Okay so I bought a computer at best buy or whatever and it had windows 7 preinstalled on the HDD. Fast forward 7 years or so. I've upgraded everything in the computer but I'm still using the hdd. I got the windows product key using a program and reinstalled windows 7 on a SSD and I still have the original copy of Windows on the HDD. And it says that this copy of windows isn't genuine, I can't afford to get a new copy of the OS but I will later when I can. Is there any way I can prove that it is the genuine copy of windows and stuff?
not genuine copy of Windows
- Thread starter summerock
- Start date
Solution
BadBoyGreek
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- May 15, 2014
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Making significant hardware changes to your system either requires assistance from Microsoft to reissue you a product key, or you need to buy a new license.
shrapnel_indie
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- Jan 21, 2010
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If you upgraded everything, the reinstall will see it as a completely different system. (Eventually the non-reinstall might have too with the updates to their Windows Genuine checks.) You need to talk to Microsoft about the situation and hope they are sympathetic, find the COA sticker on your case and use that key, or go and buy a new copy. Since you don't have enough funds at the moment to go out and get a new copy, you either talk to Microsoft, or find that COA sticker. One last not-recommended option is to take the risk of getting busted as a pirate as they won't care about the rebuilt system's origins and its ties to the OS.
- Apr 6, 2009
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Keep in mind that MS may not allow you to reuse the previous OEM license (product key) on the new motherboard. Only they can answer this and attempting the manual re-activation process is the best bet to find out.
How to activate Windows 7 manually
1) Click Start, and in the Search box type: slui.exe 4
2) Next press the 'ENTER' key
3) Select your 'Country' from the list.
4) Choose the 'Phone Activation' option.
5) Stay on the phone and wait for a person to help you with activation.
Also:
How to Activate Windows 7 by Phone
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/950929/en=us
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html
How to activate Windows 7 manually
1) Click Start, and in the Search box type: slui.exe 4
2) Next press the 'ENTER' key
3) Select your 'Country' from the list.
4) Choose the 'Phone Activation' option.
5) Stay on the phone and wait for a person to help you with activation.
Also:
How to Activate Windows 7 by Phone
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/950929/en=us
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18715-activate-windows-7-phone.html
- Mar 16, 2013
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Why would you let your friend do that?
Too late now, but what you should have done before the hardware change was this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-3164428/windows-build-1607-activation.html
Now, your only recourse is to call Microsoft.
Either the phone robot or talk to a human.
shrapnel_indie
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- Jan 21, 2010
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Good to hear. The risks just aren't worth it. Recommending and/or supporting also opens up doors to legal problems too.
Sadly piracy is bad enough that people get burned by stolen keys, misappropriated keys, and other methods trying to buy at a good price. Sometimes immediately, sometimes years down the road, It's to the point where several places don't let users sell keys, and any site mentioned selling them has to be known to be reputable to even be mentioned. I got burned once this way... never again.
I never pirated the windows 7 thing. like i said it i previously got it using a program that scanned my harddrive for the OS Product key. Produckey i think it was called. I didnt know where else to find it. but i know now that it is on the side of the case. also i let him disable it before he is 39 and has a degree in computer science and im 15 in highschool.
shrapnel_indie
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I don't think anyone is saying that you did. Its just that piracy exists, and it does have serious repercussions if caught. Thus we all tend to not support it. So, get that COA key from the side of the case entered as soon as you can so you won't have to even worry about the appearance of any more. Just having your friend disabling the check looks bad.
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