Graphics card change requires reactivation - why?

[Fibble]

I tried adding a second older Nvidia graphics card into my desktop computer. (I was seeing if I could use it via PCI pass-through in a virtual machine.) My Windows 7 Home Premium OEM (on a custom built pc) didn't like that, disabled the original Nvidia graphics card, and tried to use the new card by default but the display was stuck on a low resolution. I removed the second graphics card but Windows 7 didn't automatically revert to using the first card on reboot, so I had to reinstall the Nvidia driver for it, after which everything was ok... except that Windows 7 said I had to reactivate it.

I have previously read that changing the gpu shouldn't affect the activation status, but in this case the activation seems to be dependent on the graphics card.

So my question is: Why is my Windows 7 installation so finicky about the graphics card?

Diagnostic Report (1.9.0027.0):
-----------------------------------------
Windows Validation Data-->

Validation Code: 0
Cached Online Validation Code: N/A, hr = 0xc004f012
Windows Product Key: *****-*****-F7TJ3-PKFJ2-CQP4C
Windows Product Key Hash: QUscK7CLLI68teDSNeCc2F07foo=
Windows Product ID: 00359-OEM-8704621-09552
Windows Product ID Type: 3
Windows License Type: OEM System Builder
Windows OS version: 6.1.7601.2.00010300.1.0.003
ID: {2DF775ED-A107-4FEE-8744-045EDFBD8488}(1)
Is Admin: Yes
TestCab: 0x0
LegitcheckControl ActiveX: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
Product Name: Windows 7 Home Premium
Architecture: 0x00000009
Build lab: 7601.win7sp1_gdr.150427-0707
TTS Error: 
Validation Diagnostic: 
Resolution Status: N/A

Vista WgaER Data-->
ThreatID(s): N/A, hr = 0x80070002
Version: N/A, hr = 0x80070002

Windows XP Notifications Data-->
Cached Result: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
File Exists: No
Version: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
WgaTray.exe Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
WgaLogon.dll Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002

OGA Notifications Data-->
Cached Result: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
Version: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
OGAExec.exe Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
OGAAddin.dll Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002

OGA Data-->
Office Status: 109 N/A
OGA Version: N/A, 0x80070002
Signed By: N/A, hr = 0x80070002
Office Diagnostics: B4D0AA8B-543-80070002_025D1FF3-364-80041010_025D1FF3-229-80041010_025D1FF3-230-1_025D1FF3-517-80040154_025D1FF3-237-80040154_025D1FF3-238-2_025D1FF3-244-80070002_025D1FF3-258-3

Browser Data-->
Proxy settings: N/A
User Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Win32)
Default Browser: C:\Program Files (x86)\Pale Moon\palemoon.exe
Download signed ActiveX controls: Prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls: Disabled
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins: Allowed
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe: Disabled
Allow scripting of Internet Explorer Webbrowser control: Disabled
Active scripting: Allowed
Script ActiveX controls marked as safe for scripting: Allowed

File Scan Data-->

Other data-->
Office Details: <GenuineResults><MachineData><UGUID>{2DF775ED-A107-4FEE-8744-045EDFBD8488}</UGUID><Version>1.9.0027.0</Version><OS>6.1.7601.2.00010300.1.0.003</OS><Architecture>x64</Architecture><PKey>*****-*****-*****-*****-CQP4C</PKey><PID>00359-OEM-8704621-09552</PID><PIDType>3</PIDType><SID>S-1-5-21-1415701846-3435297795-734589105</SID><SYSTEM><Manufacturer>Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.</Manufacturer><Model>Z97X-SOC Force</Model></SYSTEM><BIOS><Manufacturer>American Megatrends Inc.</Manufacturer><Version>F7</Version><SMBIOSVersion major="2" minor="7"/><Date>20150421000000.000000+000</Date></BIOS><HWID>3C8A3807018400F4</HWID><UserLCID>0C09</UserLCID><SystemLCID>0409</SystemLCID><TimeZone>E. Australia Standard Time(GMT+10:00)</TimeZone><iJoin>0</iJoin><SBID><stat>3</stat><msppid></msppid><name></name><model></model></SBID><OEM/><GANotification/></MachineData><Software><Office><Result>109</Result><Products/><Applications/></Office></Software></GenuineResults>  

Spsys.log Content: 0x80070002

Licensing Data-->
Software licensing service version: 6.1.7601.17514

Name: Windows(R) 7, HomePremium edition
Description: Windows Operating System - Windows(R) 7, OEM_COA_NSLP channel
Activation ID: 586bc076-c93d-429a-afe5-a69fbc644e88
Application ID: 55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f
Extended PID: 00359-00174-046-209552-02-3081-7601.0000-1252015
Installation ID: 020234748600591682226881051522192194151731818752474424
Processor Certificate URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88338
Machine Certificate URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88339
Use License URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88341
Product Key Certificate URL: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=88340
Partial Product Key: CQP4C
License Status: Licensed
Remaining Windows rearm count: 3
Trusted time: 22/05/2015 2:04:04 PM

Windows Activation Technologies-->
HrOffline: 0x00000000
HrOnline: 0x80072EFD
HealthStatus: 0x0000000000000000
Event Time Stamp: 5:8:2015 06:33
ActiveX: Registered, Version: 7.1.7600.16395
Admin Service: Registered, Version: 7.1.7600.16395
HealthStatus Bitmask Output:


HWID Data-->
HWID Hash Current: LAAAAAEAAQABAAEAAAACAAAAAQABAAEAykuk/PpDnC0gYPD4lHoatFDNyPY=

OEM Activation 1.0 Data-->
N/A

OEM Activation 2.0 Data-->
BIOS valid for OA 2.0: yes, but no SLIC table
Windows marker version: N/A
OEMID and OEMTableID Consistent: N/A
BIOS Information: 
  ACPI Table Name    OEMID Value    OEMTableID Value
  APIC            ALASKA        A M I
  FACP            ALASKA        A M I
  HPET            ALASKA        A M I
  MCFG            ALASKA        A M I
  FPDT            ALASKA        A M I
  SSDT            Ther_R        Ther_Rvp
  SSDT            Ther_R        Ther_Rvp
  SSDT            Ther_R        Ther_Rvp
  SSDT            Ther_R        Ther_Rvp
  SSDT            Ther_R        Ther_Rvp
  DMAR            INTEL         BDW

 

[NoelDP]

The 0x80072EFD error in the MGADiag report indicates a connection failure to the validation servers.
Make sure that the system is connected to the internet, and use Internet Explorer to attempt validation at www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate - it should pass, and clear the error.
If not, post another MGADiag report, and tell us what security software you're using (AV/Firewall, etc)

 

[Fibble]

Thanks for the quick response.

I use the built-in Windows 7 firewall with the default action set to 'block outward connections', but I disable it temporarily when I activate Windows. I'm not sure which files to create rules for to enable activation to get through the firewall (an internet search failed to produce any clear answers), and I figured I'd only be activating it once, so I left it like that.

I did the same to reactivate Windows 7 after the current incident. The first attempt did fail to connect until I remembered to disable the firewall, which is where that error would have come from, but after the firewall was disabled temporarily the activation proceeded without a problem.

I was just concerned that trying to add another graphics card caused the system to lose its activation status.

Are you saying the firewall blocking caused the activation status to be revoked after I played around with the graphics cards? Or is that a separate issue?

 

[AddRAM]

You should not have to disable the firewall to activate windows and adding a 2nd card should not have affected activation.

But if the older card uses different drivers and you installed them, that could cause major problems with windows.

If the virtual machine can`t see or use the 2nd card, there`s no sense even using it, run your VM and check Device Manager.

 

[GokAy]

Just wanted to comment on the older card being used by default. In my BIOS (also Gigabyte but AMD) there is an option to chose either PCI or PCI-e as the preferred GPU.

It is called Init Display First inside Advanced BIOS Features, and default is set to PCI. You can check if you have such a feature as well.

Ah nevermind, just checked your BIOS manual, yours is UEFI BIOS and you do have the option but default is PCIe-x16.

However, I guess you are wrong in your assumption. Windows renders only with the display attached to the monitor so unless you changed the cable to old card, Windows will not use that card. My bet is that an old driver was installed and that tuned down the resolution. Normally, you can use an older card with a new one (I have both GTX970 and GTX480) in my case, but they use the same drivers. Your PCI card being too old may have a different driver and I don't know if it is possible to install both. (I do know that AMD and Nvidia in same case works if that matters.)

 

[Fibble]

You should not have to disable the firewall to activate windows

I have the firewall set to block anything that doesn't have a rule set for it. Unless a file has a rule created for it, it will not pass through the firewall.

adding a 2nd card should not have affected activation

That's why I'm confused, because that is what happened.

If the virtual machine can`t see or use the 2nd card, there`s no sense even using it, run your VM and check Device Manager.

I'm running VirtualBox in Linux Mint (it's a dual-boot machine and I use Linux for all of the heavy work, while Windows is just for games) and the second card is available to use in Linux. Unfortunately, PCI pass-through turns out to require the card to not share IRQs with anything else, and my motherboard is hardwired to share IRQs for all of the available slots into which I could put the card, so PCI pass-through ends up not being possible anyway.

My bet is that an old driver was installed and that tuned down the resolution.

Yes, that seems to be what happened. The older card (Nvidia 9800GT) is not supported by the driver for the newer card (Nvidia GTX970). Windows seems to have detected the second card and automatically tried to install a generic driver for it, disabling the newer card in the process. As I mentioned above, the PCI pass-through attempt turned out to be futile, but I still don't understand why I needed to reactivate Windows 7. It's not really a problem, as the reactivation only took a few moments, I'm just curious to know why it was necessary.

 

[NoelDP]

If you have the firewall set that way, then it's probably nothing to do with the hardware change - simply that the WAT update couldn't phone home to confirm activation validity. It has to check at intervals of up to 90days, and flags non-genuine if it can't contact the server.
If you want to avoid a recurrence, simply uninstall KB971033.

 

[Fibble]

It has to check at intervals of up to 90days, and flags non-genuine if it can't contact the server.

Seriously?!! Windows 7 has to re-validate every 90 days? I didn't know that - I assumed it would need to be activated once and that would be the end of it. It seems ridiculously intrusive, and obviously problematic for people who aren't online all the time.

I'd be happy to create a firewall exception rule for whatever files are involved in the activation process, but I still haven't been able to find out exactly which files I'd have to create firewall rules for.

 

[NoelDP]

Windows goes through a minimal validation check every time you connect to Windows Update servers.
The WAT update itself phones home around every 90 days - and if it can't connect to the server within 10 days of its deadline, then it flags a non-genuine status.
Without wh WAT update installed, this does not happen, unless you actually do a manual validation at www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate (which will install the update as part of the process)