Can You Install Retail Windows 7 and use OEM serial #

[ignatzatsonic]

ASo I used my retail copy of home premium to format and install windows on the laptop and entered the serial number that came with windows home premium that was already installed on the laptop.

In this post, you say "I ..........entered the serial number that came with windows home premium that was already installed on the laptop."

In post 4 you said: "I now see the 25 number/letter combination for the CD key".

Clarify this: are these 2 numbers the same and did that number in fact come from a sticker on the Toshiba to which you are trying to install Windows?

 

[Shine]

Sorry if I have not been clear. The only two numbers that I have are a product ID# and the CD key (serial #). These two are quite different, the product ID is 5 digits followed by -OEM-7digits-5digits. The CD key a 25 digit number/letter combination. It was this 25 digits combination that I entered while trying to activate. Was this not correct?

There are no number's on the back of this laptop other than model and laptop serial #. I checked under the battery and there is nothing there either. Perhaps something else is missing.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Product ID number is irrelevant.

The 25 character "serial number" you refer to is presumably a Product Key, not a serial number.

You haven't said so explicitly, but I assume that the answer to the question I asked in post 21 is that the numbers are the same, but that the number came from YOUR retail upgrade disk and NOT from anywhere on the Toshiba.

If that is so, I wouldn't expect success since that Product Key is presumably in use on your own PC and cannot be reused.

But the question is----why doesn't the Toshiba have a 25 character Product Key on a sticker? I thought manufacturers such as Toshiba, Dell, HP, etc were required to include this sticker. It's not to be confused with the other Product Key that is hidden and used to automatically reactivate a recovery installation--as opposed to a clean install such as you are doing.

Did you ask Toshiba why no sticker?

 

[Shine]

ignatzatsonic . No I did not use the product key that is in use for my PC to try and activate the laptop. I got the laptop product key from the laptop itself by running magical jelly bean key finder before I reformatted it. It was this product key that I tried to use to activate. I hope that is clearer.

No I did not ask Toshiba why there was no sticker but your right I should have. I suppose it could have peeled off in the last 2 years. If it had been under the battery I would have to think it would still be there. I've only had the laptop back with me for about 5 days. I will be shipping it back to my daughter later this week. When I call her I will ask if she remembers any other sort of sticker ever being on the back, but I doubt she would take much notice of it.

 

[AddRAM]

The answer to your question is YES you can use your OEM key on the bottom of the laptop with your retail disc. Retail discs and oem discs are exactly the same thing, the only difference is the key.

DON`T WASTE YOUR RETAIL KEY IF YOU HAVE AN OEM KEY !!!

And most certainly you should have a COA sticker on the bottom of the pc.

Did you purchase it new ?

 

[Shine]

Yes it was purchased new. Believe me I am not arguing that there should be and may have been a COA sticker on the bottom of this laptop. But as I look at it now there is none to be found. Now that I think of it, my daughter did buy an extra battery for this laptop as the first one didn't hold a charge long enough. Maybe the sticker was attached to the other battery.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Normally, I'd say the key that Magic Jelly Bean found would correspond to the key that should have been on that sticker.

If that is true, I can't understand why MS would say it is blocked or invalid.

But---maybe Magic Jelly Bean can be inaccurate?

Or maybe the installation on the Toshiba at the time you ran Magic Jelly Bean is not the original installation?

 

[edwar]

Yes it was purchased new. Believe me I am not arguing that there should be and may have been a COA sticker on the bottom of this laptop. But as I look at it now there is none to be found. Now that I think of it, my daughter did buy an extra battery for this laptop as the first one didn't hold a charge long enough. Maybe the sticker was attached to the other battery.

The COA is inside the Battery compartment. Most manufacturers don't put it on the outside of notebooks anymore because it is to easy to steal it when on the outside. So most all now place it inside the battery compartment. Take the battery out and you will find it.

 

[bigmck]

But---maybe Magic Jelly Bean can be inaccurate?

That was my first thought.

 

[mjf]

When talking "OEM" you need to be clear what type of OEM license you are talking about. This explains the differences
Differences Between OEM Channel SLP, NONSLP and COA License Product Keys « My Digital Life

 

[gregrocker]

Toshiba would never sell preinstalled Windows 7 without a COA sticker with Product Key on it. It should most definitely be on the bottom of the laptop. If you bought this PC from a shop, I would contact them to ask where the COA sticker is because they cannot legally sell preinstalled Win7 without the sticker which proves it's Genuine and paid for to MS.

The Key you audited from the HD is not the same as the key on the COA sticker, but is an OEM-SLP key used to offline mass-activate the PC at the factory. There is a way to back up the SLP activation file to reinstall it after a Clean Reinstall but it is not supported by these forums due to piracy concerns, though you can research it on your own.

So your options here are to contact the shop to find out where the sticker is, contact Toshiba Support to ask the same and see if they will replace the sticker or at least send you the Factory Recovery Disks for your model which will self-activate. You can then Clean Up Factory Bloatware which is the next best thing to a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

If this is not resolved satisfactorily by your shop and/or Toshiba, I would personally call MS Customer Service to report that you were sold preinstalled Win7 without a COA sticker. If you have the Product ID they can trace the OS license to possibly replace your key which they often do if a user sold non-Genuine Win7 cooperates by reporting it.

Your COA sticker Product Key can only be used on that one PC so it would not be stolen or retained by an intermediary for any gain.

 

[mjf]

I think the digital life article I posted explains what you need to know. However, It is possible for someone to remove and retain a COA sticker if you bought the PC second hand.

 

[AddRAM]

Yes it was purchased new. Believe me I am not arguing that there should be and may have been a COA sticker on the bottom of this laptop. But as I look at it now there is none to be found. Now that I think of it, my daughter did buy an extra battery for this laptop as the first one didn't hold a charge long enough. Maybe the sticker was attached to the other battery.

No, The sticker is NEVER attached to the battery.

It may be under it, in the housing, as suggested, but I`d love to see a pic of this.

 

[AddRAM]

Greg`s advice is spot on !!


999 Posts OMG Flip it over !!!

Is there a way to keep it at 999 ???

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Have just dropped on the last post so if you haven't got the activation code any chance of running SIW? that will find the licence code or Speccy will.

http://www.piriform.com/speccy

http://siw.en.softonic.com/

By the by if you want to put in a new opto drive thats simple just go to

Disassemble, repair, take apart, upgrade, clean Toshiba laptop or notebook yourself. pick out the model it's usually just a screw accessed from below the drive then just slips out - put the new one in and replace the screw.

 

[Shine]

Greg I totally agree there should be and probably was a COA sticker on this laptop when I purchased it. I'm only saying that there doesn't seem to be any COA now. The laptop is running fine and is activated after using the reinstallation disks I made on the first day of purchase. I just didn't want to use them to avoid bloat being reinstalled along with windows. After using PC decrapifier to uninstall a bunch of things I'm happy with the way it's running.

I was unaware until you and some others pointed out that OEM computers were activated while off line. It makes sense but I wrongly assumed they activated once they were connected to the internet.

ADDRAM I'm guessing you wanted to see a pic of the back of the laptop so here it is. As you can see there is no COA on the back. Please note that while I purchased this laptop for my daughter just over 2 years ago I really haven't seen it since. I can't specifically say I made note of if a COA was attached. I assume yes, but where it has gone I really can't say. Looking at the back carefully it does look like there may have been a sticker attached to the back at sometime. When I asked my daughter about it she says she didn't really notice if it was there or not.

At any rate, I'm sending it back to her tomorrow so I'm done with it.

Thank you to all for your comments and assistance.

 

[gregrocker]

There are other steps here to correctly Clean Up Factory Bloatware which also requires testing System files to see if the corrupting crapware has damaged any. You must have missed where I posted it earlier.

 

[SIW2]

As long as the factory reinstall has been cleaned up to the point where he is happy with it - that's fine.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Greg I totally agree there should be and probably was a COA sticker on this laptop when I purchased it. I'm only saying that there doesn't seem to be any COA now. The laptop is running fine and is activated after using the reinstallation disks I made on the first day of purchase. I just didn't want to use them to avoid bloat being reinstalled along with windows. After using PC decrapifier to uninstall a bunch of things I'm happy with the way it's running.

I was unaware until you and some others pointed out that OEM computers were activated while off line. It makes sense but I wrongly assumed they activated once they were connected to the internet.

ADDRAM I'm guessing you wanted to see a pic of the back of the laptop so here it is. As you can see there is no COA on the back. Please note that while I purchased this laptop for my daughter just over 2 years ago I really haven't seen it since. I can't specifically say I made note of if a COA was attached. I assume yes, but where it has gone I really can't say. Looking at the back carefully it does look like there may have been a sticker attached to the back at sometime. When I asked my daughter about it she says she didn't really notice if it was there or not.

At any rate, I'm sending it back to her tomorrow so I'm done with it.

Thank you to all for your comments and assistance.

So what I don't get is why didn't you look with Speccy for the COA? It would have given you that and you could have just clean installed with the ISO surely?

That would have left you with no bloat apart from some things that Toshiba have "built in" but not enough to worry about.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

So what I don't get is why didn't you look with Speccy for the COA? It would have given you that and you could have just clean installed with the ISO surely?

That would have left you with no bloat apart from some things that Toshiba have "built in" but not enough to worry about.

See post 4.

The original poster used Magic Jelly Bean to find the Product Key.

That key apparently did not work.

Like you, I'm a bit confused too and don't know why that key did not work. He describes it a 25 character key. I can only assume that key was NOT an OEM key.

I guess it's unknown if the laptop ever had an actual COA sticker--it should have.