Wondering...

[alphanumeric]

If memory serves me, during the install process there is a prompt asking you if you want to automatically activate online. If you say yes I believe thats when you may get the "Automatic activation after 3 days" prompt. That doesn't mean activation will run out in three days. If you say no to the automatically activate online prompt you will get a prompt telling you you have X days to activate windows do you want to do it now. Something like that, I don't remember the exact wording.

 

[Zyrandiel]

I just finished repair install. And here's what I was talking about.



What do I need to do for it to activate?

 

[Zyrandiel]

Why does it say INVALID FOR ACTIVATION when I clicked the Activate now:





So I clicked the USE AUTOMATED PHONE SYSTEM and it made me choose the nearest country I am in. So I choose Saudi Arabia. And then this is the next dialog box:

 

[Zyrandiel]

So this is what I was asking about "Automatic Activation". So I guess even If I let 3 days pass and let the system do the automatic activation then it would still detect that my product key in INVALID. Why is it invalid in the first place????? I have a genuine activated OS before the repair install and I used the product key (during repair install) located at the bottom of my laptop. can someone please help....

 

[Zyrandiel]

and after the first run of updating this is the result:




The NOTORIOUS 80004005 error code is still there!!!!


I'm gonna do a reboot and try again...

 

[Zyrandiel]

After reboot I tried updating again and the same error persists. I'm installing Update readiness tool right now and then will update again.

 

[alphanumeric]

If your original install was a factory OEM install using SLP activation then the product code on your COA sticker was never used. The Major OEM's like Dell, HP, Acer etc, have a master product code that they use on all of their SLP installs. They have to provide a COA sticker but the product code on it isn't used. To prevent you from using it on another PC it's blocked from automatic activation. You should still be able to activate by phone.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174907-clean-install-factory-coa-activation-key.html?filter

EDIT: At this point I think you might want to consider doing a clean install.

 

[Zyrandiel]

Thanks alpha, but a CLEAN INSTALL is a big no for me. After reading this thread:

http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/200607-new-laptop-changing-partition-disks.html


Can I use a SP1 retail ISO to repair install my Windows 7?

I'm thinking to restore to the initial image again and then do a repair install using a windows SP1 retail ISO.

Would that work?


About the activation I read from here about a link for restore your windows keys? or something, that you wouldn't need to keep re-activating your windows online. And it led me to this site:


Paymyrent Token restore for mak keys and retail


How does this work? Please help. I downloaded this file but I don't know how this works. almost 12 midnight now. gotta hit the sack and continue this tomorrow after work.

 

[Zyrandiel]

Last question for tonight:

Im downloading 2 windows 7 sp1 ISO's at the moment. I'm wondering which is much newer of the two.



I'll use whichever is the latest one. Please provide some info folks...

 

[alphanumeric]

When you say "restore to the initial image" are you talking about restoring your laptop to factory condition using the built in factory restore utility? If yes activation should be automatic and you shouldn't have to enter a product code. You shouldn't have to do a repair either there shouldn't be anything wrong with it. I think you are just digging yourself into a deeper hole with all these repeated repair attempts.

 

[wanchoo]

The shortest possible answer is "Yes".

If I update my firmwares for like: chipset, touchpad driver, Intel turbo boost, etc.

when I restore to a previously made image (like a 3 months ago Image) will the firmwares be reverted back to the old state too?

 

[Zyrandiel]

Yes, laptop factory settings with all the bloatware minus the restore option and minus the update for service pack 1. Yes the image is already activated. I'm using the built-in recovery software by samsung the RECOVERY SOLUTION 4.

Several times I restored to that initial image and I've found out that the SYSTEM RESTORE option doesn't work. Last night I restored to that initial image but it left me with 60+ failed updates all with the error code 80004005. So I did a repair Install again even though I had a bad repair Install the other night (which made me use the initial image restore). So after that 60+ failed updates using the Initial Image restore I decided to go at the REPAIR INSTALL again this time with a lighter load on my system but again it left me with 19 failed updates after using the UPDATE READINESS TOOL.


So that made me think that "what if I repair Installed using Windows SP1 right away?" therefore hopefully bypassing that error code 80004005.

Then the last problem remains is about the activation so I dug from this site and found that TOKEN RESTORE utility.


What do you think guys? Am I making sense?

 

[alphanumeric]

OK, it looks like there is something in your original factory install the SP1 doesn't like. It looks like doing repair installs isn't fixing it either, so I wouldn't bother trying any more. Others may disagree with that. Also I don't think you can do a repair with media that includes SP1 if your system doesn't have it already applied/installed. If that was my PC or one that some one said fix it, I don't care what you do just fix it. I'd do a clean install with install media obtained from a reliable source and be done with it. Install windows, install SP1, install the rest of the windows updates, create restore point, install drivers, etc......

 

[Zyrandiel]

Okay. Thanks alpha. I guess I'll go back to my last image backup which has only 1 failed update: the SP1.

I am just curious, what is Microsoft doing about this error code 80004005? Clearly that Readiness Update Utility is not a reliable fix for this problem.

 

[alphanumeric]

I don't know what to tell you about that? I personally don't remember ever having any problems installing SP1. My current install media includes it so its installed with windows. Its just one less thing to do after a clean install.