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Re-installed windows7 activation key not accepted? SORTED

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  • skintpaul wrote: »
    OK, where would I found this wondruous key? No paperwork came with it )accept shop receipt), and any labels on bottom of laptop have worn off..

    Main concern was that NO characters were being accepted- number or letters?

    Have you got a windows.old folder since the re-install? Or have you got a backup of the system before you re-installed?
    4.8kWp 12x400W Longhi 9.6 kWh battery Giv-hy 5.0 Inverter, WSW facing Essex . Aint no sunshine ☀️ Octopus gas fixed dec 24 @ 5.74 tracker again+ Octopus Intelligent Flux leccy
  • GunJack
    GunJack Posts: 11,829 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    skintpaul wrote: »
    , and any labels on bottom of laptop have worn off..

    this is why you're supposed to put sellotape over the label with the product key on it, so it doesn't wear off...

    ...if you've gone back to 7, try magical jellybean or belarc adviser to see if there's a product key hidden away in there...

    edit: if you'd have burned your recovery disks when you first got the lappy it'd be easy....
    ......Gettin' There, Wherever There is......

    I have a dodgy "i" key, so ignore spelling errors due to "i" issues, ...I blame Apple :D
  • debitcardmayhem
    debitcardmayhem Posts: 12,701 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 14 September 2015 at 9:50PM
    GunJack wrote: »
    this is why you're supposed to put sellotape over the label with the product key on it, so it doesn't wear off...
    Or photograph with iPhone etc..
    ...if you've gone back to 7, try magical jellybean or belarc adviser to see if there's a product key hidden away in there...
    Hence have you got a windows old folder... and I would suggest nirsoft produkey

    edit: if you'd have burned your recovery disks when you first got the lappy it'd be easy....
    and produkey can select which folder to scan ...
    Hi gunny :cool:
    4.8kWp 12x400W Longhi 9.6 kWh battery Giv-hy 5.0 Inverter, WSW facing Essex . Aint no sunshine ☀️ Octopus gas fixed dec 24 @ 5.74 tracker again+ Octopus Intelligent Flux leccy
  • GunJack
    GunJack Posts: 11,829 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    and I would suggest nirsoft produkey and produkey can select which folder to scan ...
    Hi gunny :cool:

    Hiya DCM :wave: must admit not used produkey previously, might have to go find a copy for the ever-expanding toolbox....

    ...that is ever-more in size & quantity USB drives ;) :cool:
    ......Gettin' There, Wherever There is......

    I have a dodgy "i" key, so ignore spelling errors due to "i" issues, ...I blame Apple :D
  • Sometimes the product key sticker is underneath the battery, so remove it and take a peek... it might be there

    Never trust information given by strangers on internet forums
  • Nilrem
    Nilrem Posts: 2,565 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    Sometimes the product key sticker is underneath the battery, so remove it and take a peek... it might be there

    Aye, from memory Dell do that which is a very sensible idea as the traditional spot (on the underside of the laptop) is probably the most poorly thought out place you could put something that is both important, and can be made illegible by constant touching/rubbing (of the sort you get when you put a laptop on any cloth surface such as your lap).
  • NiftyDigits
    NiftyDigits Posts: 10,459 Forumite
    The product key is wholly unnecessary for machines with the OS preinstalled.

    Maybe if the OP actually came up with some details of the machine...
  • spannerzone
    spannerzone Posts: 1,566 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 15 September 2015 at 6:35PM
    The product key is wholly unnecessary for machines with the OS preinstalled.

    Maybe if the OP actually came up with some details of the machine...

    It was unless you wanted to use something other than the supplied recovery disc or partition with Win 7 though I thought. If I reload Win7 I'd usually use a clean install rather than the crud infested bloated version that most manufacturers provide. That's when you really need to know your COA number.
    Luckily doesn't seem to be a problem with 8 and 10 though.

    Never trust information given by strangers on internet forums
  • NiftyDigits
    NiftyDigits Posts: 10,459 Forumite
    It was unless you wanted to use something other than the supplied recovery disc or partition with Win 7 though I thought. If I reload Win7 I'd usually use a clean install rather than the crud infested bloated version that most manufacturers provide. That's when you really need to know your COA number.
    Luckily doesn't seem to be a problem with 8 and 10 though.

    No...it isn't necessary.
  • skintpaul
    skintpaul Posts: 1,510 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Have now found windows key- under the battery cover!!

    Now, just need to recover some files ,,
    breathe in, breathe out- You're alive! Everything else is a bonus, right? RIGHT??
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