windows & key

AddRAM · 17 Mar 2016

Layback Bear said:

If I may.

I only know of two purposes for the OEM/SLP key.

1. To auto activate a computer from the factory with pre-installed Windows 7.

2. To be able to activate after using the built in Recovery Partition that the manufacture installed.

If one wants to do a Clean Install or a Repair install the COA key on the Microsoft sticker is the only one that will work.

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Please correct me if I'm wrong. I like learning.

You are absolutely correct Jack, and the OEM/SLP may also be used to auto activate when using recovery discs ordered from the manufacturer. That one I`m not 100% sure about, but I do know that that disc looks for a slic table in the bios to auto activate.

ICIT2LOL · 17 Mar 2016

All a bit convoluted for me because what I said about my larger Asus the supplier gave me the correct code after a lot of harassing and I was just under the impression that Microsoft sold makers a licence to put the OS on thier machines but it was then up to the supplier/maker to give each machine a unique code.

Frankly for the cost of it I would be buying an OEM and installing it at least it would save a lot of time going around the houses looking for an elusive solution.

Golden · 17 Mar 2016

ICIT2LOL said:

All a bit convoluted for me because what I said about my larger Asus the supplier gave me the correct code after a lot of harassing and I was just under the impression that Microsoft sold makers a licence to put the OS on thier machines but it was then up to the supplier/maker to give each machine a unique code.

Frankly for the cost of it I would be buying an OEM and installing it at least it would save a lot of time going around the houses looking for an elusive solution.

Eh? That makes no sense at all.

hawkie · 17 Mar 2016

Thanks for the welcome and all the replies.

Not having issues as such with the laptop, its just that after loading OEM 7 on an old Pentium11 to mess around with 7 I found the clean install was far quicker to respond than the much higher spec laptop and considered doing a clean install on the lappy.
Thanks for clearing up my confusion on the correct key and the sticker is undamaged and easy to read.

and yes the SSD drives are very fast, I put together a gaming system for a family member a couple of weeks ago (AMD FX 8350) with a Samsung Evo for the operating system and its blindingly fast, shame they cost so much.

having to be dragged into this century from XP

many more questions to come, lucky for me you have already been there and done it.

Thanks again for the help

ICIT2LOL · 17 Mar 2016

Eh? That makes no sense at all

I will butt out of this one as I just thought Microsoft allowed for want of a better term for manufacturers to put the OS onto their machines by buying a licence from them (M$) to do just that and give each machine a unique code under that agreement.

Anyway I think the rest have got it under control now.

hawkie · 17 Mar 2016

Thinking here, yer I know thats dangerous.

If the HP laptop has been factory activated and the key on the sticker has never been activated does that mean it can be used to activate a clean OEM install of the same version on a different computer?

Ranger4 · 17 Mar 2016

The key activation code on the sticker that is attached to the HP laptop, is locked to that computer & cannot be used on any other computer. The motherboard gets the license key inserted on it when Windows gets installed thereby locking it to that particular key.

Although the activation may get done automatically, the sticker is also proof that the computer is licensed by Microsoft to use that version of Windows.

TrustMe · 18 Mar 2016

I was to slow Ranger4 beat me to it.

It would be illegal to do that. The sticker (key) on the bottom of your laptop is only legal for that laptop. You can not move it to another machine. When you buy a computer from a large manufacturer like HP or Dell you receive a OEM license. It means if your motherboard dies, your Windows license dies with it.

Now if you were to go out and buy Windows with a retail license you are legally allowed to move it to another computer but you have to remove Windows from the 1st computer. You can only have a retail license on one computer at a time. A retail license is more expensive than an OEM license.

They also have a OEM license for system builders. They are for people who build their own computers. Again you can not move that license to another computer. People who build their own computers usually have a choice between OEM and retail license depending on how much money they want to spend.

ICIT2LOL · 18 Mar 2016

Just me again yes the code is actually unless again I am terribly mistaken tied to the BIOS.

One thing I know is possible because I have done it is phone Microsoft and explained the board has died and they have let me put an OEM onto a new board and I think the two times it has has happened to me and my brother they were very reasonable and let us do it. I think I mentioned before it would not hurt to get them to check out the Product key for what one wants.

Barman58 · 18 Mar 2016

The key on the COA is there for when you are not re-installing from original disk, (which will use the Slic Table in the TPM chip or bios on older systems), or the install has issues. The TPM uses a default key that is tied to the particular system, (One master key is used for a batch of what may be thousands of devices) and it is this checks that the correct OS is being installed and activates it

I have known a standard retail install disk be found and activate using the SLIC but this is a bit hit and miss so the Different, but still subject to OEM restrictions, is supplied on the COA.

Quite often users will use something like JellyBean to extract the Key prior to a re-install where the COA has worn out - Obviously this happens as systems get older and dependent on how they are used.

The user ends up with a valid, key but one that is the same as every other of that model Number laptop that will not activate except when used with the SLIC

When I was dealing with vast numbers of laptops Standard practice was to photograph the COA and add it to the laptop's record package, COA's used to last about a month on systems used in industry