Solved recover product code from OLD system copy??

[brianmgb]

The story sofar,I installed Xubuntu alongside an (OEM)Win7 from a live CD which screwed up the Win7 MBR.to cut a long story short I reinstalled win7 not thinking about the product key.I used a key finder to recover the key but all I got was the OEM code.
I have a very old win7 system copy can I perhaps find the product key there ???,would I have to reinstall it to do so??
I have a dektop with somewht similar problems but without an old backup,I'll ppost that separately.

 

[pricetech]

The code on the COA should work, if not the embedded code, assuming you're using the media that came with the computer.

 

[AddRAM]

There`s no reason to install it, just run it off a cd or a flashdrive.

COA

 

[brianmgb]

I have perhaps not made it clear Both laptop and desktop were bought secondhand with OEM win7's and at that time I was not concerned with CoA,it's only when things go wrong do you learn what you should have done,from there my question if i could recover the laptop CoA from the old sytem copy.
I am now looking for replacement DVd's.
brian
PS just as I too late disovered that many others had problems fromusing wubi to install linux

 

[mjf]

I'm a little confused. Second hand or not your PCs should have a COA sticker.
OEM operating systems can be SLP or Non SLP. See here for a description
http://www.mydigitallife.info/diffe...nnel-slp-nonslp-and-coa-license-product-keys/
If your PCs are HP like your specs indicate then they should be SLP.
In this case you could attempt a factory restore. Look up the manufacturer and model on google and search for factory restore/recovery procedure. If this fails then the manufacturer will probably provide factory restore discs at a price.

You can find the key with
Speccy
But if it is a standard SLP key used by the big brands it's not going to allow a clean install. Only the COA code will allow this.

 

[brianmgb]

Hi,
Thanks to all who have contributed but I am going to buy new dvd's for both computers and do a clean install,neither machine is so young anymore so factory help is not really an option and it would appear from others on this forum that the original OS was xp or vista neither of which I want
brian