$15 to activate Windows?!

[GJWright]

My laptop's hard drive up and died after about 4 years of ownership, and when I reinstalled Windows 7 and tried to activate it, it kept on failing. In a call to Microsoft I was informed that my Windows 7 license was over its activation limit (apparently 1 time) and that I would need to call HP to have the activation limit increased. So I called HP's support line, at which point I was informed that I would need to purchase a $14.99 1-year warranty before they would increase my license's activation limit. That hard drive should not have died after such a short time of light daily use, and I should not be forced to shell out 15 bucks just to keep using my copy of Windows 7 on my computer after repairing it on my own dime. If this is the kind of racket HP is running then I will definitely not be purchasing any of their hardware again, and likewise advising friends and family to give the brand a wide berth.

[CherylG]

@GJWright

I have never heard of MS telling someone their activation is over the limit. Strange. Did you use HP Recovery Media to install Windows or a plain Windows disc and the key from label on bottom of laptop?

Btw-I wouldn't pay any such fee at HP Support. I also have never heard of HP increasing anyone's activation limits (the limits I have never heard of). HP would probably refer you back to Microsoft on this since the license key label on bottom is MS's key.

If you were using HP Recovery Media it uses HP's own OEM volume licensing key which "might" be addressed by HP if problems came up.

[GJWright]

I don't have any Recovery Media burned so I opted to use a copy of Windows 7 Pro and the product key from the laptop. (They stopped printing it on the bottoms of laptops but I managed to retrieve it with Jelly Bean Keyfinder before the drive died.) I don't understand why the activation limit would need to be increased given that the hardware is identical: I'm not trying to use it on a completely new computer, which would obviously be a problem with an OEM license.

[CherylG]

@GJWright

The key you retrieved using Jellybean is the OEM volume licensing key used by HP during manufacture and will not work on a retail copy of Windows.

They didn't stop putting license label on laptops till Windows 8. You should have a label somewhere on the laptop. Usually it is attached to bottom- but could be in the hdd bay or battery bay.

[GJWright]

Windows identifies itself as an OEM copy in its product ID (in the "view basic information about your system" System control panel) and everything I've read suggests that an OEM key will work on a retail install. This laptop has a Windows 8 sticker on the bottom despite coming with Windows 7 installed; I gather it was some kind of transitional period where they expected you to upgrade to Windows 8. I took this thing apart thoroughly to put the new hard drive in and there's no sign of a Windows 7 sticker or product key anywhere.

[CherylG]

@GJWright

An OEM key will work with retail disc-IF it is the one on MS COA . The one you pulled with Jellybean is the Volume license key used in manufacturing.

I did find something interesting on your Specs page that may explain and backs up what you are thinking. It states that it shipped with Windows 7 but with Windows 8 license key and Recovery Media. So, yes it probably was one of the last few HP offered with Windows 7. Windows 8 license key is probably embedded in BIOS. Did you get Recovery Media for 8 with the laptop?

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04504152

[CherylG]

Use the attached file to see if it retrieves a Windows 8 license key from BIOS. If so that key may be accepted by Microsoft as a Windows 7 downgrade rights key and activate for you.

[GJWright]

I don't think I got any Windows 8 recovery media with the laptop although I'm not sure now, but it seems Microsoft doesn't require a key to download and create your own Win8.1 installation media so hopefully that won't matter.  I retrieved the key from the bios using RW-Everything but it's not clear to me, even after reading Microsoft's article on "How to downgrade from Windows 8," how to get a Win7 key out of it so I may just have to start fresh and install Windows 8. If I'd known about the key being stored in the bios I would have just done that in the first place and saved myself a lot of hassle. Thanks for cluing me in about that particular feature, at least.

[CherylG · Accepted solution]

@GJWright

Call Microsoft activation back and ask if the Windows 8 Pro key can be used to activate Windows 7 Pro as part of the downgrade rights in Pro.

Per the document

"Call the number, and explain the circumstances. When it is determined that you have an eligible Windows license, the customer service representative will provide a single-use activation code to activate the software. Please be aware that Microsoft does not provide a full product key in this scenario".

[GJWright]

Oh, you're right. I'll give that a try: thank you.