Several Installs

I used a USB Windows 7 Pro 64 install ; and then again, and the from a DVD disk.
What I keep ending up with is there is only one option to activate and that is Online.
I cannot get the Product Key to activate.

I have several computer at work - and in the past on those computer I was offered when the activation
failed to 'phone in' and enter a series of numbers and so forth - and then the activation completed successfully.

I have no idea why I can never get the activation to complete Online. I never could and I have here 28 computers - and for some reason I cannot activate Online - I have to go through the mechanical steps with telephone activation.

This computer I have only the Online Activation screen - no additional options?
That is why I simply restalled new using different media.

With the option for telephone activation what happens after I attempt to do the Online activation - is that that information gets put into the system ( I think ) because after the failed Online activation what I do next is proceed to the alternate option - Telephone activation - I don't have that - and if I did I could complete the activation.

However, I can do a slui -4 and that bring up that telephone option but for some reason the approach fails to validate when I do phone in. Very odd - because if the option were listed with the original Activate Windows now - it would work. In the Activate Windows now there is only "Online' and 'Ask me later" I never had this experience . And what I did in other installs was to have the internet cable disconnected thinking the install would pick up no Internet and thus push in the Telephone activation.

Long note but needed to post as this is a difficult activation....
Thanks