Windows 7 Premium 64-bit Will not re-activate after reinstall of 2 DVDRW

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  What other hardware have you upgraded in the last nine months?  Only one optical drive is counted in the hardware flags that can trigger reactivation.  The second optical drive is irrelevant.  One hardware item is insufficient, excepting the motherboard.

  You said you did a clean install of the Family Pack upgrade.  Did you mean a custom install over XP?  A clean installation means wiping the hard drive before beginning installation and that of course would not have worked with a Windows 7 upgrade license.  Did you not mean instead that you performed a custom installation in which you reformated after the new product key was entered?  If the later is the case you may need to reactivate by phone and explain what happened to a live agent.

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  Colin Barnhorst Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on DIY with 6GB ram.

  • Marked as answer by EarthJin Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:47 PM

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 10:14 AM

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  "EarthJin" wrote in message news:ff6d6735-a602-4be7-8eac-5568a08d2120...

  This is a clean install with upgrade media from the "Family Pack".  Has worked fantastic for over 270 days straight until today when I installed the two replacement DVDRWs from dell.  Only one was supposed to be DVDRW but Dell upgraded the other for free.  Unfortunately windows is now asking to reactivate in 3 days but It will not activate.  It says "The product key must be activated with new hardware."  The options it gives me will not work: "Buy new product key onlilne" takes me to validation tool which passes with flying colors but computer still says must be activated in 3 days; Retyping the Product key does not work; Phone activation will not work as well.  Is there a way to avoid having to reinstall windows 7 and risking having to deal with the same issue?

  Here is my  results from the MS Genuine Advantage Diagnostic toll results:

  
  
  
  Diagnostic Report (1.9.0027.0):
  -----------------------------------------
  Windows Validation Data-->
  
  Validation Code: 0
  Cached Online Validation Code: 0x0
  Windows Product Key: *****-*****-2VWKW-CH8CJ-MTRJK
  Windows Product Key Hash: oSVtzJZqG1il48m3a1vnS1yduII=
  Windows Product ID: 00359-030-4908392-85810
  Windows Product ID Type: 5
  Windows License Type: Retail
  Windows OS version: 6.1.7601.2.00010300.1.0.003
  
  
  Other data-->
  SYSTEM><Manufacturer>Dell Inc.</Manufacturer><Model>Vostro 410</Model></SYSTEM><BIOS><Manufacturer>Dell Inc.</Manufacturer><Version>1.0.3</Version><SMBIOSVersion major="2" minor="5"/><Date>20080620000000.000000+000</Date></BIOS

  
  
  Licensing Data-->
  Software licensing service version: 6.1.7601.17514
  
  Name: Windows(R) 7, HomePremium edition
  Description: Windows Operating System - Windows(R) 7, RETAIL channel
  Partial Product Key: MTRJK
  License Status: Additional grace period (KMS license expired or hardware out of tolerance)
  Time remaining: 4320 minute(s) (3 day(s))
  Remaining Windows rearm count: 4
  Trusted time: 10/31/2011 11:34:52 PM
  
  
  OEM Activation 2.0 Data-->
  BIOS valid for OA 2.0: yes
  Windows marker version: 0x0
  
  
  
  

  You’ll need either to do a repair install with your Family Pack, or use telephone activation, and speak to an operator.

  Since the system has been installed for some time, and the disks you have are likely to be RTM, rather than SP1, it would be better to start with phone activation

   

  telephone activation.
  Click on the Start button
  in the Search box, type
  SLUI 4
  and hit the Enter key
  follow the instructions - but when asked which service you require by the telephone ansafone, do NOT reply - this should force an operator to respond, who can deal with you.
  
  

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  • Marked as answer by EarthJin Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:47 PM

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 10:14 AM

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  What other hardware have you upgraded in the last nine months?  Only one optical drive is counted in the hardware flags that can trigger reactivation.  The second optical drive is irrelevant.  One hardware item is insufficient, excepting the motherboard.

  You said you did a clean install of the Family Pack upgrade.  Did you mean a custom install over XP?  A clean installation means wiping the hard drive before beginning installation and that of course would not have worked with a Windows 7 upgrade license.  Did you not mean instead that you performed a custom installation in which you reformated after the new product key was entered?  If the later is the case you may need to reactivate by phone and explain what happened to a live agent.

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  Colin Barnhorst Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on DIY with 6GB ram.

  I recently installed or rather replaced two 512meg sticks of ram with two 2G sticks of ram which brought me up to 6 gigabytes of ram.  Should two hardware changes cause reactivation as well?  Is each memory stick counted as a change?  How about moving the previous two optical drives to other sata ports? Dell tech support had me do that while trouble shooting my system.

  This is not a custom install over Windows XP (in this case vista business)  but a clean install as I stated previously; which does work but with repercussions as I am experiencing (if I only knew).  Meaning I formated my hard drive and installed Windows 7 premium 64-bit, updated to the latest security updates and then added the serial number that came with the Family Pack.  This is one of the method that has been floating around the Internet.

  I will be calling Microsoft shortly to see if I can get an operator on the line.

   

  Thank you Colin and thank you to Noel for showing me how to get the phone number to call.  I will report back as soon as possible with results.

   

  • Marked as answer by EarthJin Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:46 PM
  • Unmarked as answer by EarthJin Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:47 PM

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:19 PM
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  The installation method you used that is referred to on the internet worked with Vista but does not appear to with 7.  With 7 you need to leave the old OS on the computer until AFTER you have entered the new product key during the first steps in the installation process.  You have to boot the computer with the Windows dvd in order to do it this way.  Once Setup has verified that a qualifying OS is on the computer you can perform a clean installation if you wish.  You simply formatted too soon. 

  Understand that hardware changes are flags.  Once a flag is set it remains set until cleared by reactivation.  No matter how many times you change the amount of memory it only counts as one change until cleared.  You can experiment with things like the video adaptor, trying 20 different cards, for example, and it still counts as one change because the first change sets the flag and only reactivation clears it.  Only the primary optical drive sets a flag when changed.  Also, only the system hard drive sets a flag (partitions don't matter).  Changing any other hard drive does not affect that flag.  The same with NICs.  You can have more than one but only the lowest numbered (NIC 0 if you will) will set that flag.  External devices like keyboards, mice, monitors, etc. don't count.  The motherboard is considered the definition of the computer for licensing purposes so changing the mobo always triggers reactivation because it is a transfer of the license to a new computer.  That's why OEM licenses are voided by a mobo upgrade.  IIRC it used to take seven changes but I think the flags are weighted now.  Perhaps Darin can comment on that point.  I may be misremembering from the original XP activation scheme.

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  Colin Barnhorst Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on DIY with 6GB ram.
  
  

  • Edited by CbarnhorstEditor Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:54 PM

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:38 PM

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  Once again thank you both for your responses.  This time I got an operator on the line and went through the exact same thing with him as I did with the automated service only this time it was successful.  Last night the phone service would just hang up when i finished with the automated service with no activation.  Which kind of freaked me out since i do not deal well with rejection.

  I do have to kind of apologize last night while reading through this forums the answer should of been clear as day but I ended up with tunnel vision seeking some type of registry hack or software fix.  This just goes to show that if you have a legit copy and you can think straight there should not be any issues unless you are dealing with illegitimate software.  Which a lot of people seem to be trying to pass off as legit but you guys are on to them.

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 2:46 PM
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  "Cbarnhorst" wrote in message news:8fa42d4f-1ab8-4906-be77-21147b7ad38c...

  The installation method you used that is referred to on the internet worked with Vista but does not appear to with 7.  With 7 you need to leave the old OS on the computer until AFTER you have entered the new product key during the first steps in the installation process.  You have to boot the computer with the Windows dvd in order to do it this way.  Once Setup has verified that a qualifying OS is on the computer you can perform a clean installation if you wish.  You simply formatted too soon.

  Understand that hardware changes are flags.  Once a flag is set it remains set until cleared by reactivation.  No matter how many times you change the amount of memory it only counts as one change until cleared.  You can experiment with things like the video adaptor, trying 20 different cards, for example, and it still counts as one change because the first change sets the flag and only reactivation clears it.  Only the primary optical drive sets a flag when changed.  Also, only the system hard drive sets a flag (partitions don't matter).  Changing any other hard drive does not affect that flag.  The same with NICs.  You can have more than one but only the lowest numbered (NIC 0 if you will) will set that flag.  External devices like keyboards, mice, monitors, etc. don't count.  The motherboard is considered the definition of the computer for licensing purposes so changing the mobo always triggers reactivation because it is a transfer of the license to a new computer.  That's why OEM licenses are voided by a mobo upgrade.  IIRC it used to take seven changes but I think the flags are weighted now.  Perhaps Darin can comment on that point.  I may be misremembering from the original XP activation scheme.

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  Colin Barnhorst Windows 7 Ultimate x64 on DIY with 6GB ram.
  
  

   

   

   

  The ‘double-install method’ DOES work with Win7  - I’ve used it when necessary – but it does have to be done properly, and it would appear that EarthJin didn’t follow the rules :)

   

  Basically, they are that the first install must be done using the Default Key, and immediately followed by the second install using the Upgrade Key.

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 7:28 PM

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  "EarthJin" wrote in message news:39ee05b3-d70b-425d-ab2d-2b0e786ad3bb...

  Once again thank you both for your responses.  This time I got an operator on the line and went through the exact same thing with him as I did with the automated service only this time it was successful.  Last night the phone service would just hang up when i finished with the automated service with no activation.  Which kind of freaked me out since i do not deal well with rejection.

  I do have to kind of apologize last night while reading through this forums the answer should of been clear as day but I ended up with tunnel vision seeking some type of registry hack or software fix.  This just goes to show that if you have a legit copy and you can think straight there should not be any issues unless you are dealing with illegitimate software.  Which a lot of people seem to be trying to pass off as legit but you guys are on to them.

  <whatever>

  Thanks for coming back to us – and great news that they allowed the re-activation.

  You are one of the many who’ve been caught unintentionally in a trap which is designed to punish pirates, and hopefully, the next iteration of WGA will be designed to reduce the pain of people in similar situations.

   

  Good Luck

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi | CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  Tuesday, November 1, 2011 7:32 PM

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