need to delete OS off recovery drive!

[theog]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18630-product-key-number-change.html?ltr=P

 

[gms]

OK... NOW I'm activated! The product key beneath the battery didn't work, either. I had to call in.

Question about this:

... change the key to the OEM key from the sticker to avoid wasting the $100+ license tied to the machine.

While I agree it may be avoiding wasting the license tied to the machine... I still wasted the $100 in going out and buying a retail version which included the 64-bit AND the 32-bit, though... right?

So it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't kind of scenario really... wouldn't matter WHICH product key I used?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Well at least you got a new, clean, activated install of the Windows 7 that your wife needs with no "space" warnings; so all's well that ends well eh.

Thanks for the update.

 

[theog]

OK... NOW I'm activated! The product key beneath the battery didn't work, either. I had to call in.

Question about this:

... change the key to the OEM key from the sticker to avoid wasting the $100+ license tied to the machine.

While I agree it may be avoiding wasting the license tied to the machine... I still wasted the $100 in going out and buying a retail version which included the 64-bit AND the 32-bit, though... right?

So it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't kind of scenario really... wouldn't matter WHICH product key I used?

You can order Recovery DVD's from Dell x32 or x64 (may be a postage fee)

 

[theog]

You will need to check in Device manager to if you have all drivers installed.

 

[gregrocker]

OK... NOW I'm activated! The product key beneath the battery didn't work, either. I had to call in.

Question about this:

... change the key to the OEM key from the sticker to avoid wasting the $100+ license tied to the machine.

While I agree it may be avoiding wasting the license tied to the machine... I still wasted the $100 in going out and buying a retail version which included the 64-bit AND the 32-bit, though... right?

So it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't kind of scenario really... wouldn't matter WHICH product key I used?

Which key is on there now?

It doesn't matter if you want to keep the retail key activated for now, but it is still an issue of $100 wasted if you never again use the licensed OEM key which came with the machine.

When you need the retail key for another machine, or want to sell it to a friend, or give it as a gift, you can always change the product key back to the key which is permanently locked to that machine. Then you have recouped your loss.

For example, I bought a Home Premium pre-sale for $50 which is not being used now that we bought several new computers with OEM keys included. I did not waste that money as that key is available when I want to use it, give it away, sell or loan it to a friend, etc. But I would never use my retail key to replace an OEM license as it would seem wasteful.

 

[gms]

That makes sense.

The key that is on there now is one that I had to call in to activate... some funky one that was all numerical.

Well at least you got a new, clean, activated install of the Windows 7 that your wife needs with no "space" warnings; so all's well that ends well eh.

Thanks for the update.

Thanks to you guys... you all were truly awesome!!

theog: Which drivers should I be looking for?

 

[theog]

Thanks to you guys... you all were truly awesome!!

theog: Which drivers should I be looking for?[/QUOTE]

You will need to check in Device manager.

 

[gregrocker]

Sorry to drag this out, but you need to know if you used your Win7 retail key you bought separately, or the OEM key which is on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop.

If you activated the key on the bottom of laptop then you are free to use the Retail key elsewhere. If not, you can change it to the key stickered to the bottom of laptop when you are ready to use your Retail key elsewhere.

A retail key can migrate to any machine of your choice for the life of the operating system, as many times as you want as long as it is on only one machine.

The OEM key is locked to the machine it is first installed on.

 

[gms]

Like I said, I had to call in and use some funky all-numerical key... so I used neither my retail OR my OEM.

For some reason, neither of them would work.

Is there a way to check in the System what product key was used to activate Windows?

 

[SIW2]

What info did you give them over the phone?

 

[gms]

When I went to the System screen (I think that's what it was) and looked in the lower left-hand corner to see if my Windows was activated, it said I needed to do so in 30 days...

I clicked that link and it gave me the option to call by phone, which was my last resort as I had tried the Product Key that came with the retail version as well as the one that was beneath the battery on the "rainbow sticker"...

When I clicked that link, it gave me a set of like seven letters with a series of corresponding letters below those, and blank spaces beneath them... When I read off the numbers to the automated phone system, it would say "correct" until I had completed all of them. The phone system then gave me a series of numbers as my new product key which I entered into the blanks.

 

[SIW2]

You only needed to give 7 letters over the phone?

 

[gms]

No, beneath the seven letters were a series of corresponding numbers -- each letter has about five numbers associated with it.

So in total... I had to read about 35 numbers to the automated system before it spat out a product key to use.

 

[theog]

Should be 8 sets.

 

[gms]

Sounds right... remember, I'm going from memory here now as it all occurred late last night.

 

[theog]

Is there a way to check in the System what product key was used to activate Windows?

You can find key used with app. Keyfinder | Magical Jelly Bean

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18630-product-key-number-change.html?ltr=P

 

[SIW2]

The key you entered when you installed it is the key that has been used up.

MS will know that from the long sequence of numbers you gave them.

Did you enter the key you Purchased during installation ?

If you really want to , you could call them again and explain the pc came with an oem key on the sticker - you didn't know you could use that and purchased another.

I expect they will let you use that stickered key , and release the purchased one to use on another machine.

They are pretty good about that kind of thing.

 

[theog]

You can reinstall use the same key, on the same PC as as many time as you like.

 

[gregrocker]

Look at Control Panel>System (or Computer>Properties) activation link to see if there is an "OEM" in the Product Key string listed there.

If not, you used your retail key which can be retrieved to be used again when needed by clicking on the "Change Product Key" link next to the listed key.

If OEM is in the key string, then you used the correct key to activate the Win7 license which came with that machine.

The bottom line is that you bought that OS included with the machine and as long as you installed the same version of Win7 it will activate with the OEM key stickered to the machine.

Sorry, but I hate to waste money.