Windows 7 Activation issue

gregrocker · 29 Oct 2010

The problem is that Win7 starter to Home Premium is not a supported Upgrade path unless you buy the Anytime Upgrade key, although retail keys do work if inserted in Anytime instead.

I would try a Repair Install using Flash Stick or by transferring the DVD files to desktop to run Setup as Admin. This will reset activation and satisfy the need to have an underlying OS to accept Upgrade key - since a Repair Install is an upgrade over itself. Activate at Computer>Properties link.

If this fails, run a Custom clean install from dekstop also (or boot flash stick) which will see the underlying OS to allow use of Upgrade version key. If not use one of the workarounds here: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

The best way to write the Win7 ISO to bootable 4gb+ flash stick is to install UltraISO trial version, Open DVD on file tab, Write Image file on Bootable tab, Format button, Write button.

alfranatic · 30 Oct 2010

Anyways,if you don't wan't to call Microsoft and let them help you.??
then you have to install the very first OS.
No way around it.

Help Required · 31 Oct 2010

Results:

I found the answer.

The problem was I did not activate Windows Starter, i then upgraded to Home Premium with an upgrade key i had. Once i had upgraded to The Home Premium i could not activate using the Windows Starter Key i had from my netbook. I also could not activate it using my upgrade Home Premium key because as far as the system was concerned i did not have a legitimate active version of Windows 7 on the Computer. I tired to activate it using the methods listed above but none of them worked as essentially the computer was confused. I tired talking to people at Microsoft they would no nothing for me and told me to talk to the seller. I called the people on the helpline for my seller computer they couldn't help, they told me to talk to the manufacturer. I talked to the manufactuer they said they couldn't help i needed to talk to the seller.

So no one would help me.

I talked to a techie friend who said that i needed to reboot to factory settings, or do a system restore.

I couldn't do a system restore as the system would not let me restore to a date before i i did the upgrade.

I also couldn't restore to factory settings as the windows upgrade had changed the files and therefore the backup was corrupt!

The solution, i had to reinstall windows 7 starter except the netbook has no disk drive and so no disk was provided. Therefore i had to get another disk version of Windows adjust it to make it Windows 7 Starter using the following link and then put it on a flashdrive and reinstall windows, then i activated it via phone.

What annoys me is that i made one honest mistake (i didn't realise that i couldn't install the windows upgrade i had for my computer on my netbook (you can install office on two different compupters and still be legitimate)) Bit the annoying thing is that Windows lets you do it. I thne had to spent five or six hous trying to fix the results of an honest mistake, which i think the system should not have allowed me to do in the first place!

Windows 7 Starter clean install without disk

IownAmoneyPit · 31 Oct 2010

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