Drivers/Hardware :: Auto Activation After RAM Upgrade
Sep 30, 2015
I upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 on Dell XPS 15 L502x(Sandy Bridge). Later i did a fresh install and Windows 10 activated automatically as it should.
Now, i am replacing/upgrading RAM. i want to know if RAM has to do anything with Windows 10 auto activation after fresh install, in case if i need a fresh install again in future. or i should stick with my current RAM?
I had windows 7 installed, upgraded to windows 10, and then created a bootable USB with windows 10 on it. Built a new computer, used the USB to install windows 10 and tried using my code from windows 7 (I was told that it would be associated with my windows 10 account now), and it doesn't work. Should I try calling Microsoft to see if they will activate it for me or what should I do? I just dished out a lot of cash to build this new rig and was hoping I could get away with the free windows 10 since I owned windows 7 and was able to upgrade it and reserve my free upgrade.
So my original motherboard (a G45 express chipset from 2007~) doesn't support overclocking, only supports LGA 775, and has a maximum of 300W. It needs replacing pronto. The thing is, the windows is a OEM copy, so the key is bound to the motherboard. Now I heard that if you phone up Microsoft and tell them that the old motherboard broke, and you bought a new one and now windows wont work, they often just give you a new code and disable your old code?
Will this still work in the windows 10 era? As soon as the old windows key is disabled will my current windows install just break? URL... So I just read that you swap the boards, install windows, and wait until it asks for the key
One night I left my computer on and Windows 10 downloaded and upgraded for literally no reason, and it is without a doubt the most unusable operating system I have ever had installed on my PC. After only a day everything has broken (I must go into task manager to start any app, can't open start menu, horrible FPS in games even with my GTX 970).
Anyway, I don't have a disk or anything for Windows 7 as it was preinstalled on my PC. The option to downgrade in "Recovery" just simply isn't there.
I upgraded to Windows 10. I didn't like it. I reverted back to 8.1. Now, every time I turn my laptop on, the Windows Update screen pops up and starts installing Windows 10. I have changed auto update settings to ask me first, but to no avail. I even selected DO NOT check for updates, to no avail. How do I get this to stop?
I just upgraded windows 8.1 to windows 10, everything works fine, except monitor does not go to standby by after 15 minutes of idle. I checked power settings, change it, back, forward, nothing, same thing.
I decided to make an image of my C drive on my windows ten spare laptop,Using the free Macrium Reflect software. Followed all the info on how to proceed with the software,It all went well I burnt the recovery disc as directed.
Now this is where things got a bit wrong,I went to place the recovery disc into the drive and of course started the laptop up then when it came to press on the respective key on the keyboard,The next thing I saw was that the optical drive had opened the recovery disc up and all the contents were showing in the file explorer.
How do I overcome this problem has it got something to do with the settings in the auto run not to open the disc.
I have multiple hard drives on my machine with a power switch between the PSU and drive itself. None of these drives are boot drives except the drive that holds the OS. Yet, W10 will not see any of these drives just by turning on the power switch. I have to switch on the HDD, and then go through the whole startup process to get W10 to see it. External USB drives are seen straight away. I don't understand why this is as I can see no difference between this system, and switching on external eSATA drives on my old W7 machine which always worked OK ?
You can see from the image above that random drives get drive letters assigned to them for no reason. In addition to that, I can't even remove the drive letters, unless I use diskpart, but then that doesn't stick between reboots.
Background: We have purchased 14 HP EliteBook 820 laptops (which come with Windows 8.1 downgraded to Win 7 preinstalled) to rollout within our company and my usual method for laptop rollouts is to setup one with our corporate apps etc, run SysPrep and then clone the hard drive to the rest of the laptops.
This has worked fine in the past with Windows XP and 7 but with the introduction of the free upgrade to Windows 10 which we want to take advantage of it has produced a problem.
Problem: I have setup one laptop and gone through the free upgrade to Windows 10 then installed our required apps etc, run SysPrep, shutdown and cloned the hard drive to another hard drive to go into the next laptop (same model) to rollout.
Windows is then unable to activate giving error code 0xC004C003 meaning the key is blocked.
Because the laptops have OEM Windows licences pre-installed this means that I don't have a product key sticker; it is embedded in the BIOS.
I am assuming that at the point of upgrade the Microsoft servers check the key and add it to their list of 'OK' keys to allow the upgrade.
When the cloned hard drive is placed into another laptop the key embedded into the BIOS is not OK and Windows does not activate? I've tried the slui program to remove the licence but that just removes the key and asks for a new one. I have also tried doing the clone of a clean install after upgrading. I have tried speaking to HP and Microsoft but each one said speak to the other.
Currently my only option is to setup one laptop with the OEM Win 7 or 8.1, install our Apps, do the SysPrep and cloning and then upgrade each one individually at the end of the OOBE experience. This will be more time consuming when rolling out and rebuilding.
Is there a way to find out which key was used for activation?
I have done testing with insider programs. I also tested this with my windows 7 oem install, I rolled the oem back to windows 7. I also used a windows 7 retail version to also upgrade to windows 10. This way I can keep my multiple boot setup. I just want to be legit that is all.
I have never had problems activating genuine copies of Windows. Changing cpu's, hdd's ram and graphics cards have never bothered Microsoft. Back in the XP days, I also changed motherboards with OEM software successfully. As far as I can tell, only changing the motherboard would cause problems with modern operating systems. I have changed hdd's for ssd's and vice versa and graphics cards with no problems on W10 upgrades. Today, I received a cpu from Ebay and fitted it into the pc which runs 8.1 and W10 upgrade from W7hp. BIOS recognised it at once, but both copies of Windows required a restart, system and device manager failed to recognise the cpu first time. Activation was not affected in either copy of Windows.
laptop has Win 10 that was an free upgrade from Windows 7. If I clone to SSD will activation remain? I know if hardware changes will be an issue. I will backup key just in case, not sure it is needed. later hopefully a fresh install.
I have used Easeus and Acronis in the past with Windows 7, always with bootable media to do the clone. first time cloning windows 10, was thinking about Macrium, just never tried it. Put the new SSD in place and boot to the HDD as external?
Upgraded from 8.1 Pro a day or two ago, however still receiving the 0xC004C003 Error code, stating that the activation server has specified the key as blocked.Will it automatically activate when the activation servers are no longer overwhelmed (if they still are, that is), or is there a way to refresh the activation attempt?
Also, my Microsoft account has another 27 days left before the security details fully change, could this be the reason why it is not activating?
Today I upraded from Win7 to Win10 via the Windows update thing in Win7. I wanted to check if everything ran fine, but i wanted to get a clean isntall. When i was done upgrading i checked my Key via Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder. I then formatted my C: drive and did a clean isntall via a USB stick. When I was done installing I tried to activate windows with the key i extracted and got the Error 0xC004C003. Is there any solution to this? Alternatively would my Windows 7 key still work?
I used to have a program that checks activation/expiration of windows and/or Microsoft office with just one click. I think the name was "check activation" ...
After upgrading my OS to windows 10, its making headache with wifi. My Thinkpad T410 gets disconnecting frequently from the wifi network and does not reconnect automatically. Also not getting reconnected manually for a few minutes. After that reconnects.
Old OS was Windows 7 64 bit.
Wireless adapter is Intel Centrino Ultimate N 6300 AGN
This method will give IMO the best way of updating your system to W10 via an "Almost" clean install.
1) Re-install CLEAN your old legacy OS -- at boot delete all the Windows partitions so there's NOTHING on the HDD (or Windows "C" partition. 2) Ignore / skip the prompt for Windows 10 is available. 3) let the install finish together with any updates the system finds during the install. DO NOT INSTALL ANYTHING ELSE at this stage. 4) VERY IMPORTANT -- ACTIVATE WINDOWS via entering your product key (of the OLD OS). You might need to use control panel and enter Change product key if you are using say your old MSDN / TechNet keys. 5) now go into Windows update via control panel and you'll be offered the Windows 10 upgrade
you are now done and activated -- it's as good as a CLEAN install -- plus you'll have the odd driver working that W10 might not find.
If you want REALLY to do a clean install later then there are many ways via ISO etc to do it -- but your OLD OS must be activated first before any W10 upgrade if you want to have an activated product.
I updated to build 10525 from an activated pro build 10240 this morning.. and now it shows windows is not activated.. the error is "DNS name does not exist" ..
I do not have the phone activation option button. Any website where I can obtain an installation id number [apparently six or so blocks of five/six figures]. I do have the phone number but am asked for this installation number before speaking to a real person.
A friend's Asus 8.1 laptop was stuck in an automatic repair loop so I suggested that he upgrade to Windows 10.
Because he was unable to access his system, I opted for a clean install and I created a bootable Win 10 usb on another pc. I used this usb to insall Win 10 on his machine, skipping any requests to activate.
I was under the impression that Win 10 would automatically activate on installation. I'm not sure he ever signed up for the free upgrade offer before Win 8 on his machine decided to implode.
In 2008, I purchased 2 DVD copies of Office Home and Student 2007. This means that I have a total of 6 activation of the program. (Office 2007 and 2010 give you 3 licenses per DVD, while 2013 only gives you 1)
Over the years, I've upgraded computers, hard drives, reformatted, etc. etc. and all I've done to "unregister" Office 2007 from my computer was to simply uninstall it from Control Panel whilst connected to the Internet. I always did this, in hope that I would be unregistering my product key. Upon reinstalltion, I could always reactivate with no problems. (Except for a few times where I've forgotten that one of my DVDs had ran out of the 3 licenses, and that I had to use the other one to activate).
However, now, I'm curious if there's a way to check how many activation I've used, and also, if there's a way to "clear" all 3 activation on both DVDs in order to "start fresh". How to do this with Office 2007?
I don't know if the right place, but I'll share my problem. Last days I resized my C: drive in order to put Linux on my free space and dual boot. Since then my windows lost his activation, gave me eroor code 0xC004F012 and don't want to shut down - just log off.