Does Microsoft charge for windows activation support?

martin57

Hi folks,

I have an OEM copy of windows 7 (that came with my computer) activated for a number of years now.

Just wondering if I ever had to contact microsoft for anything regarding product key not being recognised or in this sort of instance probably have to get a new windows 7 key, does microsoft charge for this type of support call, even though my windows 7 key is a 100% legit key?

Reason I ask is that I also have windows 8 upgrade installed (bought at the reduced rate) and have a dual boot with both 7 and 8, but there is no way I want to compromise my windows 7 product key.

Thanks very much for any info.

Martin57

S0litaire

The key will work, it's just the activation after that that might prove a hassle. Every time I've had to call them for activation it's been free!

Also not 100% sure if you call them they will support you with having the Win8 upgrade as well as the Win7 install, since the version of Win8 is an "Upgrade" to replace your Win7, but that's semantics ^_~

John_Gray

Read the Windows 8 EULA, particularly the final sentence of the following paragraph, to find:

"The software covered by this agreement is an upgrade to your existing operating system software, so the upgrade replaces the original software that you are upgrading. You do not retain any rights to the original software after you have upgraded and you may not continue to use it or transfer it in any way."

st999

you may not continue to use it or transfer it in any way

You do, of course realise, that after you upgrade to Windows 8 they have no way of telling what your Windows 7 product key was so if you decide to dual boot, for instance, between Windows 8 and Windows 7 the will never know?

martin57

st999 wrote: »

You do, of course realise, that after you upgrade to Windows 8 they have no way of telling what your Windows 7 product key was so if you decide to dual boot, for instance, between Windows 8 and Windows 7 the will never know?

Thanks for replies.

I did actually think that it would be an easy thing for microsoft to do to get the windows 7 product key as the user upgraded to windows 8, and then store it in their database that the user had upgraded to windows 8 and the windows 7 key would be non longer needed.

Thanks for this info.

Martin57

John_Gray

st999 wrote: »

You do, of course realise, that after you upgrade to Windows 8 they have no way of telling what your Windows 7 product key was so if you decide to dual boot, for instance, between Windows 8 and Windows 7 the will never know?

You appear to presume that Microsoft has no interest in revenue protection...

S0litaire

st999 wrote: »

You do, of course realise, that after you upgrade to Windows 8 they have no way of telling what your Windows 7 product key was so if you decide to dual boot, for instance, between Windows 8 and Windows 7 the will never know?

Yes they do!
The old Win7 Activation Key will be linked to the Win8 Activation key.

So I suspect the next time he tries to update anything on the Win7 machine that requires "Genuine Microsoft Verification" the Win7 will fail the test and be "de-activated" so he'll get a nag screen to buy a genuine licence and a black desktop wallpaper for 30 days then it will not let him log in after that until he buys another licence.

st999

The old Win7 Activation Key will be linked to the Win8 Activation key

Well it isn't on my computer, I have been dual booting my computer since I first downloaded Windows 8 last October.

Also I got my product key in an email before I even downloaded and installed Windows 8.

martin57

S0litaire wrote: »

Yes they do!
The old Win7 Activation Key will be linked to the Win8 Activation key.

So I suspect the next time he tries to update anything on the Win7 machine that requires "Genuine Microsoft Verification" the Win7 will fail the test and be "de-activated" so he'll get a nag screen to buy a genuine licence and a black desktop wallpaper for 30 days then it will not let him log in after that until he buys another licence.

Once again thanks for replies to this.

Am I right in thinking though that once you have gone and upgraded to windows 8 from 7 that you can go actually downgrade again by reinstalling from windows 7 media and using the old windows 7 product key?

Taking this into consideration as regards the above quoted post, how can microsoft determine if you were to try to update 7 which would be on a different partition to 8 that you actually hadn't downgraded again to windows 7.

Only way I can think of is if you had updated both within a certain time frame.

No doubt they have some system in place, but have been able to update both since release of windows 8.

But that big nag screen scares me, no way do I want to loose windows 7.
Not different computer just the one, different partitions for each OS

Martin57

st999

But that big nag screen scares me, no way do I want to loose windows 7.
Not different computer just the one, different partitions for each OS

If you are that worried there is only one solution.

Don't upgrade.

If it helps to put your mind at rest I have the same product key on 3 Windows 7 installations.

Have had for 3 years.

They all still work, and they are all connected at some time to the internet.

I now await all the posts about software piracy but you know what, I couldn't care less.