How to Recover Win7 Product Key After System Recovery

[ParnelliBill]

I recently did a factory reset using the built-in Recovery Partition (D:\) on a HP Pavilion dv6 running Win7-64bit. I am now being asked to enter the Windows activation key. The sticker on the bottom of my laptop is not readable. I've tried various programs and scripts to try recovering the key, but instead of getting the activation key, I only get the default product key which Microsoft won't accept. How do I get the correct key needed to activate the operating system?

[Prométhée]

Hello
if you use the original reinstallation, reinstall from the partition or reinstallation kit, you should not need to reactivate windows! this must be done automatically
See this

https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c01860395

[ParnelliBill]

Thank you Prométhée for your prompt reply. Here are the details on the laptop which you requested.

Model: Pavilion dv6 - 1334us

Product: VV256UA#ABA

Serial No.: CNF9430RY0

I used the recovery partition which came on the laptop (D:\Recovery). Recovery was unable to run directly from the hard drive, so it prompted me to make Recovery disks (3 DVDs). I noted on the link you attached to your reply, that HP says that one may have to re-activate Windows after performing a recovery using HP Recovery Disks (second bullet point under the heading "Windows 7 prompts to be activated again").

I've tried activating Windows online, over the phone using the automated system and over the phone speaking to a Microsoft representative. They all say the activation number I have is the default key HP uses during the manufacturing of the laptop and not the one specific to the laptop I own.

The key on the sticker on the bottom of the laptop is not legible. The sticker has turned brown, almost as if it was burnt from the laptop overheating. The laptop I am working on belongs to my son who is autistic, so it isn't always used with the upmost care.

How do I get the correct Windows product activation key? I did make both a disk backup and a system image before implementing the Recovery. Is there a way to get the key from the image?

[WAWood]

@ParnelliBill 

There is something known as the genuine-ticket method -- and you might be able to use that if you can mount the image as a virtual drive.

Information about this method is here: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/23354-clean-install-windows-10-directly-without-having-upgrade-fi...

Good Luck

[Prométhée]

I do not understand the link with Windows 10 ??

@ParnelliBill 
Unfortunately if windows cannot be activated and the label is no longer readable it can be complicated
If you have an image created before the problem, it could work.
Otherwise, I will try for you a complete reinstallation of windows with DVDs
For quite some time microsoft, made no history for reactivation, but it seems that it is more complicated, I did not understand well because of the translation the reason given, but it seems to me to be just an excuse

[WAWood]

When you are running Win7, the GenuineTicket approach is a method by which you can harvest the Win7 license,save that to a file, copy that file to Win10, and then use it to reactivate Windows using that license.  It works with OEM licenses as well as Retail.  I know this because I used this on my DV6.

When I did the Win10 Upgrade in-place, it was SUPPOSED to reuse the existing Win7 OEM license for Win10, but when I got Win10 up an running, it would not activate, even though I manually entered the license from the sticker on the HP laptop.

So, I found this info on the Win10 forums, restored by laptop from an image I made with Macrium Reflect, ran the GenuineTicket routine, saved off the file, did the Upgrade again, and then ran the GenuineTicket routing a second time -- and Win10 activated without issue.

My point is that with some imaging apps, you can mount the image as a virtual drive, and you then MIGHT be able to use the GenuineTicket method to harvest the Win7 license info from that drive.  I don't know if this works because I have not tried this and, having no Win7 PCs anymore, have no way to test it.

It might also be worth posting a thread on the Tenforums site to see if anyone there can help.

Good Luck

[Prométhée]

Sorry @WAWood 
You know that my English is not at the top!
I like to learn, we cannot know everything.
Unfortunately there it is not clear to me because of the translation.
So is this valid if we have windows 7 not activated, and we go to windows 10 (that's what I understand more or less)
Therefore, you have to switch to Windows 10, which does not always happen without problems with all computers.
Or can it be used if you want to stay on the original windows?
I understand that this is not the goal of the solution given?
Windows 10 is no longer supposed to be installed for free, although sometimes it seems to be always possible!
Thank you

[WAWood]

@Prométhée 

The intended purpose of the GenuineTicket method is to save off the existing Win7 license so it can be re-entered later after a Win10 Upgrade that does not automatically reactivate.

My suggestion was that if that same method can be used to harvest the license from a mounted image file, then that information can then be used to reactivate Windows -- but Win7 must be activated first, otherwise, the method will not work.

[ParnelliBill]

Thank you WAWood for the alternate method. I was a bit confused at first, but your conversation with Prométhée helped clarify things a bit. I've never mounted a virtual drive before, so I'll have to do some research. If it works, I'll be sure to mark your reply as "Solved".

I am planning to update the HP laptop which is the subject of this thread to Win10, since Win7 is no longer going to be supported. I just have to hope the original OEM product key can be harvested from the system image.

A few days ago, I updated another Win7 laptop to Win10 and can testify that the free update still works (although the Microsoft website says it is no longer available).

[Prométhée]

Hello
indeed, from the feedback that i have seen, it was possible to continue installing windows 10 provided you have windows 7 (for example).
And let it be an update, not a full install!
After there are contradictions, I heard that you can go to Windows 10, even in full installation, provided you use a valid Windows 7 key.
But I don't remember recent feedback!
In fact what would not be possible would be just to install windows 10 on a brand new configuration and without a valid key of windows 10!
It would even be possible provided you use a microsoft account to recover windows 10 even after a motherboard replacement, which was impossible before!
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12440/windows-10-activate

Linking your Microsoft account with your digital license enables you to reactivate Windows using the Activation troubleshooter whenever you make a significant hardware change.