Validated Win7 32bit for 2 years.. now won't validate 64 bit

[Kyle]

I picked up a cheap Lenovo T60 with Win 7 on it a few years back.. bought from original owner an IT professional and TechNet member.
The laptop is a 2008 vintage.. at the time when they were offering immediate upgrades to Win7 even if your comp shipped with a different OS.. mine did.. it shipped with XP pro and the coa is still on the bottom... It was upgraded.
I have been running validated 32 bit Win 7 for the entire time I've had the lappy.

The original cpu was a T2300 Core Duo.. not capable of 64 bit and a fairly low benchmark performer..
I picked up a T7200 for $15 and installed it last weekend... then installed 64 bit and tried to validate with Win 7 key.. no joy.
This is not the first time I've upped 32 bit to 64 bit .. I have done it 2 other times with no issue on different latops. As long as you stay with the same Win 7 version.. home 32 to home 64.. pro 32 to pro 64.. you normally don't have a problem..

Why is the key that I have been using successfully for 2 years wih Win7 Ult 32 bit not working to validate Win 7 Ult 64?
This is killing me ... I have used 2 different keyfinder programs and they both gave me the same media type # and the same key #..... they are the keys fo Win 7.. the keys for the xp pro on the coa are different...

This lappy was the IT pro's personal comp... not a business beater... well loved-.he is a stand up guy.. no cracking.
I don't understand what the problem is...

 

[davidhk129]

Just curious..... have you tried validation by phone?

 

[Kyle]

Yes.. I tried phone activation. Microsoft told me that the key was blocked... funny.. it's been running 32 bit Win 7 and receiving updates for 2 years. They said I should contact Lenovo.. I did.... Lenovo told me the machine was out of warranty and they could not help me other than to charge me $45 for a recovery disk or refer me to one of their PC repair facilites... more ways to spend money with them.. all I wanted was key validated.. if the key was bad, why has it been working for 2 years? Through untold updates?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Shit like this is why I have always hated the concept of on-line activation. I knew it would be this way, the day they started on-line activating. Planned obsolescence is the term for this consumer treatment.

 

[Kyle]

I did escalate the issue with Lenovo.. they said up to 72 hours to contact me..

Shit like this is why I have always hated the concept of on-line activation. I knew it would be this way, the day they started on-line activating. Planned obsolescence is the term for this consumer treatment.

I agree.. So I cannot get activation help with the software if the computer has run out of it's hardware/ waranty? Im not calling them with a motherboard problem or any problem that will get in their pocketbook.. for all I know they had the software/locked because the T60 I have originally came with a CPU that would not support 64 bit.. many idiots are made when they try to idiot proof.
Neither Microsoft or Lenovo will say why the key is blocked.. Microsoft is the truest Montgomery Burns in the mix.. XP support is ending in April.. and I know that many Netbooks were sold with XP and they aren't 5 years old... All their rules about what you can and can't do with their software and then.. "oh, by the way, we're not supporting the software we sold you 4 years ago". Hypocritical at best.. What kind of businessman thinks doing that is ethical?
What Burns o Soft management doesn't get is all the money they are loosing overpricing their software and tying themselves in knots with validations and coa's and policing authenticity checks and support personel for all the hoops of their own making. Sell a Windows 7 Home CD for $30, Pro for $40, Ult for $50 .. then anytime someone had an issue they'd just go and buy a new CD.. their revenues would jump off the chart. All the music guys got pissed with Napster.. but the $1 per song that it brung to the industry has sent their revenues soaring WAAAY past what old $15 albums brought.. lots of people will buy a single song online for a $1.. that don't want to spend $15 on an entire CD.. likewise "Excellent!" Burns-o-soft would make much more money selling software at reasonable prices.. XP is still one of the leading softwares.. why? Cuz who wants to shell out $100 for new software? what if you have 5 computers in your house for kids etc? How many $100 O/S upgrades you gonna make ?
The death toll may be headed towards the former software king... their practices are painting them into a corner while their competitors are gaining.

 

[TrainableMan]

Are you saying it will not accept the product key during installation? or did it install but won't activate?

If your issue is during install then it's likely because it's a W7 upgrade license. If you formatted the HD to install 64-bit then it doesn't see it as an upgrade. Try the double install method; reinstall the OS a second time and then enter the product key.

If it accepted for install but then won't activate then that would be a Microsoft locked issue and you are probably FUBARed.