Problem with Win 7 Validation with Win 10 in dual boot

[BonzaiDuck]

In April, because I had a "branded" OS install which came to me with the refurbed laptop I bought in 2014, I bought a new OEM Windows 7. I had to install SP1 on top of it. It all activated just fine.

Then, I downloaded Win 10 with the creation tool for a USB install drive. I installed Windows 10 on a separate partition -- a "clean install." It activated just fine.

Except for Windows 7 Update problems which I resolved, everything was perfect about both Win 7 with SP1 and the Windows 10 as well. It's now been almost 4 months since I bought the download for the OEM Windows 7 and obtained the product key in the e-mail invoice and acknowledgement.

Sometimes, I go for days at a time without using the laptop, but I try to run the laptop at least every three or so days. Today, I booted into Win 7 and the messages popped up that it was unable to validate, that it wasn't a "genuine" Windows. When this happens, there is no way to get to the usual activation window to re-enter the product key. Right away, I worried about the Windows 10 partition and installation.

I booted into Windows 10, and it shows the product as "digitally activated." So far -- no problem there. But these installations both used the product key that came with the Win 7 OEM download purchase, and I don't know what to expect next.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Crap! How do you edit a thread you just started with this new . . . forum appearance?

Continuing . . . I could, perhaps, boot from the DVD I created from the Win 7 download, and "repair," hoping that either Windows would fix itself, or that it would ask for re-entry of the product key. How would this affect the Win 10 installation? I can't say.

Has anyone had this problem? Has anyone solved this problem and how? I cannot see how my Win 7 isn't "genuine." It was working fine for four months. And what happens if I repair or reinstall -- particularly with the currently "digitally activated" Win 10 installation?

 

[Elixer]

On the win10 side, once you have 'digital entitlement', then it is in their database, and isn't supposed to be revoked AFAICT.

For win 7, I guess your only option is to call them up and phone re-activate. Though, if it was bought from the 'gray' market, they may say no.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Elixer --

Here's what I think happened. It corresponds to two possible scenarios regarding valid OEM licenses, and it may not differ between genuine install disc and download, and then again it may.

I wanted to install a Windows 7 on a machine I'm building just to test the hardware. Then it was going to be a 2012 R2 Essentials system, and hopefully -- dual-boot.

I was in enough of a hurry that I simply grabbed the product key in the e-mail they sent me, and instead of making a new install disc, I probably used the one knitted to my laptop.

On the server project, I tried to install Win 10 "clean" in a separate partition of the initial boot-system disk (haven't yet installed 2012 R2 because I'm setting up a pre-composed sheet of names and settings as I read through a guide to that version.) It would not install! I was mystified!

This thing with the laptop may just be the consequence of being unable to install Win 10 on a validated Win 7 system.

I suppose if both systems continue to function under the working OS's (10 for the laptop, 7 for the server-hardware), I can live with that.

I think I've misunderstood something about windows media and windows product-key/activation/licensing. I suggest the possibility that the product key is actually knitted to the installation media, and possibly only for some types of genuine purchases, like downloads.

If I'm wrong, don't tell me I'm stupid, just inform me that I had misconceptions about media versus product-key.

 

[vailr]

What was the reasoning for spending money to replace the "branded" Windows version that originally came with the laptop?
For commercially sold name brand machines, the 25 character activation code is usually flashed into a non-changeable portion of the bios firmware. If the machine came from the factory with Win7 installed, there should have been no logical reason for resorting to pay money, either for upgrading to Win10, or for re-installing the same Win7 that came with the machine from the factory.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What was the reasoning for spending money to replace the "branded" Windows version that originally came with the laptop?
For commercially sold name brand machines, the 25 character activation code is usually flashed into a non-changeable portion of the bios firmware. If the machine came from the factory with Win7 installed, there should have been no logical reason for resorting to pay money, either for upgrading to Win10, or for re-installing the same Win7 that came with the machine from the factory.

It's an E-475M "executive" laptop, with a mobile T8300 C2D "Centrino" processor. It works fine for almost anything of a more casual nature, although my document-archive software is too slow over the wireless connection in the regeneration of thumbnails.

I wanted to upgrade to Win 10, and I'd had problems with branded installations before. They may ultimately have been due to hardware problems, but the messages on the screen of "not genuine Windows" are unsettling enough that I might choose the wrong path initially.

Further, the refurb-surplus corporate-IT-asset purchase came from the independent reseller with a DELL branded OS. I forget what I paid for the OS, but . . it's not easily recoverable loss . . . so . . .

Better to think how many dollars I saved by buying OEM white-box or trustable download. there was once I time when I purchased retail-box -- probably in the 1990s. I know that there were OEM and academic or promotional-copy discs available even then.

Oh! The other reason I bought the new license was the Windows Update problem before I solved it when it occurred with the new OS install and activation. All of those factors hit me at once, so I pulled out my credit card and looked for the most reliable reseller source.

I just should've been more careful with mixing up media and activation/product-ID's. I thought you could simply get any OEM install disc and use a legitimate product key with it. So I'm thinking that for download OS's, they knit the product ID with the media. But it doesn't matter.

I need to be more careful. What I had before this were two computers and two licenses that were activated and perfect. One had Win 10 and Win 7; the other was supposed to get Win 7. Through phone activation, I unwittingly restored the media for the first computer onto the second. On the first, I know have a dual-boot with "not genuine" Win 7 and "digitally activated" Win 10. I don't lose Windows Media Center on the laptop in Win 7; I keep TV on the laptop in Win 10 with HD HomeRun DVR.

Win 7 on the laptop only gets basic downloads; Win 7 on the server hardware does.

Live and learn. If the thread was a nuisance, my humble apologies.

 

[Elixer]

Elixer --

Here's what I think happened. It corresponds to two possible scenarios regarding valid OEM licenses, and it may not differ between genuine install disc and download, and then again it may.

I wanted to install a Windows 7 on a machine I'm building just to test the hardware. Then it was going to be a 2012 R2 Essentials system, and hopefully -- dual-boot.

I was in enough of a hurry that I simply grabbed the product key in the e-mail they sent me, and instead of making a new install disc, I probably used the one knitted to my laptop.

The install disc usually just has OEM branding, with maybe some custom programs, no keys or things of that nature.
All that is stored in the BIOS, and when a OEM version of windows goes to activate, it activates via the key that is in the BIOS.
(That has changed for win10 though!)

On the server project, I tried to install Win 10 "clean" in a separate partition of the initial boot-system disk (haven't yet installed 2012 R2 because I'm setting up a pre-composed sheet of names and settings as I read through a guide to that version.) It would not install! I was mystified!

I am wondering if the drive is out of "primary" partitions, that are needed to boot form via MBR format? Though, even in that case, I would think it would just update the boot loader of the working windows partition, and handle it that way.
If it was GPT, then, that isn't a issue.

This thing with the laptop may just be the consequence of being unable to install Win 10 on a validated Win 7 system.

I suppose if both systems continue to function under the working OS's (10 for the laptop, 7 for the server-hardware), I can live with that.

I think I've misunderstood something about windows media and windows product-key/activation/licensing. I suggest the possibility that the product key is actually knitted to the installation media, and possibly only for some types of genuine purchases, like downloads.

If I'm wrong, don't tell me I'm stupid, just inform me that I had misconceptions about media versus product-key.

AFAIK, the media activation key took the place of the 'original' key, since, that is the one I used for migrating to win10 on one of my boxes. The other (original) key didn't work, but the media one did.

And sorry for not posting sooner, I am kinda waiting for all these forum issues to fix themselves, it is kinda annoying coming here now.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

The install disc usually just has OEM branding, with maybe some custom programs, no keys or things of that nature.
All that is stored in the BIOS, and when a OEM version of windows goes to activate, it activates via the key that is in the BIOS.
(That has changed for win10 though!)

I am wondering if the drive is out of "primary" partitions, that are needed to boot form via MBR format? Though, even in that case, I would think it would just update the boot loader of the working windows partition, and handle it that way.
If it was GPT, then, that isn't a issue.

AFAIK, the media activation key took the place of the 'original' key, since, that is the one I used for migrating to win10 on one of my boxes. The other (original) key didn't work, but the media one did.

And sorry for not posting sooner, I am kinda waiting for all these forum issues to fix themselves, it is kinda annoying coming here now.

Not allowing installation of Win 10 is consistent with the other indications on both machines.

I should be more specific about what happened.

I bought the license just for testing the server or for future use on it. When I installed, I used the DVD created from the download for the laptop. I entered the new product key that I'd just purchased.

I had to use the telephone activation. Once it was activated, I couldn't install win 10. Just a little later, I turned on the laptop and discovered that it suddenly says "non genuine Windows."

So I think that some of the download Win 7 installations -- which are perfectly legal -- have the product key knitted to the download file. Activation ties it to your hardware. I can't explain my experience otherwise.

All I can say is this. I lost one Win 7 license; but I still gained the Win 10 activation on the laptop. Win 10 is fine for the laptop, and TV for the laptop doesn't require Media Center, or doesn't benefit from it over anything else because the laptop is not HDCP compliant.