certificate of authencity number

[FarazSep]

Hello , 

Certificate of Authencity Label has been faded. I cannot read the number anymore , Unfortunately when i bought the laptop i didnt know this number was important , i only saved the product key

microsoft told me to contact HP for this . no one at hp has any idea where to get it from or whom to contact. 

f.y.i  : Currently my disks are formatted. Hopefully HP will restore them using the recovery discs they ship out . I dont know if the COA number would be somewhere on the sytem after they finish as these would be standard disks they ship out. 

Regards,

Faraz

[DavidPK · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I'm assuming from your previous posts, that you are intending to reinstall Windows 7.

If that's correct and you're using HP Recovery Media, you will not need to enter the key from your COA label - once the installation has completed, Windows will activate automatically via a software license ( slic ) table on the bios chip and an embedded security certificate.

Regards,

DP-K

[FarazSep]

thanks. 

Would I be able to get the COA number once the recovery is completed.  Is that something which is stored on the laptop and can be retrieved from there. 

That way I can just download the ISO from microsoft for future. This is the second set of HP disks that I received that were not working. 

Thanks

Faraz

[DavidPK]

Hi,

You're welcome

Unfortunately any 'Key Finder' application will just report the volume license key used to activate your oem Windows 7, not the printed key from your coa - as far as I know, neither Microsoft or HP will have any record of this.

The only suggestion I have would be to take a high resolution of your coa label, import this into a software like 'Photoshop' and apply various filters/enhancements etc to see if there is still a visible imprint.

Regards,

DP-K

[FarazSep]

Thank you. 

[WAWood]

FarazSep

Downloading a Windows ISO from MS is a BAD idea -- why?  Because that will be a Retail copy of the OS, and your PC came preinstalled with an HP OEM copy.  The product key attached to your PC will only work with HP OEM copies of the OS.

IF you try to use that key with MS Retail copies, it will not work.