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Windows 7 product key not valid RRS feed

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    Every time I try to activate windows 7 on my pc it gives me Error Code 0xC004f061 'the software licensing service determined that this specified product key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installations.'

    My pc is a custom build and I did do a clean install, so i know that that is probably the main problem. 
    My copy of windows 7 was downloaded from the Microsoft website as a discount student copy. to install it i burned the install onto a disk using another pc (the pc in question is running vista but is NOT the one I'm trying to install 7 onto). then i installed it on to a clean pc.

    so i guess my question is what do i have to do to activate windows 7 on my computer? do i have to get a new product key? and if so from where?
    Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8:07 PM

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    Hello midnight-dragon,

    You need to purchase either a full retail license, or a systembuilder/OEM/small manufacturer license, for the edition of Windows 7 that you want to install on your brand new custom build computer.

    Since this computer never had a properly licensed copy of Windows on it, there is nothing to "upgrade" with the upgrade license that you currently have.
    For great advice on all topics XP, visit http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
    • Marked as answer by Darin Smith MS Thursday, January 14, 2010 10:26 PM
    Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:20 PM

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    Hello midnight-dragon,

    You need to purchase either a full retail license, or a systembuilder/OEM/small manufacturer license, for the edition of Windows 7 that you want to install on your brand new custom build computer.

    Since this computer never had a properly licensed copy of Windows on it, there is nothing to "upgrade" with the upgrade license that you currently have.
    For great advice on all topics XP, visit http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
    • Marked as answer by Darin Smith MS Thursday, January 14, 2010 10:26 PM
    Wednesday, January 13, 2010 11:20 PM
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    I have a better solution...

    You can install any version of windows then install windows 7 upgrade and the key should work.  That is rediculous to think that you would have to buy another copy of windows 7.  not sure what to do if you dont have a previous version of microsoft lying around somewhere but if you built your own computer chances are you do.

    Tuesday, December 14, 2010 5:55 PM