Help reinstalling Windows 7

[Fardringle]

Normally installing Windows is a relatively simple process, but I have a problem with a client's computer and I haven't been able to find any way to resolve it yet.

Here's the situation:
Toshiba laptop was purchased with Windows 7 Home Premium, then upgraded to Windows 7 Professional with an upgrade license key card. Recovery media was not made before the upgrade. The hard drive died (not recognized at all by any computer) so I can't use the recovery partition that was on the old drive. I tried installing directly from an OEM (Dell) Windows 7 Pro DVD since I happen to have one available, including the double "upgrade" install trick that used to work for clean installs with upgrade licenses, and Windows installed fine but when I tried to activate Windows with the Upgrade license key, it just gives an error message that says,

The following failure occured while trying to use the product key:

Code:
0xC004F061

Description:
The Software Licensing Service determined that this specific product key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installations.

I understand what that error is saying. But the problem is how do I convince the system that it is an upgrade when I can't restore the original Win 7 Home, and "upgrading" with a full install DVD doesn't work?

I called Microsoft Activation Support and they told me that the only option is to buy a new Windows license, which seems silly to me because he already has a valid and paid for license.

I also tried installing both XP Pro and Vista Home and then upgrading to 7 from there with my Dell Windows 7 Pro disk but still get the same message. Would it work if I used a retail Windows 7 Professional disk? And if so, where can I get one since Microsoft shut down DigitalRiver and their new software recovery site doesn't accept OEM or upgrade license keys? Or for that matter, is it possible to get a Windows 7 Pro Upgrade disk without buying another upgrade license?

To complicate things even more, even if I were to have him spend the $30 or so to get replacement Windows 7 Home disks from Toshiba, the client can't remember what email address he used when he originally registered the upgrade key card to get the license key so I can't log in to just download the in-place upgrade files directly.

Any ideas how I can resolve this without buying a completely new Windows license for more than this laptop is probably worth? Switching to Linux or any other OS really isn't an option since the client has programs he uses for his small business that only run in Windows.

 

[Puffnstuff]

You must first activate the base version of windows and once activated you can upgrade it using the upgrade key. Look for a sticker either on the laptop case or inside the battery compartment to activate home premium. If there's not sticker ask the customer if they have the paperwork that came with it and see if the sticker is on the manual that came with it. If they have to pay for a new os install 8.1 along with classic shell and they'll have a better os that looks familiar to them.

 

[Fardringle]

I have the license key for Windows 7 Home Premium on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop, but no disk for it, and no recovery partition for it since the original hard drive died. I also have the Windows 7 Pro Upgrade license key on the original upgrade card he bought

License keys aren't the problem. Installation media that will accept the license is.

Windows 8 isn't going to happen. And not only because 8 is a pain in the butt to use even with Classic Shell (which helps a bit but not completely), but because both the cost of a license and the hassle to get his picky programs working in 8 when they're specifically listed as not compatible simply aren't worth it. If it comes to that point, he's already said that he'll just throw this computer out and do everything on his even older XP desktop. (very low profit limited work business, which is part of the reason why I'm trying to help him get this working)

 

[synapsea]

If the microsoft wont help you. so you can do another way. ******************* but i don't know if its legal in your country.

---------------
Illegal suggestions are Not tolerated on our forum.

JackMDS
Super Mod.

 

[Fardringle]

I appreciate the suggestion, and I briefly considered it, but most pirated OS media includes "free bonus" malware code that can't be removed.

p.s. Pirating software is not legal in ANY country, although some are less likely to take formal legal action than others.

 

[FrankRamiro]

I appreciate the suggestion, and I briefly considered it, but most pirated OS media includes "free bonus" malware code that can't be removed.

p.s. Pirating software is not legal in ANY country, although some are less likely to take formal legal action than others.

Download ISO from here,there is no bloatware or any crap,this is a 30 days activation, you have to save the Ethernet drivers from your pc brand to a USB stick.then install OPS tick the auto on line activation box,install Ethernet drivers then update system,to check is it's legit OPS,type on CMD start up box, ''slui '' without quotes


http://getintopc.com/softwares/oper...home-premium-free-download-iso-32-bit-64-bit/

 

[Fardringle]

Very, nice, FrankRamiro! I checked and the HASH and ISO/CRC calculations on those downloads match what Microsoft had on the original downloads from Digital River (verified with multiple different sites and programs. I'm pretty sure that the OEM Win 7 Home license on the laptop won't activate with that retail Win 7 Home image, but I'm hoping that if I install that one and then upgrade with the Win 7 Pro image that the upgrade license will be accepted. I'll report back in a few hours with the results.

 

[Ketchup]

You have two options I can think of.

Option 1 is to call Toshiba and they will send you the recovery media (for a small fee).

Option 2 is to just download Windows. From what I understand, this is a legit site:
http://getintopc.com/softwares/oper...home-premium-free-download-iso-32-bit-64-bit/

 

[Puffnstuff]

I have the license key for Windows 7 Home Premium on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop, but no disk for it, and no recovery partition for it since the original hard drive died. I also have the Windows 7 Pro Upgrade license key on the original upgrade card he bought

License keys aren't the problem. Installation media that will accept the license is.

You can get the media online from the windows 7 forums, just google it and you will see the links to valid installation media that doesn't come from a ms server or digitalriver. I've done it myself just to get one with sp1 already incorporated into it.

 

[Fardringle]

Final update:

The getintopc.com site never showed up when I searched for Windows 7 ISO files. I don't know why, but I appreciate the links. I used the Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit ISO first, which surprisingly did activate using the OEM license on the Toshiba laptop. I tried doing an upgrade from there with the Windows 7 Professional 64 bit ISO, but the system told me that I couldn't upgrade with that image and had to use the Anytime Upgrade system. So I did. It accepted the key from the upgrade key card and installed and activated Windows 7 Professional. It did take about 10 hours (yuck) to install all necessary prerequisite Windows updates first, but I just let it run over night and it worked great. Thanks again!

 

[Ketchup]

Ah, the never-ending update saga. There was a thread about that not too long ago. 7 and 8 don't seem to care about oem vs retail versions like xp did. Glad to hear it worked!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Final update:

The getintopc.com site never showed up when I searched for Windows 7 ISO files. I don't know why, but I appreciate the links. I used the Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit ISO first, which surprisingly did activate using the OEM license on the Toshiba laptop. I tried doing an upgrade from there with the Windows 7 Professional 64 bit ISO, but the system told me that I couldn't upgrade with that image and had to use the Anytime Upgrade system. So I did. It accepted the key from the upgrade key card and installed and activated Windows 7 Professional. It did take about 10 hours (yuck) to install all necessary prerequisite Windows updates first, but I just let it run over night and it worked great. Thanks again!

This just chronicles how my whole life has been warped by the micro-computer revolution. All the mainstreamers came late to the game. They bought their OEMs with warranty-maintenance agreements. They never suffered through system.ini and win.ini tweaks; never dared to use REGEDIT. Something went wrong? They called Geek Squad.

Instead of immersing their lives in M$ Windows-wonderfulness, their fickle hearts turned to tablets, iPads, iPhones.

Just returned from COSTCO, after an exchange with a fellow shopper over the lobster and seafood counter. We began to discuss recipes, wandering off into a detour about a culture of folks who want frozen pizza and never learned to can their own sauce or make their own taco meat.

Then, the woman shows me her iPhone, scrolls to a web-site where people "share stuff," and boasts about all her own recipes popping up on that site!

How . . . dare . . she! I-phone be damned! All I could say: "I only use my I-phone to make phone calls, find directions, shop Newegg. Don't even take pictures of Officer Bar-Brady beating up Token!"

But we? We know how to resurrect . . . . freakin' . . . . Windows . . . from an OEM install that got borked!

Them mainstreamers? They don' even care!

The world has flushed itself down its own terlit, I say! G**-D*** 21st century!

 

[Ketchup]

Here is how I look at it BonzaiDuck:

Back in the 80's, for example, if you were a computer user, that meant you knew how to "work" the machine. You pretty much had to know how to do things with the OS that people today wouldn't dream of. Some of it was due to the limitations of command line, some due to programming that maybe wasn't quite perfect.

Today, years of development have made "computers" (tablets, phones, desktops, watches, etc) very easy to use. So anyone can use it. They may only know who to call when something goes wrong, but handling the applications isn't quite the chore it used to be.

 

[lk2500]

You can use the OEM (Dell) Windows 7 Pro DVD you have to make a Multi-Version (Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate) installation disc with Microsoft's blessing:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-7/528163c1-0b2e-4ad2-a26d-7112851d1dc2

Scroll down to where it says:

Your next best option is to borrow the corresponding retail edition (upgrade or full version) or OEM System Builder disc from a friend or family member who has a Windows 7 disc. You can also borrow any of the following editions: Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate and create your own disc which will give you the option of selecting the desired edition you are licensed for.

Then you can use the CD you create to install the Home Premium version and use the original serial number, then try the upgrade to Pro.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Here is how I look at it BonzaiDuck:

Back in the 80's, for example, if you were a computer user, that meant you knew how to "work" the machine. You pretty much had to know how to do things with the OS that people today wouldn't dream of. Some of it was due to the limitations of command line, some due to programming that maybe wasn't quite perfect.

Today, years of development have made "computers" (tablets, phones, desktops, watches, etc) very easy to use. So anyone can use it. They may only know who to call when something goes wrong, but handling the applications isn't quite the chore it used to be.

My attempt at satire! Trying to make the 2nd Earl of Rochester seem lame (although, in the end -- he was). Old habits die hard, and one finds himself committed to the habits themselves. I just had to joke about it!

The "market" always follows the mass desires to eliminate work and trouble. At least in Mark Twain's case, he "had something else to do" when steamboats became obsolete.

 

[tcsenter]

There are places on teh interwebs from which you can download the OEM certificate .xrm-ms files to activate Windows 7 (or Vista), if the computer came from a major brand PC maker with that version of Windows pre-installed. You don't need to even use the product key on the COA sticker. I have the files from the top seven or eight major PC makers; Toshiba, Lenovo, HP, Dell, Acer, Gateway, etc. but it seems you solved the problem.

 

[Charlie98]

Final update:

The getintopc.com site never showed up when I searched for Windows 7 ISO files. I don't know why, but I appreciate the links. I used the Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit ISO first, which surprisingly did activate using the OEM license on the Toshiba laptop. I tried doing an upgrade from there with the Windows 7 Professional 64 bit ISO, but the system told me that I couldn't upgrade with that image and had to use the Anytime Upgrade system. So I did. It accepted the key from the upgrade key card and installed and activated Windows 7 Professional. It did take about 10 hours (yuck) to install all necessary prerequisite Windows updates first, but I just let it run over night and it worked great. Thanks again!

NOW! ...make a backup copy!