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Windows 7 keycode sticker faded; OEM code doesn't work RRS feed

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    My brother's almost 3 year-old Lenovo laptop (originally pre-installed with Win 7 Home Premium) was running slowly, so I wanted to do a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium on a new SSD. I checked the sticker, and it had been almost completely faded/wiped off. It was illegible, so I ran Belarc Advisor and made a note of the Windows key contained therein. I used that code when reinstalling Win 7 Home Premium from my own non-branded OEM disc, but it came up as Not Genuine. I then realized that the code obtained through Belarc Advisor wasn't the same as the label underneath the laptop, but instead would have been a generic Lenovo-exclusive OEM code installed on all of their computers by their OEM Windows installation disc which, of course, my brother misplaced long ago.

    Is there any way to obtain a new sticker with a valid OEM keycode, or do we have to shell out for a new copy of Windows 7?

    Tuesday, August 21, 2012 5:45 PM

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    You can contact Lenovo support and request their Windows 7 recovery disc.  It is BIOS-locked to the Lenovo PC and doesn't require a product key. The code you obtained through Belarc Advisor was used at the factory in their master image which cannot be used with conventional Windows 7 media.

    How can I get a Product Recovery CD or DVD?

    Carey Frisch

    Tuesday, August 21, 2012 6:29 PM
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    You can contact Lenovo support and request their Windows 7 recovery disc.  It is BIOS-locked to the Lenovo PC and doesn't require a product key. The code you obtained through Belarc Advisor was used at the factory in their master image which cannot be used with conventional Windows 7 media.

    How can I get a Product Recovery CD or DVD?

    Carey Frisch

    Tuesday, August 21, 2012 6:29 PM
    Moderator
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    As Carey points out, the product key you used is blocked at the Microsoft Activation servers because it is not a unique key.  All Lenovo computers that shipped with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled are using the same exact key for self-activation.  The unique key is the one on the COA sticker affixed to the computer.  That key can be used to manually activate.  Try using a magnifying glass and a strong light to read the key.  If that does not work then you need to order the recovery media from Lenovo or a third-party like recoverydisks.com.

    Colin Barnhorst Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on DIY with 8GB ram.

    Tuesday, August 21, 2012 8:55 PM
    Answerer