Greetings: I install Windows 7 Home Premium family pack upgrade on one XP Pro sp3 desktop which has two HDDs, one EIDE (XP pro) and one SATA (Windows 7). After the installation, everything goes well and the machine boots perfectly. I activate Windows 7 with the provided key in the box. I then remove the EIDE HDD. The machine can no longer boot. If I reinstall Windows on the same PC but this time using only the SATA drive and reactivate Windows 7 will Window considers that I activate two machines? If so, how can I fix this dilemma? Note: I no longer wish to use the EIDE HDD. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Nonsense. Reinstall Windows 7 on the SATA disk using the same key and activate again. As long as you keep it on that system you can reactivate using the same key as many times as you need. You won't lose a license. If the activation window says you have to do it by phone (since you're activating again so recently), you either tell the automated voice you have only 1 computer using the key or if you get a rep you simply say you had to reinstall.
Thank you all for the help. Just to be sure and avoid any headache in the future, I am going to call MS and explain the situation.
And to avoid this situation in the future, if you have two hard drives again, remove interface connector and power point of the drive that will not have the OS installed. This prevents the boot record being on the second drive. so you do not loose boot info if the second drive is removed.
I think you can do the mbr fix command line plus setting the partition to "active" under disk part to get the SATA drive to boot?
Ok, I just call MS, the rep said something along jjjhs line. She said that this scenario happens when a HDD crash and user needs to reinstall the OS and reactivate. It won't use up a license. I wonder how does the OS know and keep count of how many machine was installed? By the way, is there a way to check how many license has been used up? Anyway, all your comment and input is greatly appreciated.
The OS doesn't keep track, Microsoft's servers do. You can only use one license (key) on one machine so if you have a key used on a machine already then you have used that license one time already.
agree there's no way to tell, only M$ knows. I have an RTM 7 license, have been using it on 1 machine, and after the 3rd or 4th clean install, i had to call M$ for verification. So i don't trust that M$ rep., sounds like he/she gave a company line to end call. i would backup the license as stated above.