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Vista Product Key Invalid - Bought Refurbished Laptop RRS feed

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    Hi,

    I recently purchased a refurbished HP Pavillion laptop from a store in my city.

    When I originally tried to validate the copy of Vista, it said that I was running a genuine copy of windows vista but the product key was invalid so it would not activate.

    The time period to activate has now expired and I am left wondering what to do...

    Do I have to buy an entirely new full version of vista in the box from a retail store? Can I buy a new product key online somewhere or is there a way I can get my version activated?

    Thanks,

                 - Jordin
    Tuesday, August 19, 2008 4:31 AM

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    Jordin said:

    When I originally tried to validate the copy of Vista, it said that I was running a genuine copy of windows vista but the product key was invalid so it would not activate.




    Hi Jordin,

      If the key is invalid then it would not have Validated (one of the things the Validation process checks is if the Product Key is good or not)

      
    Have you tried Activating by Phone?

    Is there a Sticker (called a COA sticker) on the side or bottom of your computer? If so, does it say Vista or XP?  If it says Vista, then take that key (called a COA SLP key) and change out the current product key with that COA SLP key. (then activate by Phone).

    Would you also download and run the Genuine Diagnostics tool at this link http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012. Click "Continue" click the "Copy" button, then paste the report into a response message in this thread?

    Thank you,
    Darin Smith
    WGA Forum manager
    Attention Forum All Users: Please Do Not post your issue in someone else's Thread...Create your own.
    • Marked as answer by Stephen Holm Tuesday, September 2, 2008 8:53 PM
    Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:22 PM

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    Jordin,

    Look on the bottom of your HP laptop and post back telling us what version and edition of Windows is listed on the Certificate of Authenticity (CoA).  DO NOT post the Product Key printed on the CoA.

    Next, download and run the Genuine Diagnostics tool found at this link http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012. 

      Run the Tool, click "Continue" then click the "Copy" button. Return to your new Thread and Paste the report into the thread along with a detailed description of the issue you are experiencing.

      Please also post the error code you get (if any) when you validate by clicking "Validate Windows" here: www.microsoft.com/genuine. The error code will be gray and in brackets at the end of the message on the page that says validation failed.  (It'll look something like this:  [0xC004C000]).


    For great advice on all topics XP, visit http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
    Tuesday, August 19, 2008 3:59 PM
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    Jordin said:

    When I originally tried to validate the copy of Vista, it said that I was running a genuine copy of windows vista but the product key was invalid so it would not activate.




    Hi Jordin,

      If the key is invalid then it would not have Validated (one of the things the Validation process checks is if the Product Key is good or not)

      
    Have you tried Activating by Phone?

    Is there a Sticker (called a COA sticker) on the side or bottom of your computer? If so, does it say Vista or XP?  If it says Vista, then take that key (called a COA SLP key) and change out the current product key with that COA SLP key. (then activate by Phone).

    Would you also download and run the Genuine Diagnostics tool at this link http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012. Click "Continue" click the "Copy" button, then paste the report into a response message in this thread?

    Thank you,
    Darin Smith
    WGA Forum manager
    Attention Forum All Users: Please Do Not post your issue in someone else's Thread...Create your own.
    • Marked as answer by Stephen Holm Tuesday, September 2, 2008 8:53 PM
    Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:22 PM