How To Activate Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit Product Key
Magdalen Dano
Note to all voters to close: This is not a LEGAL advice - the poster asks about a technical implementation issue which is ok according to the board. Technically he does not ask about LICENSING (terms etc. - legal issue and VERY complicated) but how to activate his key (technical issue), and we do handle those here. Heck, for some parts of windows there are hugh guidelines for the technical side...
My laptop hard drive has died and I am replacing it with a new SSD. I am downloading a tool from Microsoft's website to install Windows 10 on the new drive, but how do I activate it? Windows 10 came with the laptop so I don't have a key stored anywhere except on the completely toast hard drive. And I don't think I had the foresight to link the system to a Microsoft account. Any other way to get the system activated using the original key? The laptop is out of warranty btw.
If the license key came with your laptop, it means it is a OEM key, which is bound to motherboard. Windows 10 should be activated by default on new SSD. However, OEM key is not transferable and can be only used on one device.
With these instructions, I managed to reinstall an old legitimate WinXP again on an old PC that is going to be used as an off-line machine for some old programms. Some software just do not work correctly, or at all, with modern hardware and systems.
In my call to Microsoft I chose the text to smart phone option and was instructed to tell how many digits were displayed one the screen, but there were no digits displayed. After 3 tries with the same results, I tried the voice option and was supposed to be transferred to a person but got a message stating Windows XP is no longer supported and was disconnected from the call. I guess this means Windows XP can no longer be activated by any means.
I using a MacBook Pro with the M1 chip and running Windows 11 ARM in a Parallels Desktop VM. I really like the new look of Windows 11. Since this version is an Insiders version why is it always asking me to activate it? How do I stop this version of Windows from doing that? I thought since it was an Insiders version it will not ask me to activate it because Windows 11 is not yet released to the public.
The interesting thing is that W11 installed on a machine with an activated W10 will be activated. I witnessed that on my Surface Pro and my Intel Desktop PC I got updated to W11 insider preview by joining the Windows insider program and obtaining the upgrade through Windows Update.
My assumption is that Windows on Arm in general does not work with any Windows product key obtained through public available means, as Windows on Arm is only delivered to OEMs for production and meant to be sold with the device they produce. The keys you may obtain through MS Store ore other valid channels are meant for Windows on Intel.
Because there are many software apps that only are available in Windows, I hope they will change that in one of the updates because there are a lot of people who are using the new MacBooks with the M1 ARM chip in them. I also hope the next update of Windows 11 for ARM will allow users to enter a product key that will be accepted.
Well, never mind. I knew I had an unused W8.1 pro license lying around somewhere - and found it in my e-mail (luckily I keep those as an archive of already historic proportions) :) And that key, once obtained through the W8 promotion program, activated W11 pro in my Parallels M1 installation. Another W7 home premium key did not do the trick, an edition mismatch probably (wasn't it that W7 home premium could be upgraded to W10 pro?).
Before I signed up to the programme, I had an older MacBook and had Windows 10 intel version running under Parallels. When I purchased a newer MacBook with the M1 chip, I transferred my Parallels license to the new computer but found my Windows 10 would not run on that computer so the Parallels support rep gave me a link to get Windows 10 for ARM from the insiders programme. The Windows 10 beta version they gave me had a product key to use which was different than my Intel version of Windows 10. It looks like one of the updates had a problem with product keys because that's when it kept on asking me to activate windows even though I had a product key that Parallels support gave me and it work working perfectly. It was a long time ago. I think it was an ISO file they sent me. That's how I entered the product key they gave me. Maybe that key had a limited amount of time to preview the software.
Hi @tallinn1964
When I had my older MacBook I was running the Intel version of Windows 10 on a Parallels Desktop VM. My license key came from that install of Windows 10 which is many years old. When I purchased my current MacBook which is ARM based, I installed the ARM version of Windows 10 which I got from Microsoft Insiders onto the VM. That version never asked me to activate the install twice regardless of how many times the automatic updates for Windows 10 for ARM where installed. My problems only started when the automatic updates were for Windows 11 for ARM. Each of the Windows 11 updates worked for around 2 hours just like the previous Windows 10 for ARM did. While I was using each update, I got nagging reminders to activate Windows even though the software was activated. Some bug in one of the updates caused all new builds to keep nagging me to Activate windows, so I gave in and contacted Microsoft to purchase another license key. I tried to enter that key into the activate screen and it refused to accept that newly purchased product key so I got a refund. This is clearly some kink of bug if it doesn't accept any valid license key. I even called them and also sent feedback to Microsoft through the feedback process of Windows 11 but they won't get back to me which is very frustrating. They really need to fix that bug or do something that will stop those nagging reminders.
I want to keep one running application on server in focus always before starting the process. Actually what happens, when the application is activated then the automation works fine but when the application in the screen does not remain activated the automation did not start. Can I use attach window to solve this?actually I am not getting any videos on that.I did not understand what are the inputs i need to pass also.
I recently had a motherboard and processor replacement performed by an HP service technician. Everything was fine at the completion of his work and the problem I was having was resolved.
The complication appeared later that evening when Windows 10 did its background tasks and began urging me to Activate windows. I followed the instructions of going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation where I have the error shown here
I used Troubleshooting and I went as far as logging in using both my skype and live.ca logins, but since I do not (refuse to) login to windows with those credentials, there is no record or recorded devices stored there. I was able to use restore to reverse the affects of that move, thank expletive lord, and did a little more research. I discovered from process of elimination where to find the OEM Key for my current OS and the new motherboard, as shown below.
If your system originally came with Windows 7, then the OEM license mechanism requires a SLIC table to be active within BIOS. This SLIC table is added and enabled at manufacture time using proprietary HP tools. Then an associated xrm license file and OEM product key, which are included in the HP reinstall disk along with the install scripts, are processed and this results in the OS becoming "activatated" the install without needing internet or user action.
However, to use the HP reinstall disks, the firmware needs some HP special sauce which the technician that replaced the mobo should have added. This special sauce is the featurebyte, BuildID and other data that the HP reinstall disks uses to work out what should be installed on your PC.
Jumping into BIOS and hitting "CTRL" and "A" key at the same time, before jumping to "System Information", will expose some of these special sauce data fields that the tech should have filled in. If they are not filled in, you should be able to find that data on the labels of your system and do it yourself - just don't put the wrong data in the wrong field
If at a later date you upgraded from Windows 7 to the free Windows 10 install, MS license servers would have taken note of this fact so a reinstall should occur without issue. However, if some major components are changed after the free update was made, then the system may not longer be seen as 'the same' comupter you installed the free Win10 on. As such you will need to call MS and explain what has happened and as @DGroves stated, MS is usually OK with such issues and so should provide you with a new Win10 license (write it down).
However, if your system came with Windows 10 from HP, which uses a different OEM activation mechanism to Windows 7, then likely the technician didn't enter the appropriate Windows10 5x5 license key into the firmware (which is where i believe it should be stored and tools can read it)...
In either case, and especially if the special sause data fields are not populated in BIOS, i'd call HP tech support and get them to come out and fix the system they failed to fix the first time around
I am, thus far, not happy with the solution provided by HP Elite support(David), who is sending me the 8.1 Pro restore media. He claims there is a path to the free Windows 10 upgrade still out there somewhere!? That is an elusive answer, and I want to find a conclusive statement to back that up, from someone of authority.
Being that the reason I had to have a new board and processor installed because of the latest (since pulled) BIOS update for my system, rushed to release by Intel and provided by HP, I think they both are responsible for the costs, even my inconvenience, for this. I am not done with this by any means.
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