Upgrading Windows 7 OS from HOME PREMIUM to ULTIMATE

[DavidE]

Are you sure you do not have a COA label somewhere on the desktop?
It's my understanding the PC manufacturer MUST provide the COA with Windows.
If they did not provide a COA, you may be able to contact HP and work with them to get one???

Also, to be sure, you did not create the Recovery Disc set for these PCs, right?

 

[jagman55]

More details on COA

The Laptop has stickers on the bottom but try to guess what happens to a sticker that is ink and printed after rubbing, sliding across tables, desks, dirt, etc for couple of years. to survive, they should have engraved in metal.

Nothing on paper will survive this abuse, so why would anyone do something so stupid as expecting for a paper sticker to be readable after years of wear?
Why not put it on INSIDE a drawer, under a cover, etc.
Desktops SET on their bottoms and suffer not as bad abuse as Laptops but still suffer some.

It is a dumb thing to do but I will turn that desktop upside down to see if some stupid person at the factory put it on the bottom.

Can you tell me the FORMAT of what a COA looks like so I can look for it?

Letters, numbers, dashes, etc?

Thanks.

Sorry about the frustration BUT dealing with not to smart corporations is frustrating as it sounds like a good opportunity for me to have to Pay twice as that is more profitable for them. Also justifies people to cheat.

 

[jagman55]

Let me recap

Yes, both PC's have recovery partitions, and/or disks.

BUT, if I recovery is reloaded, all I get is a PROD ID which is of no use to me to try to get rid of the HP bloatware.

Correct?

AND the legal license, I paid for is only on a paper sticker on the bottom of a used Laptop and is unreadable?

And the Desktop COA is anyone's guess where they put that?

is this correct?

 

[Britton30]

Here's a few examples.
Windows COA - Google Search

 

[gregrocker]

You were repeatedly referred to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 which has a picture of a COA sticker, so you'd already know what it looks like if you'd even bothered to look at the link. David even told you the exact step where to look:

6. Write down the Product Key from COA sticker located on back or side of PC tower, bottom or under battery of notebook. Make sure you get the characters correct as this is a main cause of activation failure. You can input or Skip the key during install then afterwards activate at Control Panel>System, which may require a quick robocall. The COA sticker looks like this:

I've also just explained that your only option if you can't read the key is to run Recovery and gave you special steps to take to try to force it to run. Did you just ignore that too? Why can't you interact with the illustrated steps we give you?

 

[jagman55]

You dont listen either.

The STICKER for the COA is so badly damaged you can only see that it resembles a COA sticker because you can see a partial Hologram. .

After couple of years of Tables, Laps, Desks and whatever you put a laptops on, PAPER GUMMED labels have no shelf life.

ALL I CAN SEE somewhat clearly is one side of the label as the GUMMED stuff has turned the label brownish and and most of numbers/letters are GONE.

Someone, assuming Microsoft, should not be so cheap and and use better material OR warn new owners of LAPTOPS to REMOVE the label from the case botton to protest such an important item and place it in a safe place. I WILL from now on and have advised my friends to do the same.

Personally, I would never guess someone would put a cheap paper label on bottom of a device that rests on other surfaces that IS SO valuble. It is like putting it on the bottom of your SHOE for safe keeping.

I personally would NEVER put a COA, proof of Purchase, License, etc, in such a poor place, NOR use such a degradable label like a cheap gummed label. I would have PLACED it inside the case, maybe in the battery compartment or some other inside place with access but protected from the environment. AND then put the cheap gummed label on the outside "stating the COA is located inside in the .......".
Someone that works for HP or Microsoft might suggest that.

But, all is not lost, HP advised me to use Magic Jellybean to try to recover the COA after a Recovery and use it for a rebuild.

PS, mine does not look like this one but is close enough to get the general idea it IS a COA.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[gregrocker]

Then you were given wrong information by HP because the key audited from factory preinstalled Win7 is an OEM-SLP key only used to activate a batch of machines at the factory, is completely different than the key on COA sticker, and will not activate a Clean Reinstall.

There is a method to back up the OEM-SLP key from the factory preinstall so it can be reinstalled after Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 but it is not supported here by order of the Admin, so you'd have to research it for yourself.

On more recent models HP has a Minimal Recovery which is very close to a Clean Reinstall except that the dodgy HP Wireless manager is reinstalled. You'll have to turn it off before uninstalling to default to Win7's superior wireless manager in the System Tray.

You can also Clean Up Factory Bloatware

 

[jagman55]

Wrapup of the reload

Well today I took the plunge and loaded OEM Windows and had some difficulties with getting rid of the OLD HP load and had to try several options on the 'partition' list as FORMAT did not work so finally DELETED my old OS partition.
It finally overwrote the old OS and must have FORMATTED it.

Question: One think I miss in my HP STICKY NOTES. Tried some other free ones but don't like them.
I thought You gave me a link to "recovering" some things from my HP disk/Recovery partition etc but I saved your links on desktop but forgot to save them from the desktop before the reload.

Can I retrieve my Sticky Notes from HP disk/recovery partition, etc?
Thanks for your help in a very frustrating experience and keeping your cool. Good Job.

I retired from IBM at 73, several yeas ago and started as a computer operator at White Sands Missile Range in about 1962 as a student. But spent most of my time as VP/Manager of large Banking/Manufacturing Data Centers. At 76, I still love these things and picky about everything running right.. Was also a Sun Unix Sys Admin after Management at Mayo Client, Motorola, etc.

Windows? Have some weaknesses and issues.

 

[jagman55]

And Thanks to DavidW7ncus, Britton30 and others

GREAT FORUM with some nice people.
http://www.sevenforums.com/members/britton30.html

 

[derekimo]

Question: One think I miss in my HP STICKY NOTES. Tried some other free ones but don't like them.

Are they different from the sticky notes that come with windows?

Just go to the start menu, type sticky notes. Or just look in the accessories folder.

 

[jagman55]

Your are Correct, they are the same but

When Microsoft said they discontinued them, I did not look real hard.

Thanks

 

[derekimo]

When Microsoft said they discontinued them, I did not look real hard.

Thanks

You're welcome.

 

[oneskrewluse]

I"m not sure if your laptop is like mine but mine has the coa numbers under the battery cover also other than just the green sticker that gets damaged


also you should check this program out I've used this a lot in the past it shows tons of information about your pc including software serials and driver signatures plus its free!!

About.com: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

 

[jagman55]

I checked my battery cover and that would make TOO much sense to protect it from damage. So they put it on the bottom where it would wear out. Where should you keep a valuable, one of a kind number you paid several hundred dollars for? Of course, on a paper label and stick it on the bottom of your SHOE. Ahh, Corporate logic, this is why the CEO of Microsoft and HP gets paid Millions. What brand is your Laptop? Sounds like made from a smart Manufacturer.

Am told by this forum, , the number, COA, only exist on that flimsy paper label which will self destruct in a year or two.

The bar code is still readable but the number is only partial as the GUMMY part of the label discolors and fades the print. Hopely, the bar-code is the number.
They say the internal number is not mine but HP's they used for MASS loading and is a different number and not useable.

Thanks


Since the bar code is somewhat legible, going to call a PC repair and see if they have a bar code reader.

 

[gregrocker]

Any laptop sits on small legs so there is breathing room underneath - often not enough as a bedspread or pillow can still clog the air vents and quickly cause fatal overheating. But it's probably considered enough that a sticker won't wear off.

Glad to hear you completed the Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Did you miss the step where it tells you how to decide what partitions you need to keep and then (in most cases) delete all partitions from the booted Win7 installer?

8. Unplug all other HD's and peripherals except ethernet, Boot the Windows 7 installer, choose Custom Install, then Drive Options (Advanced) to Delete all partitions not needed, repartition and format as shown in Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7.

• Whether to use more than one partition depends largely on if you want your data in the OS partition, or have it linked from another partition to make C partition backup image smaller. This way if Windows 7 becomes irreparable you can re-image the OS/Programs to C and the data will be current and waiting in its own partition. More about Windows 7 backup imaging later.

● If you don't want to keep any partitions but also don't have a new partition scheme in mind, just click Next after Deleting all to let the installer create and format your installation partition for you. Ignore the small boot partition which is created.

Don't forget to run all Important and Optional Windows Updates to completion, then after reboots go back and Check for more Updates. First enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3)

 

[jagman55]

MAN, http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html tells it all doesn't it. Hope it is secure as now it knows more about my PC than I do.


It said I was missing 17 important security updates so went to my Control Panel, and it said NO updates needed but told to check AGAIN?

Yep, the 17 showed up so I loaded them

 

[jagman55]

No, don't think so, the article said we can keep the 'bloat' partition if we wanted so I did.

Which partition was not the issue, it was very easy to recognize. My desktop has, Disk 0, has 3 partitions

C:/ drive 919.2gb
D:/ HP_Recovery 12.22mb
no drive 'System' 100mb

Those partition make up the DISK 0 931.51 gb HD.

But, the partition list options, another story.
It gave the Advanced option to: Format (which did nothing)
Then tried another option (forgot which one). it gave me another windows.old.000,
But the Windows.old kept building up.

Then tried the DELETE and that one wiped the data off the partition and it was "rock and roll" after that.

But kept the HP_Recovery and the System as a 'comfort factor'. Most likely delte them next load.
PLUS, Thinking about not mixing the OS and DATA on the same disk 0 drive.

What is your opinion on 1 partition for the OS and the 2nd for Data, etc? Then to reload, don't have to worry about Data as in its own partition. Think would be handy for backup too as Data and OS have slightly different requirements. Assume only reason they do it as you can expand the OS as large as you want not being on a smaller fixed partition.

The Laptop HD drive 0 has 4 partitions and the 4th is called "HP_TOOLS" which looks like "BOOT" stuff.

No, the primary, C:/ drive recognition was not an issue but the options on the partition list.

 

[jagman55]

oops, your quote posted says it all.

 

[gregrocker]

That's also covered in the Note to HP Owners at the end of tutorial:

Special notes to HP owners:

On newer models HP Recovery may offer a Minimized OS Recovery option when booting from F11, which retains only the OS, Recovery Manager, HP Support Asst, and HP Wireless LAN. This is as close to a clean reinstall as you can get without doing one yourself.

● If you clean reinstall only to C and leave all other partitions intact, F11 Recovery key should still work later if you need it.

● Problems with volume control lighting and HP Quick Launch buttons have been dealt with here and here.

Specific HP software which might be worth reimporting is discussed in

HP Bloatware, or useful system utilities?

Some HP Recovery disks can have their files extracted to access favorite program installers using Accessing HP Recovery Disc Files | directedge.us

Are you sure you booted the installer to Clean Reinstall to C? The reason I ask is that windows.old normally isn't given if you boot the installer and format the target partition.

In any case let us see you current Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image

Two questions:

1) How is performance so far? How many of your programs have you reinstalled so far %-wise?

2) Reboot and tap the F8 key. Do you get Repair My Computer at the top of the Advanced Boot Options list?

 

[oneskrewluse]

MAN, http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html tells it all doesn't it. Hope it is secure as now it knows more about my PC than I do.


It said I was missing 17 important security updates so went to my Control Panel, and it said NO updates needed but told to check AGAIN?

Yep, the 17 showed up so I loaded them

yeah its pretty sweet its the only way i can keep up with serial number and driver names lol