I cant currently activate my retail copy of windows 7 on my pc. I think it is because I have another harddrive I use to use as a laptop HD which I currently use in my desktop, that has the key activated on it. Would I have to deactivate my windows 7 key on my other hard drive in order to be able to activate it on my main hard drive
You can't run the same installation Product Key on 2 computers. You can run the Retail version on a Replacement computer but would have to uninstall it from the first. And if Upgrading to a newer OS you have to keep the media and documentation for proof of having the previous version. My experience has been that you will have to contact Microsoft by phone to straighten it out, should have been a current phone number listed on the screen that came up when trying to activate.
There is no such thing as 'de-activating' a Windows install.
If you want Windows on two installs (even on the same computer), you have to have two licenses.
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