Product Key

[ABHenry]

Dear friends, 
i recently had a new hard drive installed and the machine came with Windows 7 Home Premium. When i got the machine back it had Windows 7 Professional. I tried several times to activate it with the Product Key, but MS will not accept it.
I did not write down the Product Key and the tag on the bottom over time has rubbed all that information off.
It will not do Windows Updates.
What baffles me is that I thought the machine was 64 Bit and not 32 Bit???
THank U

[visruth]

Yes it came with Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit from factory.

https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c01896913

I understand that you have installed new hard drive.

Your only option to activate factory set version of Windows 7 was the product activation code printed on the COA sticker pasted on back of notebook.

Since COA sticker has faded away, the only other option is to order HP recovery discs for this model from online sellers like this:
http://computersurgeons.com/p-17113-recovery-kit-585293-001-for-hp-model-number-dv7-3085dx.aspx

You can perform factory reset with these discs:
https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/c01867418#AbT4

[old_geekster]

@ABHenry, welcome back to the forum.

Here is an explanation of how a 32-bit OS will run on a 64-bit system.

I suggest that you contact Microsoft's Customer Support for help with activating your Win 7.  However, you could do a full HP System Recovery using the media that you made when you bought the computer.  This would put it back to the original configuration with Win 7 64-bit.

Please click the Thumbs up + button if I have helped you and click Accept as Solution if your problem is solved.

[ABHenry]

Thank YOU!

I followed this tutorial below. it would NOT accept the 64 Bit option so I completed it with 32 Bit. Yet it did not accept the Product Key this tech used. I don't know what was done? but when the IT Tech could not get the machine to accept the Product key he did some type of a Workaround and fiddled with the Registry. It failed and here I sit and I'm not sure what to do. I am very upset with this tech as he apparently has thrown me under the bus. Claiming he would provide a fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium which is what should be on it. I've been ignored for over a week..Frankly I'm tired of trying to reason with this guy and he got paid for the hard drive and the OS. I asked specifically not to cash the check until all the bugs if found were worked out..this was before I knew the Product key was going to be such a nightmare. A few days later the check was cashed.
So, I am leary about doing anything  more... 
Tutorial:
1. Do a clean install of Windows 7 SP1.
Keep Windows Update turned off for now by selecting "Ask me later".
Skip the activation process for now and don't enter a product key.

If Service Pack 1(SP1) isn't part of the clean install of Windows 7, it needs to be installed first before proceeding to step #2.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5842
windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe (32-bit)
windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe (64-bit)

2. Install the necessary drivers and make sure all primary devices are working okay.

3. Establish an active internet connection, then activate Windows 7 SP1.

4. Install April 2015 servicing pack update (KB3020369).
(32-bit)
(64-bit)

5. Install May 2016 convenience rollup (KB3125574).
(32-bit)
(64-bit)

6. Install July 2016 update rollup (KB3172605).
(32-bit)
(64-bit)

7. Install Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.1.
[edit]

8. Load Windows Update, then change the setting to "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them", then put a checkmark in the Recommended Updates box, then click OK.
The "checking for updates" process will start.
Windows Update should work properly now and should detect the necessary updates within 5 - 10 minutes.

9. When the list of important updates appear, uncheck and hide the Internet Explorer 8 updates, and make sure Internet Explorer 11 is selected.
Most of the optional updates can be unchecked and hidden, but there is one important exception.
If an optional update appears for the monitor, make sure to select it.
Download and install the selected important/optional updates.

10. If more important/optional updates are detected after the restart, uncheck and hide the unneeded ones and select the needed ones, then download and install them.

11. Repeat step #10 until all the needed important/optional updates are installed.


IMPORTANT! Before running each of the installers in step #1(if SP1 is needed) and in steps #4 - #7, stop the "Windows Update" service as follows:
Go to Start and type services.msc in the search box, then click on "services.msc" in the popup.
When the Services window appears, scroll down to the "Windows Update" service, then right-click it, then click Properties, then click Stop in "Service status".
After it stops running, click OK.

IMPORTANT! Most of these steps require you to restart your computer afterwards.
If you're prompted to restart your computer, make sure to do it before going to the next step.

[ABHenry]

Dear Friend and Expert!!!

Where does the Product Key some into play with these Recovery reimage disks that you mention?

Since COA sticker has faded away, the only other option is to order HP recovery discs for this model from online sellers like this:
http://computersurgeons.com/p-17113-recovery-kit-585293-001-for-hp-model-number-dv7-3085dx.aspx

Thank YOU onace again I really appreciate your help...

Sincerely, Raphael

[visruth]

Raphael


No need of knowing the product key if you have the HP recovery discs. Windows are already activated while installing from HP recovery discs.

So ordering HP recovery discs from above link is the only option if COA sticker has faded or gone.

[ABHenry]

THANK YOU!!!

Is there anyway this IT TEch could of Altered/replace the Original product key from the motherboard? 

Best, Ralph

[visruth]

If motherboard has been changed from what came from factory, then product key wouldn't activate your notebook. Otherwise it has to activate with the key from COA sticker.

Did you replace motherboard?

[ABHenry]

Thank again!

No the motherboard has never been replaced. 

ALL I can tell you for certain is that the computer left my hands with a healthy working Windows 7 Home Premium OS, but the Hard drive was shot.

It came back with Windows 7 Professional with a product key that will not work. Apparently the Tech still thought or guessed it would work or that he could perform some type of a Workaround to get it to work.,which obviously it did not.

He mentioned at some point after the changes were made that did not work, that a fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium would do the trick..something like that. He asked me if I had an 4-8GB flashdrive.

Thats all I know.

Best, raphael

[visruth · Accepted solution]

In that case my best bet is HP recovery discs, considering motherboard is intact and COA sticker has faded.

Order them.

Windows 7 Home Premium fresh install will not activate unless you have the intact product key from "COA sticker"

Also just an additional info for you, not very useful now: it doesn't matter you're installing 32 bit or 64 bit, both use same product key.