Windows 7 pro activation problems

[bfp789]

Hi

I'm feeling fairly frustrated.

I recently received (at last) my HP Probook 470 G3 with Windows 7 pro 64 bit pre-installed (which I specifically wanted rather than Windows 10 because I don't like what Microsoft is doing with Telemetry - I want my personal computer to be a personal computer - not an information gathering device for Microsoft or HP or any other vendor).

The laptop came with 3 DVDs. A Windows 10 pro installation DVD and two DVDs which were drivers and applications for the Windows 10 pro and Windows 7 pro options - but notably no DVD for Windows 7 pro itself and no product key label on the outside of the laptop or anywhere else. The only sticker on the laptop that looks almost relevant says Windows Pro (without 10 or 7 being mentioned).

Because I sepecifically wanted to avoid the telemetry in Windows 10 AND Windows 7 pro I checked and sure enough the version of Windows 7 pro HP has sent contains the KBs associated with Telemetry.  Its a later rather than earlier compilation.

So I tried to do a clean reinstall using an iso (service pack 1) obtained from Technet from a period before the telemetry was added intending to update only the security fixes.

I was able to identify the product key installed in the Windows 7 pro version HP pre-installed using some software (i.e ProduKey) from the internet. But the Windows Activation procedure will not take the product key I obtained with the iso version

As it happens I also had another OEM copy of Windows 7 pro 64 bit SP1 which I had brought years ago (which I wanted to keep for a desktop build) and I found that I could use that to activate. But I really don't want to - I prefer to keep it for the desktop rebuild.

Is it really the case that HP cannot or will not give me a product activation key that will actually work without my having to take the telemetry containing version of the Windows 7 pro they pre-installed as well?

Recovery of factory images that also contain telemetry are not a solution for me.

[Grzwacz]

Hello

If Technet copy of Win 7 Pro was full or upgrade then maybe the HP OEM key failed.

Try using the second OEM copy but use the HP OEM key.

You might have to contact Microsoft to activate.

I just had to do something similar when doing a build and found the motherbaord was faulty. Got a replacement board of same model.

Installed Win 7 OEM again, activation failed. Then had to contact MS to get activation code.

Grzy

[mdklassen]

> I recently received (at last) my HP Probook 470 G3 with Windows 7 pro 64 bit pre-installed ...

Is there a "System Recovery" partition on the disk-drive, allowing Windows 7 to be reinstalled to "factory" settings?

Using this partition is the way to reinstall Windows 7.

Was there a utility program on the disk-drive, allowing you to create your own "System Recovery Set" (either one 16GB USB memory-stick, or a few DVD-writable disks) ?

From: http://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-probook-470-g3-notebook-pc/7834620

I see the following software that lets you download Windows 7:

Type: Software-Restore CD

Version: 1.0.6 Rev.1

Operating systems: Windows 7 (64-bit)

Release date: Oct 31, 2016

File name:  sp77736.exe   (3.2 MB)

Description:

This package provides the Cloud Recovery Client for supported models running a supported operating system.

This Client Utility enables users to download the Recovery Kit from the cloud.

[mdklassen]

> Recovery of factory images that also contain telemetry are not a solution for me.

Not even if you can, post-installation, use "Add/Remove" to uninstall those Windows-updates that contain that "telemetry" code, and then use Windows Update to "hide" those updates, so that they never get reinstalled?

What about adding some "Internet Security" software solution that has an "outgoing" firewall, that will block all attempts to send "telemetry" data out of your computer? Default it to "deny".  Allow your E-mail client. Allow 1 web-browser.