• ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
  • post a message
  • ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
  • post a message
Guidelines
Are you having HotKey issues? Click here for tips and tricks.
Check out our WINDOWS 11 Support Center info about: OPTIMIZATION, KNOWN ISSUES, FAQs, VIDEOS AND MORE.
HP Recommended
HP TouchSmart 230 PC
Microsoft Windows 7 (64-bit)

hi! i recently restored my computer, and i used the incorrect windows 7 installtion disk (the disk i used was for my dell laptop.)

and now i can't activite my windows, when i go to activite it was invaild. 

and i got into contact with hp and windows, and they both told me to get order a recovery disk for my specific computer, and i was wondering where do i find that? or order it?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

You're very welcome.

 

Somewhere (probably on the back of the display panel), there should be a W7 product key that may look like one of these...

 

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.h9qhJC8JCxhQBQm1ineapQHaFy&w=228&h=172&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7

 

You would change the key to the 25 character W7 product key found on the W7 sticker on your PC's case.

 

View solution in original post

8 REPLIES 8
HP Recommended

Hi:

 

HP no longer sells recovery media for that model series.

 

You may be able to still get a set from this non-HP vendor at the link below.

 

http://www.computersurgeons.com/

 

I'm surprised that W7 didn't activate after you changed the product key to the one on your PC's case.

HP Recommended

thank you so much!

so this is my computer from the link: http://www.computersurgeons.com/p-22049-windows-7-64-bit-recovery-kit-a7c03av-for-hp-touchsmart-desk...

i'm really uneducated in all this computer stuff, sorry, so that link to my computer what am i exactly purchasing? so if i proceed to purchase it, it gives me the product key that i need to active?

 

HP Recommended

You're very welcome.

 

A HP recovery kit (which this vendor is selling) does not need a product key.

 

The software is pre-activated, and knows it is being installed on a qualifying HP PC.

 

As long as your PC has one of the product numbers listed on the link you posted, the recovery kit should work, and W7 should be automatically activated.

 

Product Number: QP788AA, QP788AAR, QP788AA#ABA

 

You can find the product number for your PC on the same label as the serial number.

 

I am still surprised that when I assume you entered the W7 product key from the W7 product key sticker on your PC's case, that W7 didn't activate.

 

The Dell disk works like the HP disk. No activation is needed if it is being installed on a Dell PC.

 

But since you used the Dell disk on a HP PC, it works fine but needs activation because the disk knew it wasn't being installed on a Dell PC.

 

Usually, you can use any brand disk you want as long as you go to the windows control panel>System & Security>System>at the bottom of that window, under Windows Activation, there is a Change Product Key selection.

 

You change the key from what the Dell disk put in there to the one on your PC's case, and it should succesfully activate Windows.

HP Recommended

thanks!
to be more specific  my hp touchsmart computer, i wanted to restore it, since it was running a bit slow and there were too many applications and photos i wouldn't use. and my parents threw away everything that came with my computer that being the box entirely and everything that came inside the box. they wern't sure if they kept the disks or not, and i found two disks that read "reinstalled DVD windows 7 home premium 64-bit." and another disk read "drivers and utilites already installed on your computer." so i restored my computer i've already backed up my photos and some documents on google drives, once i restored it i put in the "reinstalled DVD windows 7 home premium 64-bit." (the drivers and utilites disk wouldn't install so i didn't use it.)  it successfully restored the way i wanted it to, after i restored it i looked at the disks and it had a dell logo on it, so i accidentally installed the disk from an old dell computer i had and don't have anymore. when it was all restored i went to hp support drivers website and downloaded my specific drivers for my computer model. but when i looked at the computer properties it said i couldn't activate my windows and that it was invalid. 

 

the product number on my computer does match the one that is listed on the recovery kit too! 

 

it does allow me to change the product key aswell, are you saying that i change the product key to the numbers on the sticker thats on the disk that i used?

HP Recommended

these are the disks that i used, so the number in the back i would enter that in for a product number?

IMG-2003.JPGIMG-2002.JPG

HP Recommended

You're very welcome.

 

Somewhere (probably on the back of the display panel), there should be a W7 product key that may look like one of these...

 

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OIP.h9qhJC8JCxhQBQm1ineapQHaFy&w=228&h=172&c=7&o=5&pid=1.7

 

You would change the key to the 25 character W7 product key found on the W7 sticker on your PC's case.

 

HP Recommended

i found it and the product key was successful! thank you! the product key was underneath my monitor i didn't think it would be but i just looked just in case and it was there lol

HP Recommended

Anytime.

 

Glad to have been of assistance.

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.