Check you MB and make sure there is NOT a write protect jumper on that MB. Also Clear CMOS (via Jumper or Remove Battery) and Reset Bios Settings to Default Values.
Foxconn 760GXK8MC-RSH BIOS 54EW1P23. Hi NoJuan999, thanks for the feedback. As I mentioned in the original message, the bios version did update itself from an earier build so it cannot be write protected and I have confirmed there is no jumper on my board or bios setting to cause it to be blocked. Had already cleared settings iniitially by reset to defaults in bios (no difference) then later removing all power sources including cmos battery for 5 mins (CMOS error reported as expected on plugging all back in and powering on) - set back up and no joy. I was assuming it was me not matching cert / key until I ran SlicToolkit and it reported Slic Dump error. Did Daz loader in "software" mode and it activated as expected. Reload from scratch again (formatted hdd etc) and tried hardware mode again - no activation and slic toolkit reports slic dump error again. Maybe I've just got a duff board in somehow. Open to suggestions or maybe I will just have to live with software mod only. Just to clarify, clean install of Windows 7 32bit, not pre-activated and have used it on other installs with bios mods here and works perfectly. Thanks again.