Help with Dell product key - clean install needed

Baldbloke

Baldbloke

Baldbloke

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Hi,

A Friend asked me to fix their Dell Inspiron laptop. The hard disc is faulty. It causes the laptop to hang on boot up. I've eventually managed to get their pics & some documents from it but that's about as good as it gets. They hadn't created any emergency recovery discs.

I've now fitted a new hard drive, installed Vista 32 bit from my own OEM disc. Entered the product key from the windows genuine sticker found under the battery compartment of the Dell laptop. When I try activating the install Microsoft says this key is already in use. Well, yes, it would be. I'm just fitting a new hard drive and fresh windows install to an already registered laptop.

Microsoft suggests I buy a new key. I don't think I should need to do that.

I do not know the Dell mass produced product key. It isn't possible or at least practical to interrogate the old hard drive. It just hangs forever.

Any help, folks, please?
 
Hi,
A Friend asked me to fix their Dell Inspiron laptop. The hard disc is faulty. It causes the laptop to hang on boot up. I've eventually managed to get their pics & some documents from it but that's about as good as it gets. They hadn't created any emergency recovery discs.

I've now fitted a new hard drive, installed Vista 32 bit from my own OEM disc. Entered the product key from the windows genuine sticker found under the battery compartment of the Dell laptop. When I try activating the install Microsoft says this key is already in use. Well, yes, it would be. I'm just fitting a new hard drive and fresh windows install to an already registered laptop.

Microsoft suggests I buy a new key. I don't think I should need to do that.

I do not know the Dell mass produced product key. It isn't possible or at least practical to interrogate the old hard drive. It just hangs forever.

Any help, folks, please?
Click to expand...

If you used a Dell Vista disc, you need not have to use the product key on the system, as dell Vista disc's have the key installed on the disc, make sure that the sticker says SP1, and your disc says SP1. I'm almost sure that dell data safe will work with vista, if so, download this, and install it on your dell system, and make a copy of your Vista OS, and then install it on the laptop.
 
Last edited:
robinbredin said:
If you used a Dell Vista disc, you need not have to use the product key on the system, as dell Vista disc's have the key installed on the disc.
Click to expand...

I used my own OEM Vista disc which was bought around the time vista was first released. A Dell Vista disc is not available. As far as I can gather, Dell did not provide a disc. I believe they expect the user to burn their own Recovery disc. Unfortunately, my friend did not do this. And tbh, I don't think she would have known how important this was or even have the tech savvy to do it. I'll be educating her on the importance of backups when this is resolved.
 
This happens to me when I did a re-install and tried activating over the net, just use the telephone service and you should be activated without issues.
 
SparkyG said:
does it not give you the option to activate via phone?
Click to expand...

RJC said:
This happens to me when I did a re-install and tried activating over the net, just use the telephone service and you should be activated without issues.
Click to expand...

It doesn't give the option to phone them. No phone number or activation request I.D. number appears either.

Successful conclusion reached, I think. I've discovered Dell may supply a recovery disc to the original owner. Meantime, I'll leave an unactivated version running.

Thanks for your help folks. It is appreciated.
 
You can download dell vista discs via torrent sites.

They aren't illegal as they are 30 day to activate version unless you activate them using a genuine code.

On dells though they auto activate :)
 
I wouldn't get the image from the net. There is always a risk that the image has had malicious 'extras' added to it by the author.


OP, you should be able to install Vista OEM on it. For permanent, offline activation, you will then need:

1. a DELL OEM Product Key that matches the version of Vista that you have installed.

2. A DELL OEM Certificate ( small xml file )

3. Google has more information.


I have tested this successfully on a Dell Inspiron.
 
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