Activating using OEM key

[Ellimist]

I bought a new Asus laptop today with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled, and my cousin (who supposedly happens to be a computer expert) formatted everything and set up Windows 7 Ultimate along with Ubunbtu.

I have downloaded the drivers and everything works fine, but Windows won't activate using the key at the back of the laptop. My cousin has also dumped an ISO image of the disk he used to install (Windows 7 Ultimate SP1, he told me) on my hard disk. Other than that, I have no Windows installation disks or anything.

How can I use my key to activate Windows? I don't need the Ultimate edition, Home Premium will be just fine.

 

[Qdos]

You can't use a key from a different version on Ultimate, OEM or otherwise.

Was the installation legitimate or was it something that's been pirated?

All you can do is either purchase Ultimate, or restore with the Asus master DVD...

 

[Ellimist]

I just called my cousin again and seems like he had created the SP1 disk using slipstreaming from an original Windows 7 disk. I had asked him not to install pirated stuff and that's why he had left the activation for me to do with my key.

I have been doing some reading. Will editing the ei.cfg to change it to "HomePremium" and "OEM" instead of "Ultimate" and "Retail" and re-installing after burning the ISO I have will do me any good?

 

[Qdos]

Nobody here is allowed to help you with pirated software, and a copy of a W7 DVD is pirated if it's been distributed to you in the manner described.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You may be able to restore back to Home Premium if you still have a recovery partition or recovery disks.

If not, you can download a legit Home Premium ISO from My Digital Life, burn it to a disc, install from that disc, and then thank your cousin for causing you to go to the trouble.

 

[derekimo]

Actually your best bet right now is to use a Home Premium ISO from Digital River, do a clean install and wait till it is installed to enter the product key, at worst you may have to,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html


You actually end up with a cleaner installation without all the bloatware.

I just did that on a neighbors Dell that was trashed by a Trojan.

Here's some helpful info,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/151566-reinstalling-windows-7-a.html#post1300819

 

[jumanji]

Download the official version of Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 from the following link. (If your laptop came with 32bit version download the x86; If it came with the 64bit version download the x64)

Windows 7 Home Premium SP1-U ISO
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

Clean install and then activate using the CoA key on your laptop..

You may have to activate by phone.

This is the only legal way to regain your OEM activation.

EDIT: As usual I am late. derekimo overtook me.

 

[Ellimist]

Thanks guys. It's the 64 bit I want.

 

[seavixen32]

I recently installed Windows 7 on my neighbour's computer using a universal USB drive and the OEM product key.

Had to activate by telephone, but it went through without a hitch.

 

[Ellimist]

Thanks guys, it worked. I was only given the option to activate by phone and the phone activation worked.

Now off to chrooting Ubuntu and reinstalling GRUB on sda.

 

[seavixen32]

You're welcome Ellimist.

Thanks for the update.

 

[jumanji]

Thanks guys, it worked. I was only given the option to activate by phone and the phone activation worked.

Now off to chrooting Ubuntu and reinstalling GRUB on sda.

Fine. Using the COA key of an OEM machine requires an activation by Phone. There is no other option.

And as far as I know, everytime you clean install and use the OEM-COA key, you will be be required to activate by phone giving reasons.

My advice now will be to take a pristine system image of your Windows 7 + all updates todate + all drivers + the COA activation + only the security software you have installed (and before loading any other software ) using an imaging software of your choice and keep it safely.

Whenever a contingent situation requiring a clean install arises, you may then restore this image and avoid going through this process all over again.

 

[NoelDP]

Fine. Using the COA key of an OEM machine requires an activation by Phone. There is no other option.

And as far as I know, everytime you clean install and use the OEM-COA key, you will be be required to activate by phone giving reasons.

Not so.
The first activation is made by phone, so that MS can confirm eligility. (Direct OEM COA Keys belong to a special subset, and are different to System Builder Keys)
Thereafter, so long as the same hardware is in use, activation will be possible over the internet (although there is a limit there somewhere, MS doesn't officially publish it). If changes are made to the hardware, then telephone activation will again be required.

 

[jumanji]

This of course is a totally blacked-out grey area.

In fact I would like to hear from someone who has repeatedly done the OEM(SLP)-COA activation. (and not A OEM-System builder (non-SLP)-COA)

 

[NoelDP]

perhaps you should get it from the horse's (MS) mouth?
key re-entry being required
See Darin Smith's post marked as 'Answer' near the bottom

 

[jumanji]

I am none the less or more wiser than I was before.

Darin Smith: " If the Activation behavior of your OEM_COA keys are not following the rules that I have described above, then either I am mistaken, the rules have changed "

Even you think "If the machine has already been activated using that Key, then I think that it will re-activate over the internet "

And we keep thinking.

And I think and as many others on the internet also think of the worst case scenario and as Carl Stephens says "That is your problem, the OEM_COA keys require telephone activation"

And so the need for actual user experiences. Without that, I will continue to think.