Windows 7 activation options.

OzZie · 2 Sep 2012 at 11:40

Hi all,

I've had to reformat due to a virus/malware problems, and have downloaded the digital river Win7 64bit SP1 ISO. I purchased my copy of Windows 7 when it was first released through the student section of Microsoft for about £30.

I've just tried activating my key, and it doesn't seem to work. Its mentioning it will only work for upgrading, not for clean installations, which this is (full format).

I also read something about you can't use it for different service pack versions? Does this mean i need to download Windows 7 (no service pack) and cannot upgrade?

Thanks for any help, as i'm a bit lost in what i can and cannot do with my license key.

Nathan.

Leeroy123 · 2 Sep 2012 at 11:44

Add me on steam i can help with this . Cabbage4321

Surveyor · 2 Sep 2012 at 12:56

Leeroy123 said:
Add me on steam i can help with this . Cabbage4321

Why not post your advice in the thread for the benefit of anyone else who may encounter the same problem?

ChileanLlama · 2 Sep 2012 at 12:58

Install without activating, then install again (upgrading the first install). Then activate.

mick4545 · 2 Sep 2012 at 14:28

ChileanLlama said:
Install without activating, then install again (upgrading the first install). Then activate.

I hope that works with Windows 8 Update, but I suspect it won't.

Kronos · 2 Sep 2012 at 15:07

Leeroy123 said:
Add me on steam i can help with this . Cabbage4321

That's odd advice?

ChileanLlama · 2 Sep 2012 at 15:15

mick4545 said:
I hope that works with Windows 8 Update, but I suspect it won't.

I think something similar will work.

Read the comments from the OP (MS employee) below this blog post http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/...rade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx#comments

Not sure how it will work, but seems there will be some way to install Windows 8 Upgrade without having the underlying qualifying license on that machine - specifically mentioned in relation to those running Win 8 CP/RP and no longer have their OEM Win 7 build to upgrade from.

Leeroy123 · 2 Sep 2012 at 22:25

Surveyor said:
Why not post your advice in the thread for the benefit of anyone else who may encounter the same problem?

Ive sorted it for him, it wasnt the kind of help you would want posted on these forums. haha

cbr · 9 Sep 2012 at 14:55

Would have liked to have seen your advice Leeroy123
i dont have a steam account, any chance you could mail me

Deleted member 77746 · 9 Sep 2012 at 15:02

Leeroy123 said:
Ive sorted it for him, it wasnt the kind of help you would want posted on these forums. haha

Not really the advice you should be giving full stop.

cbr · 10 Sep 2012 at 12:36

cats_five · 10 Sep 2012 at 17:28

I found how to solve this very easily using Google. The solution involved editing the registry.

cbr · 14 Sep 2012 at 12:01

cats five
take it you found (1 to 0) have you used it ?

leigh_boy · 14 Sep 2012 at 13:51

I would have just used the phone activation . use it all the time at work for oem, upgrade and non oem keys works fine

Culinia · 14 Sep 2012 at 16:48

Basically there are two ways to do this.

You have to make sure you did not select automatically activate when online at the start up.

The first is to install a clean copy of Windows 7 and then install ALL updates and THEN activate it. This is because if I recall Microsoft released an update which allows users to activate from clean install from upgrade media.

The other option is to follow the instructions from here (skip down to about half the page):
(edited out the link just incase broke rules actually) so as others said just google it (i.e. 'clean install windows 7 upgrade media')

sypher365 · 14 Sep 2012 at 17:11

There are a number of ways of doing it that I wouldn't call dodgy at all if you google 'Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media' and go to the top link should be winsupersuit site.

I use Method #2 which involved a simple Registry update and rearm'ing windows, rebooting then put your product key never had an issue

ic1male · 15 Sep 2012 at 12:57

Of course it's dodgy! If you don't activate using the Windows Activation program, anything else is dodgy.

sypher365 · 16 Sep 2012 at 07:31

ic1male said:
Of course it's dodgy! If you don't activate using the Windows Activation program, anything else is dodgy.

It does use the Windows Activation program all the registy edit does is tells it you upgraded from a vista install without having to install vista first.