Up until recently I've running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 on my two desktops and Windows 7 Ultimate 32 on my laptop without any problems.

All these installations are covered by the same Product key as it came out of the same box as 2 disks - one 64 bit and one 32 bit.

 

However, after replacing the harddisk in one of the 64 bit systems ( The main desktop) with a solid state disk, I am now having problems activating the new windows 7 install.

 

As usual, I found that simply re-typing the Product key on the box into the on-screen activation wizard did not work and I had to resort to the phone activation method.

 

In the past phone activation usually worked, but this time it didn't. I was told I wasn't allowed to have any more installations.

 

This never happened in the past.

 

 I found that, despite calling an 0800 number,  the call was routed to the US and that additional questions were asked before I was allowed to enter the activation prompt (Which takes the form of a  product key lookalike),stated on the Wizard screen, into the telephone - as many may know this action, if accepted, returns a substitute product key by voice, which the user then types into a second box on the wizard screen and this enables activation of the installation.

 

Being cynical, I suspect that things may have changed in anticipation of the prospective announcement of the demise of Windows 8 - due in April.

 

What's my entitlement regarding installations. The on-line MS docs I've found now seem to indicate that you can have one static and one mobile installation ? Is that right ? Bearing in mind that I've got two different OS's (A 64 bit and a 32 Bit) surely that would entitle me to 4 installations ?

 

As said, at present, I have one activated 64 bit installation on a media server, an activated 32 bit installation on a lap-top and one 64 bit installation awaiting activation on the main desktop.

 

Any ideas ?

 

 

Nick

Edited 14 January, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

...What's my entitlement regarding installations. The on-line MS docs I've found now seem to indicate that you can have one static and one mobile installation ? Is that right ? Bearing in mind that I've got two different OS's (A 64 bit and a 32 Bit) surely that would entitle me to 4 installations?

No. You can install one 32 OR 64bit on a 'static' machine and one 32 OR 64bit on a 'mobile installation'.

It's the key that matters.

 

MS doesn't give a stuff about you handing out copies of the software. If you've one key you've one licence unless it states something different.

 

i.e. I have an education license for Office where the key covers two installations.

Is it a full retail boxed version of W7?

To the best of my knowledge you can only legitimately use it on one computer at a time, and that can be either 32 or 64 bit.

As mentioned, one machine, one disk but, if you're after a cheap legal version, have a look for the student deals (you'll need to know someone with a .ac.uk email address though) and download it.

 

Just checked, seems they only do Win 8 now :(

I'm surprised you were able to activate 3 machines with the same key.

I have been operating three machines for at least 2 years.  When they run they are all conected to the same. BT Home Hub. However, it's rare for me to be running more than one machine at a time.The two desktops run behind their own Tenda routers which in turn are connected to the Home Hub.

 

The machines were set up this way two years ago. Ipurchased Windows 7 as a retail product three years ago.

 

 

I suspect that reason I had difficulties with the telephone activation was because of the answers I gave to the questions preliminary to the generation of the activation code. I gave replies to the effect that I was a home user and already had W7 installed on two machines. The automated voice then told me I couldn't install anymore. I wonder if I can get it activated by just saying I've only got one installation currently ? After all its not as if there are different users on the machines, it's just me and Windows 7 is about to become defunct with the  announcement of the release of Windows 9,  and as far as I know there wasn't a family pack extension for W7 ultimate and the extension licence pack for bog standard W7 is no longer available. And I certainly have no intention of buying W8, which a lot of people put in the same category as Vista, not unless they start heavily discounting it after the W9 announcement due in April.

 

Nick

Thinking about it, I know what's happened. The main desktop had originally been setup with Vista in the primary disk partition. And when I bought W7 three years ago, I added W7 to the No 1 logical partition, which along with Vista on the PP, made it dual boot.Just before this xmas past, I removed the HD, replaced it with the SSD and did a fresh installation for W7 only.

So would it be that this machine was registered on the MS database as a Vista machine up to December last year and then, with the fresh install of W7 only became eligible for inclusion in the W7 section of the MS database

So maybe I can get W7 to activate if make the machine dual boot again with Vista ? 

 

Might be difficult.

 

I suppose I'd have to wipe the SSD. Do a fresh install of Vista  and activate  in the  hope that Ms's database software would eliminate this hardware entry on its W7 section of its database and make a new entry in the Vista section. Fat chance ? Don't know. If that was the case then presumably I could  install W7 as a second OS on a dual boot  and activate OK ? Should be Ok because Vista was only previously installed as the prime OS on this machine only.

 

Afterthought

 

Microsoft's official advice is not to install an earlier OS on a dual boot after a later OS, otherwise the later OS will be disabled. Surely this supports the idea that the MS activation database has the capability to change a hardware entry from a later OS to an earlier one ? Otherwise, no OS would function on a disk so installed.
Nick

Edited 15 January, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

It doesn't matter if it's on a dual boot with Vista or not, I can't remember how MS enumerate hardware but I'm assuming it's the change of hard drive that has flagged the machine up as a different one.  I'm surprised you've managed to get so many machines activated for so long on the same product key, I don't think anything has actually changed in regards to their activation systems recently.  When I've moved licenses around a fair bit they've sometimes been a pain to activate but usually after a bit of convincing that I'd uninstalled the OS off the original machines, they'd activate the new ones.

 

If it is the SSD that has changed the hardware identifier then the there's not much you can do apart from try calling a few times and chance your luck as some MS reps don't seem to follow the rules particularly on OEM activations.

 

As for Windows 8 being as bad as a Vista, they certainly share the same problem of a poor reputation overshadowing the actual situation but I find Windows 8 is a good upgrade to Windows 7.  There are some changes made that can take a little bit of time to adapt to although there's plenty of software out there now to make it look and behave exactly the same as 7.  I prefer keeping my machines stock as that means they're all the same and like 8 for a lot of simple stuff, it finally gets a proper task manager, it's quicker and more efficient than 7, there's a lot of improvements for power users (power user menu in place of start menu, individual logs for hardware devices etc.) and although I didn't like the start screen initially on no-touch devices I'm finding it's a lot quicker in practice as it's one click to access any item rather than multiple clicks to follow through the menu structure on the old start menu.

 

John

The rules are: 1 license -> 1 machine

 

This applies to retail operating systems and most office software.

 

The fact that you had it running on 3 machines with 1 key all this time simply show you breaking the license agreement.

 

And it makes no difference if you are the only user or if you will only ever use one at a time, thats your justification.

 

The rules are still 1 license -> 1 machine.

 

OEM copies get even weirder!

 

cjc

I'm surprised you were able to activate 3 machines with the same key.

 

It always used to be that after a set period you'd be able to re-use the same key through automatic activation - 120 days rings a bell. Sooner than that and you'd have to go through the telephone system, and if you gave the wrong answers to questions like "how many machines do you have this installed on" it would fail.

 

Once activated it never checked back with MS to see if you'd then reused the key.

 

As our new poster above has stated, just because you managed to activate it multiple times doesn't mean it was legit - you were in breach of the licence.

Thanks for all the input.

 

I found the licence conditions on my system that confirms what has been said above. But it also says that you can have an additional copy on another machine if it is used as the Network storage master "Copy" which is not for use and only for distribution to other licensed computers.

 

If that's the case then I will  designate my main desktop as the network server and its copy of Windows 7 will remain unactivated and for distribution only,  until I figure what else can be done with it. And if Microsoft continue to supply the unactivated installation with updates, as they appear to be doing at present, then that's fine by me.

 

Can anybody suggest another OS that will easily interface with Microsoft apps ? 

 

Nick

Edited 16 January, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

Do you Microsoft Apps or Windows Apps?

 

Microsoft does make applications for other Operating Systems.

Something I can run Office, google earth,Kindle, Bamboo on.

 

I have to say that Microsoft are a bunch of wallies as far as marketing goes. A lot of people in the UK have more than computer in the house and having such a restrictive policy on installation and usuage has only one effect - forcing people to consider using other providers cheaper products. Which is what I will hope to do now.

 

 

Nick

Thinking about, all this faffing about obtaining alternative OS is unnecessary.

 

If the legal  right to designate the network storage machine resides with me, then I can simply re-designate any other machine at any time. So at the time I switch-on my main desktop,  I simply re-designate the other desktop (Mediaserver) as Network Storage system (In my head) and deactivate it, then I can legitimately use the  main desktop for work (After activation), since its become "The Licensed Computer" and vice versa - sorted.

 

 

Nick

Edited 16 January, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

Sorry, but the license doesn't work that way.

 

You can't keep changing it. Once selected, it stays selected.

 

Instead of being such a tight arse, just go and buy another copy of Windows.

 

It's not all that expensive.

Basically OEM licenses are not allowed to be transferred to another machine from the original.

Retail versions you can providing you 'remove' the software from the original PC.

Technically both can be activated again using the telephone system.

CJC1959Au

 

It's not being a tight arse.

 

Microsoft and distributors seem to have relegated W 7 to the category of "Surpassed" OS. There's no cheap way, as there was in the past, of getting add-on licenses, at a reasonable price. For W 7 Ultimate, I'd have to shell out the full £180 odd to getting full compatibility across the Home network.

 

And whose going to do that a year away from the release of W9 - W9 holding the promise of being a good OS, if MS's recent history holds true - XP good, Vista ****, W7 good, W8 even worse **** . . . Basically, you get a good OS from MS every 10 years. And the stuff they release in the interim would be classified in the aircraft industry as "Experimental" , or generously as "Pre-production".

 

I certainly not going to buy W 8, even in its 8.1. incarnation - I've never read web reports on an OS that are as bad as those for W8 !

Who releases an OS, where the mass market basic version doesn't include a media player as standard. If you want that you have to pay £180 for the Pro version !

I'd say that's an achievement of Balmeresque ****witedness to surpass all others.

 

Why should I be forced to buy crap ! Wasn't the implementation of that type of requirement, the reason why the economy of the old Soviet Union foundered ?

 

And lastly, as they say on the 10 O'clock news, where in my licence document does it state that I can't repeatedly re-designate my machines. It doesn't.

 

I have to say that I abhor the practice currently in vogue with product marketeers, whether it be software or telecoms, of deliberately interfering with the peaceful consumption of existing customers, in order to encourage them to upgrade earlier than they would have done if left to their own devices. This smacks of action designed to support an existing  bureaucracy, rather than serving the customer - who, in days of yore, always used to be  right.

 

 

Nick

Edited 19 January, 201412 yr by Clunkclick

Windows 7 Ultimate - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Microsoft-Windows-7-Ultimate-32bit-with-SP1-OEM-Full-Program-Product-Key-/271367236990?pt=UK_Computing_Software_Software_SR&hash=item3f2ebf6d7e - 56 pounds!

Next excuse?

Oh yes, let's wait for Windows 9. It's Microsoft's fault they make crap OSs - Windows users - always waiting for a new OS.

Why don't you just admit you are pirating? Why keep trying to justify it to yourself?

And actually it does say you can't repeatedly re-designate your machines. It says you can select one machine to act as a server. It doesn't say you can then change that.

Twisting Microsoft's license agreement to suit your own warped version of your actions still does not make you right.