How to validate legit RTM Win7 Professional

[Arch]

Hi!

My university is member of the academic alliance, and thus I get to download most MS products for free. A while back (2-3 weeks) I downloaded and installed the RTM (7600) of Windows 7 Professional with a legit key.

A few days later, i get that popup box saying that my version could be counterfeit and that i should go online and resolve it, as well as getting that watermark to the bottom-right of my screen saying that my copy isn't genuine.

If I try to resolve this online, I get a message saying that the service will be available shortly after initial release date of 22. of October. I've tried to google this, but get swarmed by questions regarding RC or RMT without valid keys.

Is it any way to validate a valid copy of Windows 7 before that date? I don't really want to use modified files to get rid of the messages unless it's nessisary.

 

[Tews]

Re-download the ISO image from MSDN/AA, burn at slowest possible speed and do a format/clean install... Then image your drive/partition so that you dont have to repeat the process...

 

[gforce23]

Another way (and a legal one at that) is to remove the current product key via the slmgr to get back to the 30 day trial period. On the final day of the trial period, open a command prompt window (cmd) and type "slmgr.vbs -rearm". That will give you another 30 days of uninterrupted trial usage.

Once the activator troubleshooter comes online after Oct. 22, insert your product key via these commands:
slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX [installs the 25 digit key]
slmgr -ato [activates the key]

 

[Arch]

Re-download the ISO image from MSDN/AA, burn at slowest possible speed and do a format/clean install... Then image your drive/partition so that you dont have to repeat the process...

You're joking, right? I don't see the logic in what you are suggesting, care to explain?

 

[Tews]

To whom are you referring??

 

[Arch]

Edited the post by including your quote, Tews.

gforce23, thanks for the trial key suggestion. I might try that!

 

[Jacee]

Have you read through these two articles?
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/
How to Tell

 

[QuackPot]

Phone up MS or contact you Uni admin about it. They might be able to give you another key.

 

[Tews]

Be glad to... By redownloading and reburning the ISO image you ensure that you have not developed data corruption by transference. Once this has been eliminated, you make an image of your drive/partition for archival purposes... If you have access to MSDN/AA through your University, this should not be a problem...

Also adopt and implement a back-up policy as a part of your disaster recovery plan...

 

[Arch]

Phone up MS or contact you Uni admin about it. They might be able to give you another key.

Do you think there's something wrong with my key? I thought this activation spam is only because I simply cannot activate my product until the 22th?

 

[Tews]

All copies obtained through MSDN/AA can be activated immediately... it is not spam...

 

[gforce23]

Phone up MS or contact you Uni admin about it. They might be able to give you another key.

Do you think there's something wrong with my key? I thought this activation spam is only because I simply cannot activate my product until the 22th?

I downloaded mine via MSDN-AA and it's activated.

 

[QuackPot]

Phone up MS or contact you Uni admin about it. They might be able to give you another key.

Do you think there's something wrong with my key? I thought this activation spam is only because I simply cannot activate my product until the 22th?

My MSDNAA key work fine. But like what Tews said, make sure you burn the ISO to a DVD a slowly as possible to make sure all parts of the file aren't corrupted in any way.

 

[Arch]

Be glad to... By redownloading and reburning the ISO image you ensure that you have not developed data corruption by transference. Once this has been eliminated, you make an image of your drive/partition for archival purposes... If you have access to MSDN/AA through your University, this should not be a problem...

Also adopt and implement a back-up policy as a part of your disaster recovery plan...

I would assume the installer would do a filecheck before installing? Downloading is not a problem, but reinstalling is. I have lots of apps and tools that I'd have to reinstall. AFAIK, I don't see a problem with file corruption; I see a validation check assuming that I'm a pirate and treating me like so until I actually got my copy validated, which at this time is impossible before the 22th.

If I reinstall as you say, why wouldn't the validation spam start 3 days after install this time?

 

[Barman58]

Your first call in this instance it to the assigned program administrator at your UNI. The uni is responsible for all administration of this particular program. It should state in any documentation you have that if you have any issues to contact your admin - you can think of it as a type of OEM deal with Microsoft the uni is provided the software for free to forward to you but the agree to provide all support to the end users.

As for activation not being possible until October 22 I can assuer you that this is not the case

 

[Tews]

You may also attempt a repair install, but it would be my second choice... As far as re-installing your apps go, that is a secondary consideration when you are dealing with OS integrity.. you should be backing those up to begin with...

 

[Arch]

I see, I guess I was fooled by that win update page saying I could validate my product at the 22th, when in fact that's not the problem!

I'll contact my admin, maybe my key has been invalidated somehow..

Thanks for help guys, appreciate it!

 

[Tews]

Good Luck!

 

[bjrichus]

I'd agree about the re-install from a new 'burn' of the ISO.

I also work at a UNI and we had the ISO and key(s) via the same program the day it was on MSDN.

I installed on my laptop two days after that and a day latter tried the activation online with Microsoft directly from home - not at work (the UNI). We put up an activation server a couple of days after that when we hit the required number of installs to do that, so I know I didn't use our own server for the process.

Everything here is still activated...

 

[TheSchaft]

Phone up MS or contact you Uni admin about it. They might be able to give you another key.

Do you think there's something wrong with my key? I thought this activation spam is only because I simply cannot activate my product until the 22th?

I would second contacting your University admin. Windows 7 will not pass validation until after the 22nd, according to one of the links Jacee posted.

I went and tried to do a validation on the RTM at Genuine Microsoft Software and clicked on "Validate Windows"

After downloading the ActiveX control and running, it said:

Validation Incomplete

Validation for Windows 7 is coming soon!
Microsoft constantly strives to update our technologies to help protect our customers from the risks of counterfeit software. Right now, we are working hard to improve the way that validation checks to see whether Windows 7 running on your PC is genuine.

Shortly after Windows 7 is available for purchase beginning October 22, you will be able to validate Windows 7 running on your PC to help you determine that it’s genuine.

At the bottom it stated that currently it only validates XP and Vista


You may have a virus that is trying to get you to go somewhere to fix the problem. Don't. Contact the University admins.