Updates :: Activation And Cloning HDD
Aug 27, 2015
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.
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Nov 12, 2015
Is there a way to find out which key was used for activation?
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Sep 2, 2015
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Oct 30, 2015
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Sep 15, 2015
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Aug 18, 2015
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I don't know what to do. I've tried everything. I am literally about to break down crying. I've been at this for six and a half hours now. I've completely run out of space on my 320GB hard drive, and I've been trying to clone to my new 1TB since I got home from work.
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Feb 23, 2016
I have a new computer. I want to clone the system to a new SSD. Can I change the drive letter of the SSD to C: after cloning?
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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.
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Aug 20, 2015
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" ..
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Dec 5, 2015
I have a HP desktop with W-7 that the HD is failing. (Almost failed)
I can't do a clone or a system image.
I installed a new HD and booted from my latest USB Upgrade from the Windows Media Creation tool.
I skipped the activation as it installed.
Now when I use the original product key, it fails to activate.
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Sep 7, 2015
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?
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