- Nov 17, 2013
- 7
- 0
- 10,510
Hey guys, hope this is in the right forum (instead of the hardware section).
I bought a Dell 545 about 3 years ago, warranty expired in 2011. I just upgraded pretty much everything, save for the case - new Gigabyte Z87 motherboard with a Haswell i5, new ram, SSD and a Powercolor 7950. The only 'original' part is the 500gb harddrive that came with the system, now relegated to being a storage drive.
Prior to doing the upgrades, I ran a tool to get the CD key from the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium that shipped with the CPU (and realized after that it's printed on the top of the case with the COA). I didn't get a disc with the system originally, so I downloaded a Win 7 HP .iso from Microsoft and put it on a DVD to reinstall on the new SSD. Got everything put together today without a hitch, Windows is installed and working great - went to activate online, and, as expected, got an error. I've read about how, after changing the motherboard of a mainstream PC that comes with Windows preinstalled, you often need to call up Microsoft for activation, as the copy of Windows that comes with the big-name systems is an OEM copy and tied to that motherboard/BIOS.
I rang up Microsoft, gave them the CD key....and they said it was 'blocked'. No real explanation or anything; I gave them my info and explained that I'm just trying to reinstall Windows on the same system, for personal use, after telling them I couldn't get a replacement motherboard from Dell and had upgraded most of the hardware. They told me again that the version is 'blocked' and to call Dell about it. I gave up earlier than I usually would, and called up Dell. They redirected me to the 'out of warranty' department, where they wanted to sell me a 'pre-activated' version on a disc, OEM branded, for around $70 shipped. I was pretty choked.
What do you guys figure I can do at this point? I realize now that the .iso I downloaded and installed is likely a retail version of Windows 7 HP and, as such, my key wouldn't work anyway, but Microsoft said my key is 'blocked' before I even gave them any of that info. Short of calling them up again and yelling until I get a solution, I'm not sure where to go. I don't think Dell will offer a solution, other than paying for a 'pre-activated' OEM copy that may or may not work with my hardware (I even asked the Dell tech if it would work with my non-Dell motherboard/SSD and he said 'yes'). When I bought my computer, I also purchased the licence to use Windows 7, so I kinda feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick here. Any advice? And no, I'm not 'upgrading' to Windows 8.
I bought a Dell 545 about 3 years ago, warranty expired in 2011. I just upgraded pretty much everything, save for the case - new Gigabyte Z87 motherboard with a Haswell i5, new ram, SSD and a Powercolor 7950. The only 'original' part is the 500gb harddrive that came with the system, now relegated to being a storage drive.
Prior to doing the upgrades, I ran a tool to get the CD key from the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium that shipped with the CPU (and realized after that it's printed on the top of the case with the COA). I didn't get a disc with the system originally, so I downloaded a Win 7 HP .iso from Microsoft and put it on a DVD to reinstall on the new SSD. Got everything put together today without a hitch, Windows is installed and working great - went to activate online, and, as expected, got an error. I've read about how, after changing the motherboard of a mainstream PC that comes with Windows preinstalled, you often need to call up Microsoft for activation, as the copy of Windows that comes with the big-name systems is an OEM copy and tied to that motherboard/BIOS.
I rang up Microsoft, gave them the CD key....and they said it was 'blocked'. No real explanation or anything; I gave them my info and explained that I'm just trying to reinstall Windows on the same system, for personal use, after telling them I couldn't get a replacement motherboard from Dell and had upgraded most of the hardware. They told me again that the version is 'blocked' and to call Dell about it. I gave up earlier than I usually would, and called up Dell. They redirected me to the 'out of warranty' department, where they wanted to sell me a 'pre-activated' version on a disc, OEM branded, for around $70 shipped. I was pretty choked.
What do you guys figure I can do at this point? I realize now that the .iso I downloaded and installed is likely a retail version of Windows 7 HP and, as such, my key wouldn't work anyway, but Microsoft said my key is 'blocked' before I even gave them any of that info. Short of calling them up again and yelling until I get a solution, I'm not sure where to go. I don't think Dell will offer a solution, other than paying for a 'pre-activated' OEM copy that may or may not work with my hardware (I even asked the Dell tech if it would work with my non-Dell motherboard/SSD and he said 'yes'). When I bought my computer, I also purchased the licence to use Windows 7, so I kinda feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick here. Any advice? And no, I'm not 'upgrading' to Windows 8.
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