Hard Disk Crashed, New SSD and Faded COA

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  1. Posts : 6
    windows 7 64 bit
       #1

    Hard Disk Crashed, New SSD and Faded COA


    My HP pavilion dv4t-1500 laptop with a 500GB hard disk died. I bought a new 256 GB SSD to replace it. If I order the HP recovery disks, they will most likely not work as the new hard drive size is different (as the HP forums say)

    Also I have read in forums that I can use the COA product key to install a fresh copy of windows 7. However 6 characters of the product key is faded

    If the recovery disks will not work, will microsoft provide me with the original COA product key so that I could do a fresh install?

    I have bought an expensive SSD and I really do not want to be faced with the prospect of having to buy a new windows license!!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 3,724
    Windows 10x64 Build 1709
       #2

    Try Speccy : Speccy - Download

    It'll give you the key. Look under operating system.

    Theres many fine tutorials here to use when you transfer/reinstall to your new ssd. I know..... I used them myself!
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 6
    windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    The problem is the old hard disk crashed. So I cannot boot from it or even access the data.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 3,133
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1
       #4

    gjpwiz said:
    My HP pavilion dv4t-1500 laptop with a 500GB hard disk died. I bought a new 256 GB SSD to replace it. If I order the HP recovery disks, they will most likely not work as the new hard drive size is different (as the HP forums say)

    Also I have read in forums that I can use the COA product key to install a fresh copy of windows 7. However 6 characters of the product key is faded

    If the recovery disks will not work, will microsoft provide me with the original COA product key so that I could do a fresh install?

    I have bought an expensive SSD and I really do not want to be faced with the prospect of having to buy a new windows license!!
    That is interesting, because I have used the Windows Recovery and Driver DVDs that I ordered from HP to re-install Windows 7 on my HP laptop, when replaced the 500 Gb HDD with a 128 Gb SSD.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 6
    windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks LittleJay. I saw many users in the HP forums complaning that it did not work. Maybe I should order it and give it a try. Which HP laptop and windows version do you have?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,133
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1
       #6

    My laptop is a HP ProBooks and I have Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64 bit installed on it. The Windows 7 DVD that HP sent me contained only the OS and not all the bloat ware that came pre-installed originally. Those programs were available to re-install from the driver/software DVD that they sent along with the Windows 7 DVD, but you can pick and choose which ones you want to install.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6
    windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I see, did you order the DVDs via HP's website? In my case, when I go thru the HP support website it looks like they will send system recovery discs and not the original windows 7 DVD. These are backup discs that are used to restore the OS and all the bloatware into the new hard drive. It is these recovery disks that are probably not compatible with hard drive changes.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3,133
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1
       #8

    No, I ordered the disks from HP over the phone. And yes, the disks they send will recover your computer to factory specs and automatically activate Windows when it is installed, but like I mentioned before, the bloat ware came on the driver/software DVD, at least in my case, so I only installed what I wanted.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 6
    windows 7 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Excellent. I will just go ahead and order the recovery media. will post an update once i try it out. By the way, how is the performance on the SSD?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 3,133
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1
       #10

    The performance is totally awesome!
      My Computer


 
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