master7045
Senior member
I am attempting to fix a laptop that belongs to one of my wife's co-workers. "It's slow", "doesn't run fast", all that stuff. That I'm not worried about that part, I can clean that stuff up. The tricky part that I'm not too familiar with is that as soon as I boot up the laptop, it is prompting me to activate Windows. Normally, I would look on the bottom of the laptop for the key and type it in. Well that sticker is present, but has been worn down to where nothing is legible. Next step, call HP. I called last night asking for the key that came with the laptop and I'm told that they do not have this information b/c it is an OEM product. I call bs, but they don't budge. (then they try to tell me it could be a memory problem and I should pay them to test the memory....whole other story). I called Microsoft Vista activation # and explain my situation, but they referred me back to HP and told me to tell HP that I need to re-activate my copy of Windows. I tell them I already tried, but they were adamant that I tell them I need my copy of Vista re-activated. I try this, but same story, HP doesn't hold onto this info.
So, I'm as square one. I'm under the impression that either my wife's co-worker, or her daughter tried some sort of restore and that is what got the laptop in it's current state. I asked my wife to verify what they did to it, but that isn't helping much either. I don't think they bought Vista and tried to install it, b/c they would obviously have the key. I realize I'm grabbing at straws here, but can anyone offer any tips as to how I can obtain the key that came with the laptop? I've read about key finders that dig through the registry and display it, but I've never used one before.
I understand that if they downloaded a copy of Vista from the internet and are trying to activate it, that it's illegal, and I'll tell them that, but I honestly don't think they did that. (co-workers husband is a minister, it's a small company so they know everyone pretty well, I've met the family before, yadda, yadda).
Anyway, thanks in advance!
btw, It's a Compaq Presario F700, if it matters.
So, I'm as square one. I'm under the impression that either my wife's co-worker, or her daughter tried some sort of restore and that is what got the laptop in it's current state. I asked my wife to verify what they did to it, but that isn't helping much either. I don't think they bought Vista and tried to install it, b/c they would obviously have the key. I realize I'm grabbing at straws here, but can anyone offer any tips as to how I can obtain the key that came with the laptop? I've read about key finders that dig through the registry and display it, but I've never used one before.
I understand that if they downloaded a copy of Vista from the internet and are trying to activate it, that it's illegal, and I'll tell them that, but I honestly don't think they did that. (co-workers husband is a minister, it's a small company so they know everyone pretty well, I've met the family before, yadda, yadda).
Anyway, thanks in advance!
btw, It's a Compaq Presario F700, if it matters.
