Please help: New SSD on M17x r3. Win 7 key trouble

JimboJet · 30 Jan 2013 at 23:42

Hi everyone, I was hoping someone may have a solution to a problem I have activating my Win 7 install on a new SSD I have put in my Alienware m17x r3.

The laptop had win 7 OEM home installed on it when I bought it (from dell outlet) but didn't have any physical disks supplied by Dell. However the license key is on the sticker underneath the laptop and I believe this should have worked with the new SSD install I did using a (genuine) Windows 7 64bit OEM Home disk that I had for my desktop machine.

However, it seems that this isn't the case as Windows is now prompting me for another key saying the one I used (the key from underneath the laptop) was invalid.

So... any ideas people? Do I need to do the phone activation?

NeverWinter · 30 Jan 2013 at 23:53

I'm assuming this may be because it no longer has the OEM partion because of the new drive?

Might be best to give Dell a call.

Bane · 31 Jan 2013 at 00:05

Contact Dell and see if they will send you a free Windows 7 DVD.

Or read up on System Locked Pre-install (SLP) if want to make your own Windows 7 DVD that will work. Won't be prompted for product key and won't require activation after installed. Can Read up My Digital Life forum

jotto · 2 Feb 2013 at 16:59

Did you get this sorted? I had a similar problem with a friends laptop.
On this laptop, the main partition was corrupt and had physical errorss on it but the recovery partiton was fine. I used an external hard drive with a new SSD in and booted from a Linux CD ( ubuntu ). I then copied the recovery partition to the new drive, put the new SSD in the laptop, booted it up and ran setup giving a clean install which was then activated as normal.
Job Done. HTH.

chaparral · 3 Feb 2013 at 00:00

I Don't think Dell windows key work with the normal oem windows discs/iso's..You need to use a dell windows disc or iso

lurkio · 3 Feb 2013 at 13:26

The key should just work (providing you typed it in correctly)
I have done this myself on dozens of laptops from different manufacturers

The only thing is that you usually have to use phone activation to activate

ben12321 · 3 Feb 2013 at 21:25

I installed my ssd on the same laptop as yours and it activated normally no problems. I did use a usb stick for the install

Orcvader · 3 Feb 2013 at 22:42

Ususally for OEM kestop/laptops activation does not work for me during the install process, but it does when I go into system properties and activate it from there.