Who's sticking with Windows 7?

ignatzatsonic said:

Indianatone said:

Then I decided to activate my Genuine Retail Copy of Ultimate and I got an error back from the activation server that stated the key can no longer be used to activate Windows.

Did you try method 2 from this link, altering a registry value:

Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media | Windows 7 content from SuperSite for Windows

??

No its a retail ISO not an upgrade. It had not actually been used to activate 7 for years actually so I phoned them on the robot machine line and got it sorted out. The only 10 Pro and Home I have now are VM and are activated with a digital entitlement dating all the way back to the start of the insider program.

Tony, if I understand you correctly, you have got the use of your Windows 7 key back where it should be; on your install of Windows 7.

Indianatone said:

No its a retail ISO not an upgrade.

Can you clarify?


I'm not sure I've ever heard of a "retail ISO".

I have heard of retail and upgrade DVD installers (as you might buy at Newegg or Amazon), but a "retail ISO" is a new one.

I think of "upgrade" as a way to distinguish from "full", not from "retail".

How does it differ from a "non-retail ISO"--if there is such an thing?

As far as I know a ISO is a ISO the only difference is the COA key used.

"Retail ISO" really a DVD set 64 and 32 bit versions including SP1. Black DVD's which I have ripped to USB to install Windows 7 with. Yes this is genuine Windows 7 Ultimate and I have it registered activated and working completely. Also before Microsoft made it impossible to find 7 ISO you could download them from Digital River with SP1 added and updated.

CarlSD said:

Indianatone said:

My main machine was behaving a little flaky. It has had windows 10 on it for a short time as a test and was re imaged with 7. Anyhow it stopped seeing USB drives, files would disappear (no icons just the names) and other strange things. So I decided to blow it away and re install 7 64 bit Ultimate. Installation took no time at all of the basic OS, then the drivers, programs and so on and on. Then I decided to activate my Genuine Retail Copy of Ultimate and I got an error back from the activation server that stated the key can no longer be used to activate Windows. Boy that is an underhand tactic. If you get that message don't give up phone them and activate over the phone. M$ is trying every dirty trick in the book. Just a few more programs to install then I can image the partition with Macrium Reflect.

I use Advanced Tokens Manager to save my Windows 7 Activation files.

Advanced Tokens Manager - Josh Cell Softwares

As long as you reinstall Windows 7 onto the same hardware, it restores your activation status without having to go through MS's activation servers (it cannot be used for any 'illegal' activations, in case anyone's wondering).

It even works if you have to reinstall Windows 7 onto a new hard drive.

I have used that but not this time.

Tony
Have you got all your problems worked out at this time?
I have had to use the old phone call to Microsoft a couple of times. It was painless and took just a few minutes.

Yes its all good, the phone call did the trick. Then I could get the updates installed.

Very good.
Happy computing again.