Solved windows & key

[hawkie]

Hi I have had a HP win 7 home laptop for sometime and never really liked it much.

My main has had xP for a long time now but many things including Firefox are now telling me they will no longer support XP, some web sites are getting a little funny as well.

After playing wiith Win 7 on a spare box I feel the HP install is not working that well and a clean install would help with speeds.

I used some code to exstract to key from registery and it does not match the code on the certificate on the sticker.

I am now confused as I was led to believe the one in registry is the correct one?

why am I getting different results ?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Hawkie mate the COA sticker is the code you should be using and just what are you installing from??

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
What's wrong with the activation key on the sticker = unreadable ?

 

[AddRAM]

The key you found is the mass factory activation and can not be used if you reinstall windows, as stated you use the key on the COA.

The factory is not going to use a different key on every pc they make, that would take forever.

 

[AddRAM]

Some other things that will help the HP laptop, which I don`t understand why you say it`s not working ok, but anywho.

1) a solid state drive to install windows on

2) max out the memory

those are the 2 best things you can do, and you won`t believe the difference they will make.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Without seeing what the response is the sticker on the machine should have the unique code that the manufacturer puts on it via their mass install licence unless I have got it terribly wrong.

A case in point is the Asus ROG I bought and after a lot of harassing the seller gave me that unique code/key for the machine where the Belarc and Magic Jelly Bean were giving me the key for their install process licence.
I have reinstalled since using an ISO and using the code I got from them and Magic Jelly Bean is showing up the correct code/key.

I ma now wondering if the machine has had an OEM put on after the original factory install?? and the sticker code is not working for that reason??

 

[AddRAM]

No John the code on the sticker is not the code the company uses to activate windows , that is for the end user to use if they ever decide to reinstall windows.

And that rule may not apply for a mom and pop store where they might build custom PC`s and use individual COA`s and attach them to the PC or give the install DVD and COA directly to the customer (very rare)

If you bought that PC you speak of 2nd hand and not brand new from the factory, then the seller may very well have used the COA code and that`s why when you use Jelly Bean that code works.

Or he may have used an altogether different code and that is why it`s different from the COA.

Are you saying you reinstalled and did not use the key on the COA ?

Because that`s the key I would have used and it would be all legal like

As long as you are installing the same version that is on your COA, there is no reason it should not work, even if you had to make the robo call to Microsoft. (which technically you shouldn`t have to do) that COA key should be usable over and over on the same motherboard indefinitely.

 

[Golden]

Without seeing what the response is the sticker on the machine should have the unique code that the manufacturer puts on it via their mass install licence unless I have got it terribly wrong.

Nope. That's not correct...the product key on the COA is the one to use to activate the Windows 7 version quoted on the same COA sticker.

 

[Layback Bear]

If I may.

I only know of two purposes for the OEM/SLP key.

1. To auto activate a computer from the factory with pre-installed Windows 7.

2. To be able to activate after using the built in Recovery Partition that the manufacture installed.

If one wants to do a Clean Install or a Repair install the COA key on the Microsoft sticker is the only one that will work.

---------------

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I like learning.

 

[torchwood]

Hi Hawkie,

Basic explaination

The Unshown code on the comp probably, (4FG99-BC3HD-73CQT-WMF7J-3Q6C9), is installed during manufacture, by them in this case HP, as they paid MS to put the OS on thier own brand computers and you get the pair cheaper.
As its imprinted on the comp and you have minor issues, you can either use the Factory restore option or a set of THIER recovery discs to reinstall the OS, with no further actions required by you to activate/register the comp again.

However if you have a major problem, your Factory recovery option is lost or you have to use 3rd party installation discs, because youve lost the originals, then the back-up code on the sticker will need to be input during reinstallation, to activate/register it.

Roy

 

[AddRAM]

If I may.

I only know of two purposes for the OEM/SLP key.

1. To auto activate a computer from the factory with pre-installed Windows 7.

2. To be able to activate after using the built in Recovery Partition that the manufacture installed.

If one wants to do a Clean Install or a Repair install the COA key on the Microsoft sticker is the only one that will work.

---------------

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I like learning.

You are absolutely correct Jack, and the OEM/SLP may also be used to auto activate when using recovery discs ordered from the manufacturer. That one I`m not 100% sure about, but I do know that that disc looks for a slic table in the bios to auto activate.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

All a bit convoluted for me because what I said about my larger Asus the supplier gave me the correct code after a lot of harassing and I was just under the impression that Microsoft sold makers a licence to put the OS on thier machines but it was then up to the supplier/maker to give each machine a unique code.

Frankly for the cost of it I would be buying an OEM and installing it at least it would save a lot of time going around the houses looking for an elusive solution.

 

[Golden]

All a bit convoluted for me because what I said about my larger Asus the supplier gave me the correct code after a lot of harassing and I was just under the impression that Microsoft sold makers a licence to put the OS on thier machines but it was then up to the supplier/maker to give each machine a unique code.

Frankly for the cost of it I would be buying an OEM and installing it at least it would save a lot of time going around the houses looking for an elusive solution.

Eh? That makes no sense at all.

 

[hawkie]

Thanks for the welcome and all the replies.

Not having issues as such with the laptop, its just that after loading OEM 7 on an old Pentium11 to mess around with 7 I found the clean install was far quicker to respond than the much higher spec laptop and considered doing a clean install on the lappy.
Thanks for clearing up my confusion on the correct key and the sticker is undamaged and easy to read.

and yes the SSD drives are very fast, I put together a gaming system for a family member a couple of weeks ago (AMD FX 8350) with a Samsung Evo for the operating system and its blindingly fast, shame they cost so much.

having to be dragged into this century from XP

many more questions to come, lucky for me you have already been there and done it.

Thanks again for the help

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Eh? That makes no sense at all

I will butt out of this one as I just thought Microsoft allowed for want of a better term for manufacturers to put the OS onto their machines by buying a licence from them (M$) to do just that and give each machine a unique code under that agreement.

Anyway I think the rest have got it under control now.

 

[hawkie]

Thinking here, yer I know thats dangerous.

If the HP laptop has been factory activated and the key on the sticker has never been activated does that mean it can be used to activate a clean OEM install of the same version on a different computer?

 

[Ranger4]

The key activation code on the sticker that is attached to the HP laptop, is locked to that computer & cannot be used on any other computer. The motherboard gets the license key inserted on it when Windows gets installed thereby locking it to that particular key.

Although the activation may get done automatically, the sticker is also proof that the computer is licensed by Microsoft to use that version of Windows.

 

[TrustMe]

I was to slow Ranger4 beat me to it.

It would be illegal to do that. The sticker (key) on the bottom of your laptop is only legal for that laptop. You can not move it to another machine. When you buy a computer from a large manufacturer like HP or Dell you receive a OEM license. It means if your motherboard dies, your Windows license dies with it.

Now if you were to go out and buy Windows with a retail license you are legally allowed to move it to another computer but you have to remove Windows from the 1st computer. You can only have a retail license on one computer at a time. A retail license is more expensive than an OEM license.

They also have a OEM license for system builders. They are for people who build their own computers. Again you can not move that license to another computer. People who build their own computers usually have a choice between OEM and retail license depending on how much money they want to spend.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Just me again yes the code is actually unless again I am terribly mistaken tied to the BIOS.

One thing I know is possible because I have done it is phone Microsoft and explained the board has died and they have let me put an OEM onto a new board and I think the two times it has has happened to me and my brother they were very reasonable and let us do it. I think I mentioned before it would not hurt to get them to check out the Product key for what one wants.

 

[Barman58]

The key on the COA is there for when you are not re-installing from original disk, (which will use the Slic Table in the TPM chip or bios on older systems), or the install has issues. The TPM uses a default key that is tied to the particular system, (One master key is used for a batch of what may be thousands of devices) and it is this checks that the correct OS is being installed and activates it

I have known a standard retail install disk be found and activate using the SLIC but this is a bit hit and miss so the Different, but still subject to OEM restrictions, is supplied on the COA.

Quite often users will use something like JellyBean to extract the Key prior to a re-install where the COA has worn out - Obviously this happens as systems get older and dependent on how they are used.

The user ends up with a valid, key but one that is the same as every other of that model Number laptop that will not activate except when used with the SLIC

When I was dealing with vast numbers of laptops Standard practice was to photograph the COA and add it to the laptop's record package, COA's used to last about a month on systems used in industry