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Win 7 Upgrade not working
SniperGuy
Registered User, ClubPA regular
Registered User, ClubPA regular
I reformatted my student purchased Win 7 about a month ago. I used the upgrade disc to do a clean install, and everything went well but I'm lazy and didn't dig up the key till it started pestering me to activate. It had worked FINE before my format, with this same key.
But NOW it won't ACCEPT my key! It keeps saying the key is invalid for this version of windows, which can't be true, since damnit, it worked before! I tried all of these things: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/10/27/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-and-product-key-on-formatted-or-empty-blank-hard-drive/ and have no idea what the hell is the problem. I even tried doing the upgrade over it and putting it in, same error code.
Help! How do I fix this stupid bullshit? "upgrade" media versus full media is the stupidest shit ever by the way.
But NOW it won't ACCEPT my key! It keeps saying the key is invalid for this version of windows, which can't be true, since damnit, it worked before! I tried all of these things: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/10/27/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-and-product-key-on-formatted-or-empty-blank-hard-drive/ and have no idea what the hell is the problem. I even tried doing the upgrade over it and putting it in, same error code.
Help! How do I fix this stupid bullshit? "upgrade" media versus full media is the stupidest shit ever by the way.
SniperGuy on
Posts
Open up the activaiton window and use the automated phone service, that works and its pretty painless.
The phone thing is less hassle and has a 100% chance of success.
It only takes like 8 minutes.
I've never had the double install trick work for me, either.
edit: er, what's the number? I can't find it. I don't have a number on my disc or anything, and it's not showing up in the activation window. It just says "Activate Online now" or "ask me later"
activate online, when it fails it should give you the number to call.
Steam, PSN, XBL, Xfire and everything else JamesDM
For the record this is false. I have a Win 7 Home Premium Upgrade package that I've done three clean installs off of.
(Not in the illegal way, formatted my machine twice and tried to clean format a friend's bloatware loaded store bought machine once and use their key. Possibly worth noting for others mine works fine but I couldn't use the upgrade media and the full version key off their machine. Had to restore their machine and then manually uninstall bloatware. Meh.)
Seriously, I've been calling them at least once a year since XP. They just ask how many machines it's installed on, you say 1, and they go, okie dokey and give you a working code. Less then 10 minutes.
you give them a series of numbers which is probably some hash code for your key or something.
they give you a series of numbers back, viola activation
I believe so. I burnt it to a disc, the thing they sent me. Will the full .iso not have the same problem this is having though? ANd yeah, it's not giving me a number.
The EXACT error message it gives me after trying to activate my key is "The product key you have entered will not work with this edition of Windows 7. You must either run Windows 7 Setup or enter a Windows 7 Home Premium product key."
No phone number at all. I know what you guys are talking about though, I used to do it for XP, but I'm seeing no option for a number here.
Is there a way to check my key, maybe it's for a different version or something? But it worked before, so I have no idea why it wouldn't now.
Also, here is the digital river clean install .iso file.
Steam, PSN, XBL, Xfire and everything else JamesDM
When you try to activate, go to the option that says "Activate by phone" or something like that, it will ask for your location and give you the phone number you need to call.
Call, follow instructions, get W7 activated in less than 10 minutes. I used the digital river iso as well.
I had to figure this out when installing Win 7 on my mom's computer just last week.
There are instructions on how to do some registry magic here: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_use_your_windows_7_upgrade_disk_fresh_pc?page=0,1 (There are a few different registry editing methods, so search something like "clean win7 install with upgrade disc")
Note, that didn't work for me, but it did reset the installation and password "status" so that when I did plug in the key and it failed, it gave me the option to activate by phone, which is the only method that worked.
Steam, PSN, XBL, Xfire and everything else JamesDM
I installed a Win 7 upgrade on a clean harddrive just fine. It wasn't the first time I've used the key though so I had to give MS a call and go through their automated service.
OP: Are you sure you installed the right version of Windows (i.e. you installed Ultimate instead of Home Premium by accident)?
what i should have said you can't do a clean install with an upgrade disk and do an online activation.
You have to use the phone activation.