Activating Windows 7 - Oh crap... help?

StarSolitude · 2 Nov 2009 at 13:43

Grr. I bought the Windows 7 Proffesional for £30 under a student deal because I was told you could do a clean installation on a new hard-drive with it... well, you can.

BUT...

You cannot use the serial you got with this Windows 7 Pro Upgrade when you've done a 'clean' install. I just found this out after I've put over 100GB of data on my hard-drive including games...

So I have 30 days to activate Windows, which I can't do with my current product key! What should I do?

What are my options? I don't even really need Proffesional, so I'm not about to spend £150 on a retail edition! That means I'd have spent £180 on a bloody Operating System.

J.T · 2 Nov 2009 at 13:47

Stick the student Pro key into the Windows Anytime upgrade "enter key option" (not change product key under activation), worked for me.

meths · 2 Nov 2009 at 14:14

J.T said:
Stick the student Pro key into the Windows Anytime upgrade "enter key option" (not change product key under activation), worked for me.

Interesting.

Let us know if that works as my brother will be installing this on a new drive once his RMA is completed.

Burnsy2023 · 2 Nov 2009 at 14:24

If in doubt, phone the MS activation phoneline and explain the situation.

CrimsonAvenger · 2 Nov 2009 at 14:29

You could try the double install routine.

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

I've done this for my Family Pack upgrade version on a PC with a new HD. It works fine!

J.T · 2 Nov 2009 at 15:35

Meths said:
Interesting.

Let us know if that works as my brother will be installing this on a new drive once his RMA is completed.

Well here is what I did in detail....

1. I Installed Windows Home Premium with Key but selected not to activate when installation completes (that tick box), so in affect the same as the OP
2. Once install Finished, I went to the Windows anytime upgrade option and selected to enter Key instead of purchase upgrade or whatever it says.
3. I entered the Student discount W7 Pro Key and Windows downloaded some updates (the bits it needed to turn HP into Pro) and then rebooted and activated.

Saved me doing the install twice trick.