Solved Windows 7 Pro OEM installation problem

[Whiznot]

Please help if you are able.

I'm installing offline to a Dell Optiplex 790 with a genuine Win 7 Pro OEM license sticker. My installation media is the retail version of Win 7. During installation I entered the OEM key which seemed to be accepted. The computer boots and reports a build number of 7601 and that this copy of Windows isn't genuine.

Is there a way to convert the retail version of Windows 7 Pro to OEM. Or maybe I need to search for a link to a genuine copy of the OEM version.

 

[Snick]

Hi Whiznot,

No such animal, I believe you may need to remove the ei.cfg text file from your installation media. You then have All-in-One Win7. Retail or OEM is neither!
Here's the ei.cfg removal tool from my OneDrive.
What do you have DVD, ISO, Win7 Folder?

 

[Whiznot]

Thanks. I do know how to change the media to remove universality but I think that the iso was retail VL instead of OEM. Would that matter?

 

[Snick]

Uh, let me think, no. What did I say?

FYI: That went out the window with XP, and resurfaced with win8.

Run the ei.cfg utility on the ISO it will tell you if it activates or deactivates.

You can open the ISO with 7-zip, extract to new folder on desktop, open folder, open Sources, find ei.cfg, delete, download ImgBurn copy content of folder you created to ISO file, you have AIO Win7 ISO.

I prefer the latter as a techie!

 

[SIW2]

Are you certain that is the correct license key?

You could skip entering the key when installing, then after installation run 7oeminstaller

 

[torchwood]

Hi

bit more info + Genuine Dell Iso w7 Pro links

Dell Windows 7 Reinstallation .iso - Windows ISO Downloader - WinCert.net Forums




Roy

 

[Whiznot]

Thanks for all the help. I was hoping to avoid Dell installation media but that's what I finally had to use.

 

[ryconquest]

Were you able to resolve the problem?

 

[SIW2]

Thanks for all the help. I was hoping to avoid Dell installation media but that's what I finally had to use.

see here

 

[Whiznot]

Were you able to resolve the problem?

Yes, I thought that I marked it resolved. I installed with Dell's OS media. After I had all the Dell drivers installed I backed them up using Double Driver before deleting the OS partition. I reinstalled with MS media from Digital River and used Double Driver to insert the proper drivers. The computer runs great.