Activation issue, W7 Home Premium

[AC]

eMachines refuses to help me. So I post here. Reformatted HD cuz W7 screwed and nothing was working. Installed perfectly. I insert my Product Key, and I get invalid product key error message. Key only been used once.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I insert my Product Key, and I get invalid product key error message. Key only been used once.

Is the installation disk OEM, retail, burned, borrowed, or what?

Where did you get the Product Key?

 

[NoelDP]

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quoted on your COA sticker (if you have one) on the case of your machine (or inside the battery compartment), but do NOT quote the Key on the sticker!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

 

[Night Hawk]

Hello ubunturules Welcome to SF!

The question here would be not where as long as you used genuine media but which product key being either the OEM key on the attached sticker or from the 7 media used? On OEM machines like a Gateway you need to install the exact same edition as well as 32bit or 64bit Windows according to what it came preinstalled with.

When using a separate 7 dvd or even USB Install Key for a clean install you then enter the OEM key. That will be seen as the valid key for that machine based on the hardware information/code provided to MS when going to see Windows activated as long as the original media source is genuine.

 

[AC]

Using the product key that came with the laptop (back cover) and it says X16- something I believe. Installing using USB and ISO from Digital River.

 

[Night Hawk]

If the installation went well and you continue to try the Gateway and get nowhere you'll end up needing to cal the 800 number for MS. If you ran into the Windows 7 activation error 0x80072F8F which has been known to be a problem at times you simply use the "show me more ways to activate" option which will bring up the 800 number when selecting that option.

Don't feel alone in this by the way. Windows 7 - A problem occured when Windows tried to active. Error Code 0x80072F8F.

 

[AC]

I don't have a show me more ways to activate option. This is about the 10th prob. I have had with 7. Think I'm gonna get an XP laptop I saw on amazon. Core 2 Duo,320 GB HD, 4 GB Ram, XP Pro...... aaaaaahhhhh.

 

[Night Hawk]

That's when you refer to the MS page for the three options available seen at Activate Windows 7 on this computer

 

[jumanji]

eMachines refuses to help me. So I post here. Reformatted HD cuz W7 screwed and nothing was working. Installed perfectly. I insert my Product Key, and I get invalid product key error message. Key only been used once.

In an earlier post elsewhere, you had mentioned that emachines had sent you the Windows 7 disc.

Was it the OEM Reinstall disk? Use it to install Windows 7 and check whether it auto-activates.

( If your machine has a valid SLIC table embedded by emachines and the OEM reinstall disc has the necessary OEM activation data - OEM-SLP key and *. xrs-ms certificate - the machine will auto-activate. My Dell laptop autoactivates with the DELL provided Windows 7 Reinstall Disk.)

 

[Night Hawk]

eMachines refuses to help me. So I post here. Reformatted HD cuz W7 screwed and nothing was working. Installed perfectly. I insert my Product Key, and I get invalid product key error message. Key only been used once.

In an earlier post elsewhere, you had mentioned that emachines had sent you the Windows 7 disc.

Was it the OEM Reinstall disk? Use it to install Windows 7 and check whether it auto-activates.

( If your machine has a valid SLIC table embedded by emachines and the OEM reinstall disc has the necessary OEM activation data - OEM-SLP key and *. xrs-ms certificate - the machine will auto-activate. My Dell laptop autoactivates with the DELL provided Windows 7 Reinstall Disk.)

Apparently eMachines refused to do anything for him including sending out a factory recovery disk. This is why he bought 7 at the MS online store to begin with.

On one of their older desktop models(XP) when a friend's son trashed the preinstall I ended using a Home edition cd and simply entered to the OEM key following a full wipe of the drive. eMachines didn't provide any recovery disks with the system bought new out of a retail store.

On a much newer laptop or desktop the option to see a full restoration is included as a boot option however. The other option while the preinstalled Windows is still running good is to look into a utility many manufacrturers provide on their support sites for creating a recovery disk.

 

[jumanji]

........Apparently eMachines refused to do anything for him including sending out a factory recovery disk. This is why he bought 7 at the MS online store to begin with.

On one of their older desktop models(XP) when a friend's son trashed the preinstall I ended using a Home edition cd and simply entered to the OEM key following a full wipe of the drive. eMachines didn't provide any recovery disks with the system bought new out of a retail store.

On a much newer laptop or desktop the option to see a full restoration is included as a boot option however. The other option while the preinstalled Windows is still running good is to look into a utility many manufacrturers provide on their support sites for creating a recovery disk.

Perhaps you didn't read my post properly.

In his 28 Jan 12 post#2 here the OP has stated that emachines had sent him the Windows 7 Disc."I called eMachines and they sent me a copy of Windows 7"

That is what I had mentioned and asking the OP to try installing with it. It could be the OEM Reinstall disk in which case it may autoactivate.

( Why would they send the Recovery Disks/Reinstall disks again and again ? I am assuming that it is the same machine for which emachines sent the Windows 7 Disc. He hasn't bought a new licence for Windows 7. He has only downloaded the Windows 7 ISO from Digital River, as far as I can gather.)

 

[karlsnooks]

Did you ever comply with the request from NoelDP?

Noel is rather knowledgeable in this area.

 

[wanchoo]

It seems to me that the OP is trying to activate a wrong version of Windows 7. OP to kindly confirm that he got Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit as originally installed from eMachines. Best is to ask eMachines which Windows 7 version had they loaded in the first instance. If another then download it from Digital River, install it and then apply the Product Key, stuck to the bottom of the Laptop.

If however OP did originally get Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit then he may please phone Microsoft to activate his OS.

PS: Another thing that I noted was that the title and the System Specs mention different versions.

 

[jumanji]

That was a good observation by wanchoo.

I think the OP has to answer many questions.

1. What Windows 7 edition and bit version came pre-installed on his emachine?

2. What Windows 7 edition and bit version DVD did emachines send him (as per his Jan 12 post)?

3. What Windows 7 edition and bit version is he now trying to install?

4. In his first post the OP mentions that he had used the key only once. What key is it? Was it the CAO key on the sticker of his emachine? What Windows 7 edition and bit version was installed then ?

 

[karlsnooks]

What he needs to do is to carry out the advice given in post #3 from an expert in this field.

There are very good reasons for the advice he gave.

 

[Night Hawk]

That was a good observation by wanchoo.

I think the OP has to answer many questions.

1. What Windows 7 edition and bit version came pre-installed on his emachine?

2. What Windows 7 edition and bit version DVD did emachines send him (as per his Jan 12 post)?

3. What Windows 7 edition and bit version is he now trying to install?

4. In his first post the OP mentions that he had used the key only once. What key is it? Was it the CAO key on the sticker of his emachine? What Windows 7 edition and bit version was installed then ?

I think that covers the bases quite well there! Making sure the exact same edition usually Home Premium or Pro not Ultimate are the two editions most often available especially on any eMachines! Dell on the other hand offers the choice of OS on the machines ordered from them.

Even if you had the Pro edition preinstalled and that was the 64bit as well as now seeing the 64bit Ultimate the product keys between two different editions are different there too. Plus the OEM is tied to either the 32bit or 64bit Windows install it came with.

The best thing now would be simply calling into MS and explain the circumstances where they have you bring up and read off a group of 8 sets of 5 digits for the present installation and then provide you with another set to see this install activated. You did that before apparently.

i am currently waiting to speak to a microsoft agent. thank you for all the help. i should be okay now.

 

[AC]

I am using a PC that isn't on my specs. I have 3 eMacines laptops and 2 Vaio laptops. T his is one of eMachines we are talking about. It came preinstalled with Windows 7 HP x64. It only has 1GB ram, so when I decided to reinstall Windows because it was slow, I downloaded the x32 ISO with SP1. Wait, could that be it? Installing w/ SP1, but the product key didn't come with 7?

 

[Night Hawk]

It came with the 64bit 7 HP and that's precisely what you would need in order to use the OEM key! That is only good for the 64bit Windows and the Home Premium edition.

The download for the 32bit would have had it's own key to enter being the other kernel plus a non OEM copy of 7. But that is what is tripping you up there!

As far as only 1gb of ram that doesn't sound at all right since even with Vista you should be seeing at least 2gb if not more with any OEM system. The recommended minimum is 2.5gb of memory to start with. Most laptops with the 64bit 7 will typically have 6gb and 3gb for the 32bit.

 

[wanchoo]

Doesn't it feel great when one turns out to be right. Just like making a difficult Grand Slam.

 

[NoelDP]

PLEASE POST THE REPORT!
Otherwise all anyone is doing is guessing, and no-one will get a result.