Problems with Windows 7 Activation After Hardware Upgrade (Mobo/CPU/More RAM)

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
O

obzedos

Reputable
Dec 4, 2015
3
0
4,510
Hello, this is my first time posting here after one of my friends suggested that if would be for the best with the issues i'm having.

So I recently upgraded my rig with a new motherboard (MSI Z97 PC Mate), an Intel i7-4790k 4.0GHz, and 2 more 4g sticks of Corsair Vengance RAM(Same color and everything).

Before the upgrade I had just about no issues with my applications whatsoever. However I lost the Windows Home Premium 64 bit disk (not sure if i was even provided one or if the OS came pre-installed) that i was provided with my older build. So i'm currently using a friend's windows ultimate disk because I read that you are unable to use the same authentification code if it is still on a previously owned motherboard and now everything is crashing left and right even after a fresh install.

I'm thinking that a lot of these issues (mainly.dll files causing crashes) are because of the OS, so I've been looking around seeing if i could find someway to reinstall the old version of windows that i had and activate it again on the new motherboard.

If there are any bits of information that I can provide to aid getting rid of these issues, please ask.
 
Solution
S
Sort by date Sort by votes
S

Samat

Distinguished
Aug 21, 2006
1,274
1
19,965
Do you still have the license key? If it is a OEM license it can't be transferred to a new computer (changing mothboard with other components is taken as changing to a new computer). In this case you need to buy a new license, you could try doing a phone activation but I doubt it will work with OEM version. It works with retail version though.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
O

obzedos

Reputable
Dec 4, 2015
3
0
4,510


I'm not quite sure how to identify if the old OS was an OEM or not. I looked around and saw that usually if it's an OEM the authentification ID is constructed differently for example XXXXX - XXX - XXXXXXX - XXXXX with the 3 X's in the 2nd section being the letters "OEM". If that is indeed the case than my OS was not an OEM. The code is written on the side of the case in the normal format. I got the computer 5 years ago so it's really hard for me to tell heh.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

Samat

Distinguished
Aug 21, 2006
1,274
1
19,965


You can download a new copy of Windows 7 from Microsoft, you need to type in the key to download. Then use the key you have to install and use the phone activation. This will unactivate the previous install from your old computer.

Also try to run the computer without the new RAM, or just one RAM module at a time, to see if that removes the crashing problems. Those should not be related to the OS licensing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
O

obzedos

Reputable
Dec 4, 2015
3
0
4,510


Alright, so today I tried booting up without the additional 8gigs of RAM but ended up with the same results. I checked out the Windows website but when i entered in the key it told me that the software had been installed by the device manufacturer and that i should contact them for the software recovery options? So maybe it is an OEM? Though i'm sure there must be something that can be done without having to spend another $100 on a new OS. I was thinking I could try installing windows home premium 64-bit through other methods and try phone verification then?

I also believe and important thing to note would be that a large amount of the .dll files that are causing conflicts are Nvidia files, if that helps any. I also tried completely removing/uninstalling and then reinstalling my Nvidia drivers today after checking the RAM but sadly the crashes with the same files kept happening.

Nvidia Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
Drivers: 359.00-desktop-win8-win7-winvista-64bit-international-whql
Couple of the files that are causing conflicts: nvwgf2umx.dll and nvd3dumx.dll
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

Samat

Distinguished
Aug 21, 2006
1,274
1
19,965


Try with a older driver to see if it has the same behaviour? You'll need a new license.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
O

OldtimeGamer

Honorable
Feb 3, 2013
168
0
10,680
I have a similar problem because I changed too much on my gaming PC. When I first built my PC I waited to activate windows...my first mistake. I had the Windows 7 Home Premium box, but it wasn't SP1. Unknowingly, I did the SP1 install and realized that I should have activated Windows.... before I did the download. It wasn't too difficult but I had to call customer service, explain the situation and I was validated.

Unfortunately, I ended up adding more memory, and 2 graphics cards to the mix. I started getting messages popping up the the graphics cards are not those associated with the license. I wasn't into calling Microsoft over it and left it go. Another mistake on my part as I came to learn. Then back about January of last year, I got the black Windows screen and messages that suggested I wasn't running a authorized copy of windows. I later read that as part of the updates, Microsoft basically scans the system and doesn't recognize the hardware. I had no idea that your supposed to contact Microsoft within 3 days of making such changes. I'm sure they have it written somewhere but I never read that. So I basically just let it that way for over a year as my PC was boxed up for about 9 months because of a move/divorce.

This brings me to last week when I started to use my PC again and finally called Microsoft. Well..That didn't go good at all. I provided the product key found inside my Windows 7 box and also the activation code I pulled up on my PC. The customer service rep said my code was not valid and did everything in his power to get me off the phone. I tried to ask how to go about correcting this issue and he told me that I need to send an email to something. Unfortunately, he had a very heavy accent and after telling me 3 times I still couldn't understand what he was saying. That pretty much ended his helpfulness. I'll just leave it at that. Very frustrating to be sure. I'm now living with the black screen and trying to figure out just what to do.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom