Hello. I've got a problem with Win7 Ultimate Retail on Toshiba Laptop. I've been using Windows 7 RTM Retail version on my PC for a long time. I activated it using a Product Key found in Internet calling to Microsoft in USA and activating by phone. Everything went fine. Now I want to install the same Windows but x86 edition, not x64 as in my case on my dad's laptop. We downloaded Windows 7 RTM Retail MSDN version x86, and installed it. Tried using the same keys I used for activation of my version, but it says that they are blocked by Microsoft. I searched for other keys on the Internet, but they are either blocked or incompatible with this version... I tried calling MS to activate those blocked keys by phone, but automated system says that it is unable to process the activation. Recommends to return the product to reseller., etc. Though I tried to change product Key on my PC and one of those keys activated my Windows over Internet (probably the same key I used during the installation). How com can't I use it for another installation? What if I uninstalled it from my PC and decided to install it on a laptop? Anyway - the question is - am I missing something here? Should I install OEM version on laptops only? Maybe there are some unique ways of activating it on laptops? Please don't recommend me using Activators. I'm interested in activation by phone. Thanks.
Why do you need retail? If the laptop came with windows 7 you can use OEMSLP key and proper certificate.. Im pretty sure MS doesnt help you with retail keys but only oem. Im not sure why you want to activate by phone. Perhaps you could tell us?
Retail - because I had Retail on my PC installed, and I had working keys for it. Laptop didn't have Windows 7 pre-installed on it. It had XP on it.
oem slp is your best bet... its simple fast and no activators needed... do you have slic 2.1? i say this because i have a toshiba lappy w/ 2.1 slic.
His laptop came with XP so it only has SLP 1.0 from Toshiba but he can check their website for new biosfirmware. If not he can see if there is a modded one to use. Did you activate one retail key on your computer AND laptop? if so you dont know its one key = one computer. Retail keys can be used at several computers but only 1 at a time.
I can't check SLIC version on my own, as that laptop is in another country together with my dad. He updated his firmware recently to the latest version, but I guess that won't help. Toshiba site says that this laptop doesn't officially support Windows 7. Yeah, I tried to activate Windows with the same Product Key on several PCs. How does Microsoft know if there's another PC activated with this key working at the same time somewhere? I mean, what if I wanted to just upgrade my PC and change every hardware in it? Could I be able to activate same windows on that new PC wth the same key?
Yes you can beacuse its a retail key. MS recieves nonpersonal data from your computer.. when you connect to internet this data is sent and if the same key is found twice or more the computers will be nongenuine, ofc. not for the computer that had the key installed on first.
Do you really think that Microsoft don't block keys thats posted on the internet? If you find a retail key on the internet, so do hundreds or thousands other also. So of course MS block that keys. Retail or not, you can use the Loader from Daz and you can activate your retail version with that (but the license will be an OEM SLP). If not, you have to buy a license from Microsoft, if you don't want it to be blocked.
I have been using Daz's Windows 7 Loader from day one on my Dell as well as my new Laptop (well, this is SLIC 2.1 so using that method instead), and my new PC I have just built custom (Athlon II x4 640, ATI 5770, etc). Though since it's custom there's no SLIC table on this motherboard. Probably a bios mod somewhere but I am not risking it. Just use Windows 7 Loader, he'll be fine and it's not noticeable anymore that you're using it when you boot.