel that she paid for it and therefore should be able to use it in another machine and HDD.

It just seems to be a bit unsympathetic on the part of M$ and you might as well go burn the $100 out in the back yard..

I did in fact put another new drive in for her and an OEM 7 which as you might agree is a far better option. This other machine was to keep her daughter out of her mother's machine.

Oh well if they want to be that pedantic I can always put Ubuntu on it for her so she can get on with her studies.

You can replace a HDD and still use the license, but it is forever tied to that mobo it was originally installed on.

Noel can give you the exact details but that is how it is with OEM licenses.

Please post the MGADiag report - it will tell us exactly what's going on.

Ah well fellas it was worth a try so at least I know that in the future I will have to shell out for a full blown and a fair bit more expensive Microgreedytsoft OS.

Personally for me this is not a problem but for the few that have little expendable income or less and want to get on in life through study or whatever, it certainly doesn't go down well with me that they should be so pedantic.

I do know of some who have openly boasted on the local forum of being employees of a company that takes part in the development of M$ that can pick up full versions of the OS through the company they work for - for $20!!. Yet for for the unfortunate it's full payment or nothing.

I will personally give this young girl a computer I think even if I have to strip one down and put new parts in it and I hope the M$ fat cats enjoy their luxury yachts over the weekend in the Bahamas

A bit of latitude would have gone a long way in this instance. So much for the philanthropy eh?