Windows 7 retail key self-invalidates

[QuantumPion]

A little while ago I got my first SSD. While I was installing Windows 7 Pro (retail version), the installer would not accept my activation key. This was during the install process, still running off the DVD in the boot loader program. At first I thought I was making a typo or something, but after 20 minutes I couldn't figure out what the problem was, so I called Microsoft. They told me that Windows 7 could only be installed on one computer, and that changing the hard drive was the reason for the key not working. The operator then gave me a new key, which worked in the installer.

Aside from the hassle of having to call MS to get a new key just because I got a new hard drive,

aside from the fact that this was a retail version of W7, which I thought did not have such hard restrictions as OEM keys,

How did the windows 7 installer DVD know the key, printed on the box, was invalid? Before the installation had begun, from the boot loader part? Furthermore, this really makes me mad because by rejecting the key in the installation phase you have no opportunity to find out what the problem is and solve it. It's one thing to reject the activation of the key after windows is installed, and give you 30 days to take care of the problem. But to disable the key from working on the DVD remotely and prevent installation to begin with? I would have been up a creek if not for MS being open until 9 PM PST.

 

[Saga]

Huh. Odd. I've changed HDD's from a raptor raid to a SSD raid, changed 3-4 processors, and 2 different sets of RAM on both of my Win7Ultimate installs without ever having to bother with the activation giving me problems.

 

[bruceb]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Windows-7-activation-error-invalid-product-key

Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key

If you receive an error indicating that your product key is not valid when installing Windows 7, it could be for the following reasons:

• You might have mistyped your product key. Try retyping it.
• You might be using a product key that doesn't match the version of Windows 7 that's installed on your computer. Check the product key to make sure it is for the version that you are trying to activate.
• The product key is for an upgrade version of Windows 7 and a previous version of Windows wasn't on your computer when Windows 7 was installed. To install an upgrade version of Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP must be installed on your computer. If you formatted the drive before starting the installation process, you won't be able to use the upgrade product key to activate Windows 7. To activate Windows 7, you'll need to install your previous version of Windows, and then reinstall Windows 7. For help with the activation process, go to the Microsoft Support website.
  For more information about Windows 7 activation errors, see Windows 7 activation error: 0xC004F061.

We recommend that you install Windows 7 with your current version of Windows running. If you want to format the hard drive, and you are using an upgrade version of Windows 7, you'll need to start your computer using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, click Custom (advanced), and then click Drive options (advanced).
To verify your product key, look for the product key sticker on your computer or inside the Windows package—or in a confirmation e‑mail if you purchased and downloaded Windows 7 online. Go to the Microsoft website to see examples of product key stickers.
If you still can't find your product key, you might need to buy a new one to activate Windows. You can purchase an additional copy of the same edition of Windows 7, which contains a product key that you can use. For more information, see Get a new Windows 7 product key.
If you're unable to enter a product key without getting an error message, you can leave the box empty and click Next. This will allow you to finish setup, but your copy of Windows 7 won't be activated. You must activate Windows within 30 days of installation. For information about activating Windows 7 after setup, see Activate Windows 7 on this computer.
The product key won't be valid if you're running a non-genuine copy of Windows. For more information, see What is genuine Windows?
Article ID MSW700002

 

[corkyg]

Bruceb's reply merits sticky status. Changing HDDs per se will not trigger such a reaction. I change mine every week - drive rotation, and never see a hiccup.

 

[GaryJohnson]

How did the windows 7 installer DVD know the key, printed on the box, was invalid?

I don't know how you got that. Here's a Windows 7 install walkthrough. It doesn't ask for the key until after the install is complete, and it doesn't do anything with it till you get to the desktop:

http://windows7center.com/forums/useful-guides/4360-windows-7-clean-install-walk-through.html

Where did you get your copy of windows 7 from?

There is no way the disc alone could know your key was disabled. Could someone have sold you an OEM disc in a retail discs clothing?

 

[QuantumPion]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Windows-7-activation-error-invalid-product-key

Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key

If you receive an error indicating that your product key is not valid when installing Windows 7, it could be for the following reasons:

• You might have mistyped your product key. Try retyping it.
• You might be using a product key that doesn't match the version of Windows 7 that's installed on your computer. Check the product key to make sure it is for the version that you are trying to activate.
• The product key is for an upgrade version of Windows 7 and a previous version of Windows wasn't on your computer when Windows 7 was installed. To install an upgrade version of Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP must be installed on your computer. If you formatted the drive before starting the installation process, you won't be able to use the upgrade product key to activate Windows 7. To activate Windows 7, you'll need to install your previous version of Windows, and then reinstall Windows 7. For help with the activation process, go to the Microsoft Support website.
  For more information about Windows 7 activation errors, see Windows 7 activation error: 0xC004F061.

We recommend that you install Windows 7 with your current version of Windows running. If you want to format the hard drive, and you are using an upgrade version of Windows 7, you'll need to start your computer using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, click Custom (advanced), and then click Drive options (advanced).
To verify your product key, look for the product key sticker on your computer or inside the Windows package—or in a confirmation e‑mail if you purchased and downloaded Windows 7 online. Go to the Microsoft website to see examples of product key stickers.
If you still can't find your product key, you might need to buy a new one to activate Windows. You can purchase an additional copy of the same edition of Windows 7, which contains a product key that you can use. For more information, see Get a new Windows 7 product key.
If you're unable to enter a product key without getting an error message, you can leave the box empty and click Next. This will allow you to finish setup, but your copy of Windows 7 won't be activated. You must activate Windows within 30 days of installation. For information about activating Windows 7 after setup, see Activate Windows 7 on this computer.
The product key won't be valid if you're running a non-genuine copy of Windows. For more information, see What is genuine Windows?
Article ID MSW700002

This did not work. The installation would not proceed without entering a product key. It was the very first thing I tried to do. And I 10x checked that I was installing the right version of Windows and was using the right key.

My copy of W7 might have been a retail-upgrade version, I can't remember off the top of my head. However the first time I installed it, it was on a fresh hard drive with no previous version of windows installed. (Actually on second thought, I used the installer to wipe the partition of the previous Vista installation, is that how the upgrade functions?)

 

[QuantumPion]

I don't know how you got that. Here's a Windows 7 install walkthrough. It doesn't ask for the key until after the install is complete, and it doesn't do anything with it till you get to the desktop:

http://windows7center.com/forums/useful-guides/4360-windows-7-clean-install-walk-through.html

Where did you get your copy of windows 7 from?

There is no way the disc alone could know your key was disabled. Could someone have sold you an OEM disc in a retail discs clothing?

My DVD of windows 7 DOES require the activation key during the install process. I guess it was during the first boot after copying files, however it would not let me skip entering the key and I could not continue booting into windows. I believe it was a retail copy I bought from Newegg, although it might have been Best Buy, I can't remember. Also it might have been a retail-upgrade copy now that I think about it, I'll have to verify when I get home.

And the point about the DVD installer knowing that the key was invalid is the whole point of this thread. It's completely bizarre.

 

[GaryJohnson]

And the point about the DVD installer knowing that the key was invalid is the whole point of this thread. It's completely bizarre.

It's not bizarre, it's impossible. If the disc recognized the key you had as being legit when you first installed from it, then it would always recognize that key as being legit as there no possible way to change what key(s) the disc recognizes.

The disc could only know that a range of keys are valid, and it would always know that the same range of keys are valid as there's no way the information could be changed on the disc after the install. The only possible explanation, if you were at the first-boot enter-your-key screen, is that your key wasn't one that was valid to being with. You had to have been using the wrong key or mistyping it; or if it was an upgrade disc and was asking for a key from a previous version of windows and you weren't giving it that.

 

[QuantumPion]

Actually after reading that link about the activation error, I believe the problem may have been trying to install an upgrade copy on a fresh hard drive, where as every other time I previously installed windows I was using the installer to wipe the partition of the previous windows OS.

However, I am still annoyed and concerned that the installer would not let me finish and boot into windows without entering a valid key. The installer would not let me skip that step to activate later.

 

[stlcardinals]

And the point about the DVD installer knowing that the key was invalid is the whole point of this thread

I'm not saying this is exactly how it works, I'm just assuming. The Windows 7 installer runs on WinPE. WinPE is capable of obtaining an IP Address and communicating over the internet. It is very likely that version of the Windows installer can validate the key over the internet.

Again I do not know if the Retail or Retail-Upgrade version works like that or not, I've only installed TechNet and Volume-License versions.

 

[bruceb]

If that is the case, then install without being connected to internet. It should do the install, then ask to activate Windows. If your key does not take, then phone into Microsoft to activate. Note also, on the Windows Activation Forums, that a lot of people are having issues with windows being called invalid. A lot of them are being traced to being a Blocked VLK or a Blocked MSDN Key

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en/genuinewindows7/threads

 

[QuantumPion]

If that is the case, then install without being connected to internet. It should do the install, then ask to activate Windows. If your key does not take, then phone into Microsoft to activate. Note also, on the Windows Activation Forums, that a lot of people are having issues with windows being called invalid. A lot of them are being traced to being a Blocked VLK or a Blocked MSDN Key

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en/genuinewindows7/threads

Thanks, I guess I need to remember to disconnect my LAN before installing windows if this situation arises again. Although after a little investigating, I think you first link about using an upgrade key turned out to be the real problem. I did not know that using the installer to wipe the partition actually validated the previous windows installation automatically beforehand, for using an upgrade key.

 

[coverturtle]

It has happened to me twice. I have successfully validated and had no incident at the completion of the install, but later had the popup appear a number of times during and after the updates. At first, I thought it was a spoof or a virus but the computer appears to run normally otherwise.

I have two different keys, one Win 7 Ult and one Win 7 Pro. Both threw up subsequent dialog windows claiming that the O.S. needs to be validated. These are both OEM 64-bit full install keys, guaranteed by the (two different ebay) sellers to be genuine. For the Ultimate, I tried re-entering the key very carefully which failed and then using the telephone validation (twice) which also failed.

I read the licensing terms from Microsoft and, since I did nothing wrong, figured that I must have somehow triggered one or more of their red flags with my usual xp-like install method. I did a number of things during the Win 7 Ult installation, like chkdsk the other hard drive, load all the extra windows features, and adjust the component services for additional security (disabling some of the Microsoft Remote Services, especially the Remote Registry service). I did load ALL of the foreign languages which took a very long time.

:$ I also disabled the Windows Defender which may be the one thing that invalidated the install. In XP I had assumed that Windows Defender was an active anti-virus and usually disabled it, but in Win 7, it is clearly there to defend the OS only, specifically from attacks by malware. I replaced it with Avast free. Big mistake. Windows Defender needs to be available, too.

I started over with the Ultimate, not giving personal information, giving vanilla replies to the information, removing the old hard drives and putting in a new unformatted drive. I then started the install without mishap, gave routine answers to the questions (gave *new owner* as my name) and waded through the install and updates until it said that the O.S. is up to date. I did add an anti-virus and chrome which came with the anti-virus. I added the motherboard drivers for the *power plan* when the requested. I did NOT load any foreign languages, guessing that Microsoft may have close ties with the NSA. I started NO other processes. I never shut down the computer during the install (although it restarted several times as part of the process) and I waited for the downloads to finish normally, without interruption.

The system is now up and running and "validated". I'm cautiously adding software and adjusting the configuration. I'm cautious because after reading the license, I suspected that Microsoft has installed traps in Windows 7 to guard against malware attacks. I'm going to try connecting the old XP hard drive next.

Now that I am up and running with Win 7 Ult, I'm also going to try enabling Windows Defender and removing the extra languages in the Win 7 Pro installation. If that does not work, then I'll try reloading on a clean hard drive. With luck, I'll remember to add an update here. Good luck everyone.

 

[coverturtle]

The W7Pro install did not have the extra languages and Windows Defender was/is ENABLED, so that was not the problem with this installation. The last straw for the user was that the screen would go black and she had to reboot, next she got a blue screen and finally, she got a black screen and the system shut down. There was a little time in between these instances, perhaps hours.

So now, I'm reinstalling on a fresh, clean 750GB with no problems although some of the updates don't install and the procedure asks to restart. More later.

 

[coverturtle]

OK. Finished Win 7 Pro install with all updates complete, AFAIK. Only problem was with hardware - embedded NIC is faulty, so added a NIC card in PCI slot. I think the problems with this installation were obscured by the flakey NIC on the motherboard. The only other probability is that we installed the O.S. using the "Custom" choice instead of the upgrade choice offered by the installation DVD. We added a second drive without incident so far - this drive has XP Pro in the boot sector. Haven't tried to boot from that drive yet. Don't know if we will leave it because XP is no longer supported by Microsoft.

So, with both of these installs, it appears that the product key was not permanently invalidated but rather that the particular install was invalidated.

My advice and conclusion is if the first validation over the internet succeeds but you get an invalid product key message later, just start over with a clean drive (disconnect the others), take the defaults except for normal input like keyboard, name, password, and time zone and then continue to check and install updates over the network until your system is completely up to date.

If you started with a current DVD with all the latest service packs, the install should go more easily and quicker.