Windows 7 retail -activation query.

gjc10212

gjc10212

gjc10212

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I received Win 7 retail (£109) as a gift and assumed it was for 3 pc's because it's retail. (After searching net now it appears this isn't the price of a 3 pc o/s.)

I have installed this on my g/f's laptop - clean install & activated. I then installed it on my main pc which already had Vista 64 (not a clean install). Obviously I'm being prompted to enter the product key and it's not accepted.

Will I need to purchase another retail copy of Win. 7 or will the upgrade edition be ok? I'm a bit ###### off because we would happilly have paid the £150 for the 3 pack.
 
You can try entering the Upgrade key and see if it accepts it. If not, the worse you have to do is reinstall using the Upgrade media.
 
Maybe I wasn't clear enough SiriusB - I've entered the full retail key into the laptop and it's activated, I've tried the same key on the main PC and it gives me an error (activation not successful).

I have just one key with my Win 7 Retail disks.

Thanks for the quick response.
 
My g/f has told me not to buy another copy of Win 7 so I plan to reinstall Vista on her laptop and use the activation code on my main PC, is this ok (even though it's been activated on the laptop)?
 
You might get away with it. If not, just call them and tell them that you installed it on one machine and changed your mind.. or something. :p

It does look a bit iffy having to reactivate a day later, but they probably wont care that much.
 
Last edited:
SiriusB said:
The usual chestnut in this situation is to say your Motherboard died and you replaced it. The odds of your mobo dying a day after you install Windows is slim, but not impossible and as I said - they wont care :p



:cool:
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If its a full retail Win 7 then you can take it to and from as many systems as you like. Its only the OEM versions that are tied to a system.

The only thing to remember is that it can only be installed on 1 system at a time.
 
gjc10212 said:
SiriusB for Don - cheers :)
Click to expand...

You want somebody who suggests you don't follow the license agreement and in effect makes both your main PC and laptop license illegal (as having a single license installed on more than one machine is illegal) to be made a Don?

No - how about we make Don's of those who aren't attempting to get around license agreements and feel they should actually pay for the software they use.
 
He has a retail version of Windows that he wants to move to a new computer. There might be a problem with activation so I suggested a way he resolves this. He has removed Win 7 from the previous computer.

In what way is this circumventing the license agreement? Get off your high horse. I pay for all my software.
 
Retail is only for 1 pc only, am i right and you are trying to install this 1 retail copy on two computers because if so the 2nd pc will not activate as the key is been used.
 
He installed it on one computer thinking he had the 3 license family pack. He was wrong. His girlfriend said to not bother buying a new copy of Windows. So he wants to uninstall Windows 7 from the first computer and put Vista back on it, then install Windows 7 on his computer.

This is 100% allowed. However, he mighthave an activation issue which will normally require a quick phonecall. Nothing I have said is illegal or against any license terms.

Read the bloody thread guys! :(
 
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