Find solution
Which HDD handycam is the all around easiest to use?

How can I use my product key to validate W7 on a replacement HDD?

  • How can I use my product key to validate W7 on a replacement HDD? I need W7 for work. - An HDD failed on a laptop. - I bought a new one, and wanted to use my existing W7 Home product key to install W7 Home. - I did not have a back disk for my old HDD (I am Very Bad, I know) or W7 install disks - So, I attempted to download the W7 ISO from Microsoft, and burn it onto a DVD-R. - For whatever reason, I could not burn the ISO onto a DVD-R (it got 99% of the way before failing) - A coworker lent me a W7 Professional Upgrade disk - I used the W7P upgrade disk to install W7 However, now I have W7 Professional on the HDD (it's a laptop), and I cannot figure out how to validate it. My coworker gave me the product key for the Upgrade disk (we're contractors and provide our own equipment; this is to be a work computer), but I could not verify using that code because the original build was Windows 7 Home. - I tried upgrading using the code, but that failed. - I tried using my original W7 product key associated with the laptop and the original HDD, but I get a prompt to go into Windows Setup. - Googling (actually, I was using Bing) "Windows Setup" provides no answers. I'm wondering what to do now. In an ideal world, I would have had a W7 Home install disk, and would have used my existing W7 Home product key to install Windows. But now I'm stuck with an OS that is only good for 30 days. Do I remove it? How do you remove an OS like W7? Is there an easy way around this?

  • Answer:

    Use a different (known good) DVD burner and download/burn a copy of the official Windows 7 Home ISO image (probably a DigitalRiver link where you found the link to the W7 Pro ISO). Do exactly what you did to install Win7 Pro and then activate the Home version with your Home product key. There's no technical obstacle to this approach. Do be sure to copy to e.g. a thumb drive any personal files you have on the Windows 7 Pro install that you will need later, and do this BEFORE getting started on the install process.

KokuRyu at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

You don't have to do anything about it - the new install will overwrite it. If you are prompted to delete a partition, format the disk, or anything similar during installation, it is fine to select "Yes".

Inspector.Gadget

There's a problem with some of the servers for Microsoft Security Essentials right now, but http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5201 that still seems to work.

LuckySeven~

For what it's worth, the free version of http://cloudantivirus.com/en/ kills about as much malware as Avast, needs less space and CPU, doesn't pop up every five minutes expecting to be congratulated for doing its job, and doesn't make you jump through pointless licence renewal hoops. Worth a look if you're starting fresh.

flabdablet

I should say that I bought a replacement HDD.

KokuRyu

Thank you! What do I do about the version of W7 that is on the disk right now?

KokuRyu

I was in your shoes last week. The official answer is to reinstall the os using the upgrade disk. The second install will then be 'upgrading' your first install.

lester's sock puppet

The official answer is to reinstall the os using the upgrade disk. The second install will then be 'upgrading' your first install. If he had installed Win7 Home from an update disk, sure. The problem is that the installed copy is Win7 Pro and he only has a Win7 Home key, so he will need to start fresh with Win7 Home.

Inspector.Gadget

The official line on this, as far as I know, is that the OEM Windows licence that came with your computer covers only the exact Windows installation supplied with that computer, and that the only media you're allowed to use to rebuild that installation in case of computer failure must be whatever is supplied by your system builder. Even if you were to download a retail edition of Windows 7 Home from Microsoft, as opposed to the Pro edition you've currently got your hands on, its installer would not accept the Windows 7 Home OEM product key from the sticker on your PC. What you're supposed to do in cases like this is contact your system builder and ask for reinstallation media for your particular computer model. If for whatever reason that's not going to work for you, then what you can probably get away with instead is learning how to make a clean SLP reinstallation image from whatever materials you have on hand. Read http://www.mydigitallife.info/differences-between-oem-channel-slp-nonslp-and-coa-license-product-keys/, then http://forums.mydigitallife.info/threads/15733-Windows-7-DVD-%28Multi-Brand-Multi-Edition%29-Activation.

flabdablet

I think it worked. I used a slightly newer machine to burn an ISO onto DVD, and reinstalled W7 Home Premium. It prompted me for a product key, which I entered (found on the back of the machine). However, I realized it was probably meaningless, since the computer was not connected to the internet (I had to reinstall the network adapter driver). Once I connected to the internet, I decided to "Activate Windows" to see if the product key worked. Windows said the product key was invalid, but allowed me to phone in to activate Windows, which I did. So I received an "Activation was successful" dialog. Which I guess means W7 is now good to go.

KokuRyu

Load more

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.