Reactivation

[seekermeister]

I was surprised a bit ago, when Windows popped a dialog saying that due to hardware or driver changes, that it needed to be activated again. I have not recently changed any hardware nor any drivers, so I'm curious how this could be?

The closest thread I found here is about some people having a problem with Windows reporting that it is not genuine, but that is not the case here. The only other thing that comes to mind is that I have seen this happen when making large time changes on the system, but I have not.

I attempted reactivation, but not surprisingly, it said that it couldn't contact the service online, so I guess that I will have to call in again...aaarg!

 

[gregrocker]

Both the error and the inability to connect to reactivate appear to be dysfunctional.

If it happens again, you can contact MS Customer Service to open a tech support ticket to resolve the issue. This is not dependent upon whether you still have tech support for the OS as it is an activation problem which they support anyway, like Updates..

Let us know how this goes.

 

[Bill2]

Seekermeister, can you please describe the error and the popup in as much detail as possible?

 

[seekermeister]

gregrocker,

As far as I know, other than problems due to Windows Updates, MS support costs something like $35 per hour, which I'm not willing to pay. I still have the telephone activation route to try, so that comes first.

 

[seekermeister]

Seekermeister, can you please describe the error and the popup in as much detail as possible?

There really isn't much more detail that I know other than what I have already said. The reactivation message no longer appears, but System Properties indicates the same problem, as seen below:

 

[theog]

Hi seekermeister

Do you have Nero 9 install?

Ray.

 

[Bill2]

Please download and run this tool.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012

After running, click on the Copy button in the tool, paste into notepad, save as .txt file and upload here.

 

[seekermeister]

Hi seekermeister

Do you have Nero 9 install?

Ray.

No, Nero 8.

 

[seekermeister]

Please download and run this tool.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012

After running, click on the Copy button in the tool, paste into notepad, save as .txt file and upload here.

here it is.

 

[theog]

Hi seekermeister

You may find this worth read.
http://www.sevenforums.com/vip/128123-nero-9-causing-network-issues-other-applications.html

Ray.

 

[Bill2]

I had a look at the mgadiag log. Please try the following:

1) Run an sfc scan 3-4 times, then check.

2) If 1) doesnt work, please system restore to a point before the problem occurred, then check.

 

[seekermeister]

I'm in the process of running the SFC checks, but a thought occurred to me...the last hardware change was when I replaced the sound card ~1 month ago. Is it possible/likely that triggered the activation problem, but that I didn't see it until the 3 day warning appeared last night? I don't remember the exact date of install, but I ordered it on 10-28-2010, and installed it when it arrived (probably ~ 1 week later).

 

[marsmimar]

I don't think replacing just the sound card should trigger a reactivation requirement. However. . . . there have been anecdotal reports of having to reactivate after upgrading just a single driver in a Vista system. This article gives a bit more information.

How Windows 7 hardware upgrades affect licensing

 

[gregrocker]

Likely the sound card.

See if you can get online to reactivate, or I'd find out why not.

Otherwise use MS phone activation: How To Activate Windows 7 by Phone Step-by-Step Guide

 

[seekermeister]

Whew!! After running the SFC checks, I started to try a System Restore, but it said that there were no restore points available, so I decided to try the telephone activation, but about the time that their system answered the phone, the Windows Activation Client crashed. After the second crash, I decided to run chkdsk /r only because it was the only thing that I could think of. Luckily, upon reboot and checking System Properties, it now says that Windows is activated. I was beginning to think that I had a serious problem.

 

[Jacee]

Try this run command slui "New" for Windows activation.

EDIT ... while on my search, you solved it