Solved NEW SSD, Boot Error, Suddenly not genuine.

[Aggro]

This weekend, I bought and installed a new SSD into my computer. I re-installed my Windows 7 (Home Premium x64 OEM) onto it, (fresh install, no migrate) and immediately formatted my mechanical HDD.

I went into my BIOS and changed boot priority. I also changed BIOS Drive positions, with my SSD as #1 and HDD as #2.

As soon as I got Windows installed, I started re-installing programs, setting up my admin account, and generally resetting my system, theme, Rainmeter, etc.

During boot, I get a message that asks me to choose OS - Windows 7, or Windows 7. It starts a 30s timer, then chooses the highlighted option and boots normally.

Then I started getting messages that I wasn’t running Genuine Windows. I clicked the “Resolve Online” button, and downloaded the authenticator software, which told me I needed to buy a copy of Windows.
This irritated me, because I am running a key I bought legitimately, and I have the packaging and CoA.
I called MS Tech Support. I spoke with a very helpful gentleman. He checked out my product key. He had me activate my product, which I hadn’t done on my new install yet, and I got a “Genuine” tag to appear under the Windows Experience Rating in ‘My Computer>Properties’. He said I was good to go.

Now, 48hrs later, I’m getting the "Not Genuine" message again. I have a screenshot of Windows claiming to be Genuine and Not Genuine at the same time. (See Attached photo.) I have installed a lot of updates since my re-install, so I do seem to be getting those.

This computer is custom built, and I purchased an OEM version of windows separately from the builder - legit, physical packaging - and I opened the packaging and installed it myself about a year ago. It has been fine until I installed the new drive this weekend.

I appreciate any help and insight someone can provide.

Thanks in advance.

 

[OldMX]

http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-...ne-activation-issue-posting-instructions.html

Post a full / unedited WGA report, so the geeks can take a look at it and see whats going on.

 

[Aggro]

Thanks. I'll post it in a few hours when I get home. (I'm at work)

Appreciate the help.

 

[gregrocker]

You needed to unplug all other HD's during install. In rare cases having a Dual Boot configured with a ghost OS can cause activation problems.

Please post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map and listings, using SNipping TOol in Start Menu.

The Genuine logo on your System page is not like any I've seen before. I wonder if your builder modified it somehow. But if MS has validated the key then their policy is to get it activated one way or another.

 

[Aggro]

I had assumed the logo difference was just part of the 3rd Party Theme. I bought it from a theme/customization website.
A few months back, long before I bought the SSD, I had the mechanical HDD set up to triple boot: Mint, Win7, and Win8 consumer preview. Once I had really decided that Win7 was the OS for me, I formatted both the Mint & Windows 8 partitions. After those partitions were formatted, I would still get the boot option screen, so I found a program called BootICE that stopped that from happening, quickly and easily, and thought no more about it. That was a couple of months ago, and I've had no sign of either OS I removed.

 

[AddRAM]

Use EasyBCD to delete the unwanted boot entries.

EasyBCD - CNET Download.com

Is windows activated ?

 

[Aggro]

Yes, it's activated. MS Tech support had me do that while on the phone with them.

 

[gregrocker]

The next time you reinstall I would move everything off the HD to wipe the boot sector with Diskpart Clean Command which will solve the ghost boot entries permanently.

Then take the time to get a perfect Clean Reinstall using these same steps for OEM.

If EasyBCD doesn't show the ghost entries to delete on Edit Boot Menu tab, you can also clean up the BCD using Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

 

[Aggro]

OK - got it sorted. I hadn't wiped the System Reserved from the HDD. EasyBCD worked like a champ, solved boot error fine. Used Partition Wizard to finish wiping the HDD and reset my partitions, I think that should solve the Genuine issues as well.

Thanks for everyone's help here, I appreciate it! marking as solved now.