Will Microsoft sell me a product key? (windows 7)

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mraroid

mraroid

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Hi...

I have a computer running Windows 7 professional and it is in Spanish. I need to install some obscure microscope software on this computer, but it will only install in Spanish. If my OS was in English, it will install in English.

After some digging around I found out that Microsoft will only allow you to install language packs if you are running Windows 7 Ultimate. So I went looking around for Windows 7 Ultimate. I looked on ebay and Amazon. I found a guy on ebay with perfect feedback selling factory sealed retail boxed versions of Windows 7 Ultimate for about $160.00 so I bought one. It was much cheaper then Amazon.

When it arrived it was indeed factory sealed in shrink wrap. It was the full retail box and paperwork. It was a older copy so it did not have service pack 1 with it. It all looked new to me.

The install went just fine. It would not auto authenticate because I had to install a network driver before the computer could connect to the internet. After the driver install, the computer seemed fine. I updated to service pack one and updated IE. I tried to authenticate the OS, but got a message that said I had to do it over the phone. I was not worried as I have had to do this phone authentication in the past on a friends computer. When I tried to do it this time, the software asked me how many computers I had installed this on. I said none. Then it told me that the software had already been installed and I could not authenticate it. I called Microsoft but it was a tech support number. They were of no help, and transferred me to voice mail jail.

I sent email to the seller on ebay. But I need this computer up and running on monday - two days from now.

Can I contact a dept in Microsoft to see if they will sell me a real product key? I looked all over the Microsoft web site and only found references to Windows 10. I am getting desperate about getting this thing up and running.

Can anyone point me to a Microsoft web site or phone number that would work for me? Or is Windows 7 too old now?

If this retail box and software is counterfeit, it is a really good copy. The two DVDs look perfect to me as well as the literature and box. I can post pictures if anyone is interested.

mraroid

 
Solution
USAFRet
I found a guy on ebay with perfect feedback
Click to expand...
factory sealed retail boxed versions of Windows 7 Ultimate for about $160.00 so I bought one.
Click to expand...
Then it told me that the software had already been installed and I could not authenticate it.
Click to expand...

Such is the hazards of buying cheap software from out of band channels.

The only 2 entities that can fix this are the ebay seller and Microsoft.
When it failed to authenticate, did it give you a phone num to call?
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mjslakeridge

mjslakeridge

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Why did you say "none" when it asked you how many computers the software was installed on? Shouldn't you have said "One". Maybe Microsoft already detected your installation and if it didn't match up with what you told them, you got rejected.

Another possibility is the DVDs in your box are indeed genuine, but someone already used the product key assigned to them (if that is how it works).
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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I found a guy on ebay with perfect feedback
Click to expand...
factory sealed retail boxed versions of Windows 7 Ultimate for about $160.00 so I bought one.
Click to expand...
Then it told me that the software had already been installed and I could not authenticate it.
Click to expand...

Such is the hazards of buying cheap software from out of band channels.

The only 2 entities that can fix this are the ebay seller and Microsoft.
When it failed to authenticate, did it give you a phone num to call?
 
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Solution
techgeek

techgeek

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The media is just media, the DVDs are the same exact ones in every box, the Product Key is actually what you are paying for. If you have a valid Product Key, you can get the install media from anywhere as long as it matches the Product Key you have (Ultimate Key / Ultimate ISO, Home Key / Home ISO, etc).
 
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mjslakeridge

mjslakeridge

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Ya, that is what I thought. My last couple of Windows installations have been of the downloaded variety where Microsoft sent me the product key in an email. My guess is the seller opened the box, copied the product key, sold or used it, then re-sealed the box.

 
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mraroid

mraroid

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I thought about that. I did it over again and said one. But that did not change anything. I looked at the System icon in control panel. I saw that it had not authenticated, and that is when I did the service pack 1 update as well as the IE update. I suppose it could have called Microsoft during that time. But after the updates, I checked again and it still said it had not authenticated... Humm. Now you have me thinking.....
 
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techgeek

techgeek

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If it has a genuine sticker then it could be that someone used a Key Gen program and it happened to generate a key that matched yours. I've heard of this happening. If you call MicroSoft and explain what is going on, they may ask for a photo of the sticker as proof, they should allow you to activate over the phone.
 
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mraroid

mraroid

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Well for me $160 was not cheap, but you are right in that it was almost twice as much on Amazon. It never did authenticate on it's own after the network was up and running. So it told me to do the phone call thing (when I clicked on it). I did it twice. It displayed a set of numbers that I had to enter into the phone when I called a Microsoft automated phone number. I did it twice just to be sure I did not fat finger anything. After it failed twice I called a Microsoft tech support phone number and they did not help me. Right now, I am not so concerned about the money - I just need to buy a *real* product key and want to know if Microsoft will sell me one. I am not having any luck on it's web page or phone calls. Thought someone here would know.... Any advice appreciated... Thanks for the tips.

 
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mraroid

mraroid

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mraroid

mraroid

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If the seller did that, he had a professional shrink wrap machine to re wrap the box. Also along the top of the box is a Microsoft sticker that rips in 1/2 when you open the plastic box for the first time. The product key was on a Microsoft (looking) card in the box and you can not read the product key with out opening the box. I can't figure out if I have been ripped off or not. The seller had maybe 7 or 8 factory sealed boxes to sell. He still has no bad feedback and I bought this 2 months ago....
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Right, the phone robot.
If that failed, and then talking to a human failed...likely you are not the only recipient of that license key.

MS selling Win 7? Probably not. The quit selling direct since Win 8.1. And the valid retailers (Amazon/Newegg) only sell it via snailmail. Too late for Monday.

Would Win 10 work?
 
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mjslakeridge

mjslakeridge

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From what I can tell from the Microsoft website, they quit selling the Windows 7 product keys in October 2013. The only way to get a legit key is from resellers such as Tiger Direct, Newegg, Amazon, and because of limited supply, the price has gone up.
 
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