New Hard drive, same prod. key, no system image, no install disk?!

[LEVAMDG]

Last April, my hard drive (running Vista) crashed. I received a new one with no OS, and my school installed windows 7 professional on it, giving me the MSDN-AA "Enterprise" product key but no install disk. I have since graduated, and my hard drive has crashed again. I've been able to make a system repair disk, but it won't let me make a system image or back up because the shadow copy is timing out (I'm only getting my files to an external HD by copying and pasting...). Windows won't mail me a disk because they say my school has to do it. Since I have graduated, my school won't mail me the install disk, even though I still have my old product key. My new hd comes on monday, with no OS.

I have the Vista installation CD's, so I suppose I'll install Vista for now, but I'd like to re-install Windows 7 onto the clean disk or at least upgrade vista to windows 7 - any ideas?

 

[Tews]

Unfortunately, since you no longer qualify for the MSDNAA option, you will need to purchase a retail/upgrade version of Windows 7..

 

[LEVAMDG]

If I understand it correctly, my school isn't allowed to send me a install disk, but I think they said my key should still work. Doesn't this mean that if I can find a Windows 7 Professional install disk, I can still use the key and be fine, right?

 

[madtownidiot]

Your only choice if you want windows 7 is to buy the disk, & you should get the retail version. Then if you decide to sell your computer later, you can reinstall vista and still use your windows 7 disk on any new computer you replace it with. With the upgrade version, you won't be able to use the disk on any future computers. Using an MSDN key when you're not a student any more is the same as stealing.

 

[LEVAMDG]

I appreciate your advice and concerns, and I am not trying to break any laws here. If I read the msdnaa rules right, as a student I am still allowed to use the software I received when I was a student even after graduation, unless I'm mistaken (and please correct me if I'm wrong) my only issue is not with the key but with finding an install disk. Since it's the same computer, I believe the key should work if I can just get windows 7 installed - correct? I think the school tech guy gave me one in april, I'm trying to find it now.

 

[madtownidiot]

You may be right, I don't know for sure...but still, you may have trouble getting microsoft to reactivate it. Any install disk should work but activation might be difficult

 

[LEVAMDG]

Does having the product ID help at all? What's the difference between the product id and the product key?

I'm desperately trying to get as much off the pc before I shut this off - besides music, documents, what else should I be cutting and pasting (again, I'd use system image or backup, but it says the "shadow copy is timed out")

 

[madtownidiot]

the product ID is generated at activation and is can be used to get a product key when you call microsoft to activate, if entering a key doesn't work, so yeah, save it.. also save any folders that contain driver installers, to save yourself the time downloading them again later

 

[DocBrown]

What about a 3rd party imaging product to image it to the new HD ?

I sure several of our members have done this

Tutorial:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

 

[LEVAMDG]

Doc, my only question at this point regarding trying to do a system image again (with any program) is that even if I get it off with Macrium, is the image going to be so screwed up from the hard drive crash that it would be bad to try and put it on the new hard drive in the first place? ( I thought about that the first time around, but at least wanted to see if I could do it in case.)

If that's a risk, I'd rather try and find an install disk and use my product key/product id/whatever the hell else.

 

[DocBrown]

You say this is "Enterprise" & you have a MSDN-AA key. At one point MS had a 90 day trial download of " Enterprise" available. Not sure if this would work with your key or not, but I always believe in " Trial & Error "

Windows 7 Enterprise | Trial, Evaluation, Test, Download

 

[LEVAMDG]

Yeah, as if this wasn't confusing enough, my pc says I have windows professional. However, according to Microsoft customer service, the key I was given by the guy from school today who said it was my key from april is for "enterprise." I'm guessing either the guy gave me a new product key for windows enterprise, or customer service uses the word "enterprise" instead of saying "MSDN-AA."

If I have a windows 7 install disk from april, it's in my apartment and I'll find it tomorrow. If not, I guess I have to either get the school to send me an install disk, find someone I know with a disk, or....?

 

[gregrocker]

I would try the Macrium image first. If it fails to start up, make sure it's marked Active and run startup repair from your Repair CD up to 3 separate times with reboots to repair the MBR to start it. Then run chkdsk /r to see if any problems with old HD carry over into file system.
Partition - Mark as Active
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

Enterprise is going to be a problem since it uses volume licensing which is a completely separate activation method than retail Win7. It would be much better if you can remage the install over to new HD without having to reactivate.

 

[LEVAMDG]

Greg - see my above post (we posted at the same time). There may be some confusion about what my product key really is. I'm going to try the Macrium tonight, and then go to my new apartment (this has all happened during my big post college move...) and try to see if the school tech guy from april gave me an install disk. If not, I guess either try what macrium can get or find an install disk somewhere else....I think...

The good news is that my archaic copy-and-paste method seems to be getting all documents, photos, music, firefox profile, program installer files, outlook psts. I just hope I don't forget to grab anything.

 

[DocBrown]

What do you get when you type Winver in the Start/search box ?

 

[LEVAMDG]

It says the exact same as yours (version, build, etc.), except it says my name where "Phenom2" is.

 

[DocBrown]

It says the exact same as yours (version, build, etc.), except it says my name where "Phenom2" is.

Then I think we must assume it is probably a Professional version not "enterprise"

The "Phenom2" is the name of my CPU on this computer.

I just loaded my TechNet "enterprise" DVD to get this install screen

 

[Wishmaster]

An "Upgrade" of Win7
Version of Windows can be installed on another PC if you build a new one later.
But, It can only be activated on 1 PC at a time.

An "OEM" version of Win7;
Is tied to 1 computer.

 

[DocBrown]

If you can still get into your win7, could you use Software Information for Windows or Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to view your win7 info & copy down your keys for the new HD ?

 

[LEVAMDG]

DOC - That's what I thought. Initially, when the Windows people said the word "enterprise" I assumed they meant the whole msdn-aa thing, not that the product key I was giving them was actually for Windows Enterprise.

I have also run Jelly Bean KeyFinder. This is what it says for Windows:

Windows 7 Professional
Product Part No.: X15-39081
Installed from 'Volume' media.
Product ID: (it gives the real product ID, but then says "match to CD Key data")
CD Key: BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB-BBBBB

So....

My concern now is that the school tech guy I spoke with today gave me a new product id that I can't use since it may be for Windows Enterprise (except my school doesn't give that out, so I don't know why he would have a product id for it)

WISHMASTER - I shouldn't have either since my initial install was a full version, and it isn't OEM since my pc came with Vista originally. If I can't get an install disk, perhaps I can use my product id/key/whatever to at least get the upgrade version, though I don't think that's the best option.