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#16
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Reinstalling Windows 7 W/anytime upgrade.
Allen Drake écrivait
: On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:11:19 -0600, Ken1943 wrote: I just found some emails that I have on a laptop that show 2 different keys for ultimate upgrades. I wonder if it matters which one I use. I am still missing one key for a third system. If it doesn't matter what key I use then I am all set for all three systems. If it does I will have to try both keys to see which one works for which install. I am not sure but, wrong key might screw up another machines update. Let me get a key program installed on the Toshiba and see if it shows the upgrade key or not. Will get back to you. KenW OK, Thanks. I will have to wait until tomorrow as it's way past my bed time. Thanks again Ken. regards. Al. I used this program, http://www.magicaljellybean.com/ and it found the anytime upgrade key, only. I still think you would have to know what key you used for the original install, as the upgrade key is probably tied to the install key. KenW That's what I was worried about. I might just have to try it and see what happens. I do have a clone of every system I have so it would only cost me time. You said you have 3 systems running Ultimate from Anytime Upgrade, if the two other systems are working you could run the key finder program on those and don't use those keys on the system you have to rebuild. BTW, the way I understand your first post, the key Belarc reported is the key for Ultimate but you tried to use it with Home Premium which of course would not work. What I would do, is install Home Premium without entering a key (and without activating it) and try to upgrade it immediately with the Anytime Upgrade file this time using the key reported by Belarc and see if it works. HTH |
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#17
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Reinstalling Windows 7 W/anytime upgrade.
On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:59:05 +0000 (UTC), Dominique
wrote: Allen Drake écrivait : On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:11:19 -0600, Ken1943 wrote: I just found some emails that I have on a laptop that show 2 different keys for ultimate upgrades. I wonder if it matters which one I use. I am still missing one key for a third system. If it doesn't matter what key I use then I am all set for all three systems. If it does I will have to try both keys to see which one works for which install. I am not sure but, wrong key might screw up another machines update. Let me get a key program installed on the Toshiba and see if it shows the upgrade key or not. Will get back to you. KenW OK, Thanks. I will have to wait until tomorrow as it's way past my bed time. Thanks again Ken. regards. Al. I used this program, http://www.magicaljellybean.com/ and it found the anytime upgrade key, only. I still think you would have to know what key you used for the original install, as the upgrade key is probably tied to the install key. KenW That's what I was worried about. I might just have to try it and see what happens. I do have a clone of every system I have so it would only cost me time. You said you have 3 systems running Ultimate from Anytime Upgrade, if the two other systems are working you could run the key finder program on those and don't use those keys on the system you have to rebuild. BTW, the way I understand your first post, the key Belarc reported is the key for Ultimate but you tried to use it with Home Premium which of course would not work. What I would do, is install Home Premium without entering a key (and without activating it) and try to upgrade it immediately with the Anytime Upgrade file this time using the key reported by Belarc and see if it works. HTH That's what I will do first. Thanks for the help. Al. |
#18
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Reinstalling Windows 7 W/anytime upgrade.
Allen Drake wrote:
Dave-UK wrote: If you are currently running Ultimate then you must have an Ultimate key on your system. If you don't know what it is then run a key search tool to retrieve it: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html I saw the app but it needs to be purchased and for all my systems it is a bit out of budget. You can't recognize the difference between a *related* product link and the *download* link for Nirsoft's ProduKey utility? Go LOOK at the Nirsoft web page which Dave gave you, which was: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html to find the *DOWNLOAD* links (to files, not to some other web page)! http://recover-keys.com/en/order.html That is *NOT* the web page link that Dave gave you! |
#19
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Reinstalling Windows 7 W/anytime upgrade.
Allen Drake wrote:
On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:17:49 -0500, VanguardLH wrote: Allen Drake wrote: On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:13:08 -0500, VanguardLH wrote: Allen Drake wrote: I have read that Belarc Advisor will show the key but as I stated that didn't work. It seems that MS should provide the answer without having to use 3rd party work arounds. Belarc Advisor will report the product key used for the install. That could be a volume install (not a volume license but a mass install of a sysprep image) and the COA sticker carries a different product key (but for the same product). These volume installs are pre-validated (the jobber doesn't have to validate and neither does the customer) but it's a special license the jobber buys to do their system builds. That's why I mentioned using the product key on the COA sticker. It isn't a matter of "which disk goes with what computer". The disc doesn't have the product key embedded within it for validation against what you enter. You can use ANY disc to do the install but need a product key that matches that product. So you could slap the COA sticker on several hosts before doing the install and use the same CD for all those installations. You just use the product key on the COA sticker. What jobbers are you referring to? I build my own systems and purchase a full version for every machine I put together. The key on the packages are for the version I bought. I am posting about a MS application or contact where you can retrieve your anytime upgrade key. But the CD doesn't carry the key! If you bought a dozen separate licenses and had a dozen COA stickers, you can take any of the dozen CDs to do a reinstall on those hosts. All the CDs are alike. In fact, you can copy them onto a hard disk and run the install from there (once you use a bootable CD to load an OS to load the setup program from the hard disk). The CD isn't locked to the product key. You have 12 retail packages of Windows 7. You have 12 CDs. You have 12 COA stickers with the product key on them. Shove 11 of the CDs in a drawer and use just one to do all the installs and when each asks for a product key then you use the one on the COA sticker. There is no key on the CD. That's why you can find licenses sold just by themself with absolutely no media. The seller is selling you the license with the product key. That's because it is cheaper to do multiple installs using just one install CD and using an individual key on each install. However, jobbers that do lots of builds don't even have to enter the key after the install since their copy is already pre-validated but there is still is a key on the COA sticker that they put on those multiple hosts. Ok, Now I get it. My bad. What I have been wondering is what keys to use if MS has no way of finding them. If I am asked if I am using that key on any other computer I can't have a way of truthful answering "No". In the end, after I do a clean install all my Win7 machines, which is 4 right now, I might end up with some that have the wrong keys. Probably that will be the case. Then when I try the Ultimate key I have in email will that key work on each machine if the original key is wrong? Use the same install CD for a fresh install of Windows 7 Home on all 4 computers. Put the COA stickers (if not already attached to the computers) or paper strips with the product keys on them into a hat and mix them up. Take one out at a time and use that product key to do the install. Since you are wiping all 4 computers and doing fresh installs, it's not possible that you are "using that key on any other computer". If these are retail versions, you can [re]install on any computer. If OEM, you "should" reinstall on the same host (and why you use the COA sticker on that host). If the hardware is same for all 4 computers, it really doesn't matter on which one you install an OEM version. If you're required to do the phone-in validation then just tell them you had to replace a crashed hard disk on which was the OS partition and they'll verbally give you another product key to use. Then you upgrade. However, in the past, you didn't have to install the prior version to install the following upgrade version. You just did the install of the upgrade version and when queried you inserted the install CD for the prior version upon which the upgrade was based. You only did one install (the upgrade), not two installs (base + upgrade). Sorry, I never do upgrades because I don't want to bring along a polluted OS to migrate to a newer one. I wipe and do a fresh install of the OS version that I want installed at the time (but then I buy full retails versions instead of hoping I can move forward with an upgrade version, especially since the install CD for the prior version might not be around anymore or I can't find it or don't want to spend the time hunting for it). http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operat...l-part-1_9.htm See the "Important" note. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...7-version.html How to do a clean install using an *upgrade* version of Windows 7. Be sure to note item #1. You delay activation until AFTER the install of just the upgrade version has completed, then you activate using your new product key for that upgrade version. |
#20
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Reinstalling Windows 7 W/anytime upgrade.
On Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:15:01 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:
Allen Drake wrote: On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:17:49 -0500, VanguardLH wrote: Allen Drake wrote: On Sun, 25 Mar 2012 19:13:08 -0500, VanguardLH wrote: Allen Drake wrote: I have read that Belarc Advisor will show the key but as I stated that didn't work. It seems that MS should provide the answer without having to use 3rd party work arounds. Belarc Advisor will report the product key used for the install. That could be a volume install (not a volume license but a mass install of a sysprep image) and the COA sticker carries a different product key (but for the same product). These volume installs are pre-validated (the jobber doesn't have to validate and neither does the customer) but it's a special license the jobber buys to do their system builds. That's why I mentioned using the product key on the COA sticker. It isn't a matter of "which disk goes with what computer". The disc doesn't have the product key embedded within it for validation against what you enter. You can use ANY disc to do the install but need a product key that matches that product. So you could slap the COA sticker on several hosts before doing the install and use the same CD for all those installations. You just use the product key on the COA sticker. What jobbers are you referring to? I build my own systems and purchase a full version for every machine I put together. The key on the packages are for the version I bought. I am posting about a MS application or contact where you can retrieve your anytime upgrade key. But the CD doesn't carry the key! If you bought a dozen separate licenses and had a dozen COA stickers, you can take any of the dozen CDs to do a reinstall on those hosts. All the CDs are alike. In fact, you can copy them onto a hard disk and run the install from there (once you use a bootable CD to load an OS to load the setup program from the hard disk). The CD isn't locked to the product key. You have 12 retail packages of Windows 7. You have 12 CDs. You have 12 COA stickers with the product key on them. Shove 11 of the CDs in a drawer and use just one to do all the installs and when each asks for a product key then you use the one on the COA sticker. There is no key on the CD. That's why you can find licenses sold just by themself with absolutely no media. The seller is selling you the license with the product key. That's because it is cheaper to do multiple installs using just one install CD and using an individual key on each install. However, jobbers that do lots of builds don't even have to enter the key after the install since their copy is already pre-validated but there is still is a key on the COA sticker that they put on those multiple hosts. Ok, Now I get it. My bad. What I have been wondering is what keys to use if MS has no way of finding them. If I am asked if I am using that key on any other computer I can't have a way of truthful answering "No". In the end, after I do a clean install all my Win7 machines, which is 4 right now, I might end up with some that have the wrong keys. Probably that will be the case. Then when I try the Ultimate key I have in email will that key work on each machine if the original key is wrong? Use the same install CD for a fresh install of Windows 7 Home on all 4 computers. Put the COA stickers (if not already attached to the computers) or paper strips with the product keys on them into a hat and mix them up. Take one out at a time and use that product key to do the install. Since you are wiping all 4 computers and doing fresh installs, it's not possible that you are "using that key on any other computer". If these are retail versions, you can [re]install on any computer. If OEM, you "should" reinstall on the same host (and why you use the COA sticker on that host). If the hardware is same for all 4 computers, it really doesn't matter on which one you install an OEM version. If you're required to do the phone-in validation then just tell them you had to replace a crashed hard disk on which was the OS partition and they'll verbally give you another product key to use. Then you upgrade. However, in the past, you didn't have to install the prior version to install the following upgrade version. You just did the install of the upgrade version and when queried you inserted the install CD for the prior version upon which the upgrade was based. You only did one install (the upgrade), not two installs (base + upgrade). Sorry, I never do upgrades because I don't want to bring along a polluted OS to migrate to a newer one. I wipe and do a fresh install of the OS version that I want installed at the time (but then I buy full retails versions instead of hoping I can move forward with an upgrade version, especially since the install CD for the prior version might not be around anymore or I can't find it or don't want to spend the time hunting for it). http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operat...l-part-1_9.htm See the "Important" note. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...7-version.html How to do a clean install using an *upgrade* version of Windows 7. Be sure to note item #1. You delay activation until AFTER the install of just the upgrade version has completed, then you activate using your new product key for that upgrade version. Thanks. That was a perfect and complete outline. All the OS disks I have are full retail versions. I never bother with OEM or Upgrades and always do clean installs. I finally located all the Ultimate numbers from emails that were sent by MS. Using Belarc Advisor I was able to determine which system they belong to. I will try using those codes which I am pretty sure they should work. Thanks again. Al. |
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