What happens to the serial key when you return a computer with Windows 7?

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by zyzz, May 6, 2012.

  1. zyzz

    zyzz MDL Novice

    May 6, 2012
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    Thread Title ^ What happens? My friend returned a laptop and I wrote down the serial. It was Windows Home Edition. Not that I needed it, but I did anyway. Is this key reusable again?
     
  2. prathaprabhumicrosoft

    Jan 20, 2012
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    Nothing and Yes of course you can use the key but if someone buy the same laptop may have problem with the activation if the key is used or leaked.
     
  3. sid_16

    sid_16 MDL Giveaway Organiser

    Oct 15, 2011
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    #3 sid_16, May 6, 2012
    Last edited: May 6, 2012
    As far as I know the laptop with preinstalled windows7 home edition (Original Equipment Manufacture, OEM branded) has a modified bios with slic (system licensing internal code) 2.1 that activate the OS but that oem key can be reusable only when the bios of another computer has the same slic 2.1, otherwise the oem key is useless.
    sid_16.
     
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  4. Weedy

    Weedy MDL Member

    Mar 9, 2011
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    another person buying the laptop would only have problems if they ever had to wipe and reinstall windows without using the recovery partition.
     
  5. PhaseDoubt

    PhaseDoubt MDL Expert

    Dec 24, 2011
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    #5 PhaseDoubt, May 6, 2012
    Last edited: May 6, 2012
    They re-sell them to little old ladies in rest homes who wouldn't know a serial key from a skeleton key. :wheelchair:
     
  6. zyzz

    zyzz MDL Novice

    May 6, 2012
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    ah right it would be an OEM key. So if it was a Toshiba only a similar Toshiba could use the serial. and with a serial like that you can only use it a few times, correct? maybe I will just throw it out lol. I never buy prebuilt PC's and I have Win 7 64bit Ultimate.
     
  7. phukme

    phukme MDL Junior Member

    Aug 10, 2009
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    my thoughts..............you can use the key whenever you want, but you won't be able to activate over the internet; you'll get a message that the key can only be activated through other means.....use the phone system, you'll get asked a couple of automated questions, select #1 yes you've used the key before and #1 yes the previous installation has been wiped then they'll give you another activation code and away you go.
    I've done this at least 10 times on various machines, with Ultimate, Pro and Home Premium.
     
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  8. urie

    urie Moderator
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    May 21, 2007
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    #8 urie, May 13, 2012
    Last edited: May 13, 2012

    My Thoughts, why copy your friends or oem:coa key as already stated if he has recovery dvd's or partition he can restore his system if not he goes to use his COA:KEY and you have already used it :eek: