Genuine Win 7, deactivated, can't reactivate, no phone activation

Thanks Teerex.

Vista was pre-installed with no disk. Shortly after I took delivery I became aware of a free upgrade via the MS website which I took advantage of, so it is genuinee. I am thinking though that when they serviced my computer (which they reformatted without asking me) they may have used a pirate or evaluation version of Windows.

So I have no disk of either 7 or Vista. I do however have the 20 digit product ID - but that doesn't seem to work.

nic said:

Thanks Teerex.

Vista was pre-installed with no disk. Shortly after I took delivery I became aware of a free upgrade via the MS website which I took advantage of, so it is genuinee. I am thinking though that when they serviced my computer (which they reformatted without asking me) they may have used a pirate or evaluation version of Windows.

So I have no disk of either 7 or Vista. I do however have the 20 digit product ID - but that doesn't seem to work.

Do you have the product keys, both for Vista and the Windows 7 Upgrade? They are the things you need to ultimately succeed. Don't post them here, just confirm you have them - that will help the members who will find ways to help you. I know ways of removing a key from a system and installing a new one, but I'm not sure this would work with an upgrade key and activate successfully.

I have a W7 product code as well as the Vista code on the computer. Hopefully it will get sorted. I have found contact for Malaysia MS support so maybe I will try them direct.

The Acer Win7 Upgrade Kits from Vista shipped with a retail OEM Installation DVD with retail Product Key attached. You should have preserved this Product Key as one would preserve any property worth $100+.

If you have the Product Key then it will work. The only reason a retail key which came with a Win7 Upgrade kit which previously worked will not work is because it is being inputted incorrectly.

If it is retail Upgrade (instead of OEM) then it would prompt you if it required the special step in Option 3 of Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version. Are you receiving an error message to this effect?

The Product ID in your mgadiag confirms it's retail Win7, but you refer to being issued a new "Product ID" which is only used for sourcing purposes. Are you trying to insert a Product ID instead of a Product Key? These are two different codes.

Thanks gregrocker, I was always very sure I upgraded via download. So I went searching through some of our unpacked boxes and found the upgrade disk! So will try that now. Fingers crossed.

Thanks Teerex, I ran scannow and it found corrupt files. However it won't let me open the log file to check what it did. WAT update is already installed. I'm hoping this upgrade disk will sort it anyway.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning verification phase of system scan. Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired
them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For
example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

The system file repair changes will take effect after the next reboot.

nic said:

Thanks gregrocker, I was always very sure I upgraded via download. So I went searching through some of our unpacked boxes and found the upgrade disk! So will try that now. Fingers crossed.

Thanks Teerex, I ran scannow and it found corrupt files. However it won't let me open the log file to check what it did. WAT update is already installed. I'm hoping this upgrade disk will sort it anyway.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>sfc /scannow

Beginning verification phase of system scan. Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired
them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For
example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

The system file repair changes will take effect after the next reboot.

Try copying the log to the desktop, you should be able to open it then.

The important part I bolded in red there is that it found and fixed the corrupt files.

nic said:

Thanks gregrocker, I was always very sure I upgraded via download. So I went searching through some of our unpacked boxes and found the upgrade disk! So will try that now. Fingers crossed.

Is the Product Key with the disk? If you have an install now that needs activation then insert the Product Key which is on the disk packaging for an Acer Upgrade Kit at Computer>Properties "Change Product Key" link.

I'm not sure what the other repairs are about if the issue as you stated in your first post is that an Acer Upgrade Kit upgrade from Vista to Win7 has deactivated. Do you have another thread about performance issues with this install as I don't see them described here.

Are you satisfied with the install you have performance-wise? If not then we can help you do a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 but if the disk with your Upgrade Kit does not have SP1 then I'd use the one provided in the tutorial instead.

Copied to desktop and could open - thanks!

Upgrade code from disk accepted. :)

Will wait to see what the reboot brings. Thanks everyone for your help - far more so than Acer or the computer shop guys.