SOLVED win 7 after 1 year suddenly not activated?

[littlex]

Hello there!
I need help again:
I am using Win7 for more than a year with only minor problems (most of them caused by my own stupidity ) but yesterday I ran into a big problem:
When trying to install SP 1 it claimed while performing the "genuine test" that it could not complete the test (stopped with error-code 0xC8000222)
After rebooting the computer it claimed that my win 7-version was not activated.
Each and every attempt of doing so failed...
It shows the product-ID in the system-folder as well as a link to activate the version or a link to change the product key, but when clicking on it nothing happens...:dontknow:

HELP!
Any tips and suggestions are highly appreciated.... As a "Hail Mary" didn´t help, I am hoping for your input...
Thanks in advance,
LittleX

 

[davehc]

From where did you obtain the original installation media?

 

[littlex]

I bought it at a computer store...
Not someplace fishy

 

[Super Sarge]

Have you tried calling MS to activate

 

[davehc]

As Super Sarge says. Quickest way out of the predicament is by the telephone ("Other methods") path.
Open the Start Menu, and type slui.exe 4 and press Enter.
If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.
Click on the drop down menu and select the nearest location to you for a toll free number to call, then click on the Next button.
A local phone number should apear under the Step 1 section with a set of installation ID numbers generated by Windows and displayed on your screen under the 1 to 9 in the Step 2 section.
Call the activation phone number
At first, the activation line will be automated, so you will be asked to enter or speak the installation ID numbers displayed on your screen into the phone.
If Automated Service is Successful (It sometimes fails!) You will be issued with a confirmation ID number.WRITE THESE DOWN
Type in the confirmation ID number given to you into the Step 3 section, and click on Next.
When you get the Activation was successful window, click on Close to finish
If, however, the automated activation service informs you that it was unsuccessful and cannot help you with activation, then STAY ON THE LINE and wait. Your call will be transferred to an activation operator who will assist you in activating your copy of Windows 7. The operator will give you a confirmation ID number if they agree your copy of Windows 7 is legitimate. Nothing frightening there. Just tell him/her what happened.

 

[littlex]

Thx, Davehc,
will give it a try as soon as I get home...
Hopefully this works!
Any idea what might have caused the problems?

Later...
Littlex

 

[Super Sarge]

I have had it happen when I did a MS Update for an item. do not know why but sometimes it happens. After all it is Windows

 

[davehc]

Yes. Make sure, before you try the SP1 update, that you have all current MS Os updates installed.

 

[littlex]

Hi, davehc,
tried the "slui.exe 4", nothing happens...
Is it possible that something is amiss with SAM?

Any more ideas to solve my problem?
Thx in advance,
LittleX

Edit:
error-messages :
error activating licence (slui.exe) 0x800706be
error planning licence activ. (sppuinotify.dll) 0x80070005
error starting sppuinotify-service (0x80070426

What am I missing?
It all started March 16th, after my first attempt to install SP1 :-(

 

[davehc]

I am a little lost. You OS appears to have become corrupted or, at least, the security incorporated.
SLui.exe is located at

\Windows\winsxs\amd64_microsoft-windows-security-spp-ux_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.17514_none_b9e7a42ab571bbb9

You can check there and see if the file exists. If it does, try and run it from that position .
Otherwise I can only suggest
1. Try and uninstall SP1, if an uninstall is available or
2. Backup and then reinstall the OS and reactivate

 

[littlex]

Oh, sh....!
Don´t I look forward to reinstalling OS...
Will give it a try as soon as I get home again (working Saturdays sucks!)

Thx anyway,
LittleX

 

[catilley1092]

A fresh install isn't that bad within itself. After the install, and fully updating your OS, it's the reinstallation of programs, and setting things as you like them that's time consuming. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to get everything right, that depends on the amount of time that you have to spare.

Make sure that you have your drivers saved to a flash drive or CD/DVD, locate your software keys, and any installer files (usually .exe ones) beforehand. Having these things prior to the install gives you a better experience, and the install will also go faster.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[littlex]

Hi, Cat,
thanks for your encouragement...but it does not lift my spirit much :-(
been there, done that... There goes my weekend (again...)
You are right, installing Win7 ain´t the problem, but having to re-install all my programs is what sucks and what I am not particularly looking forward to.
I will check if I do have a backup that would work and take it from there...
Thx,
LittleX

 

[catilley1092]

Having a known good backup would be the best thing, as that was how I did my last install to a fresh drive. Being that the backup was almost 5 months old at the time, and I had already installed SP1, at first, it was flagged as non-genuine.

But after the system updated, all was fine.

If by chance you do have to reinstall, once you have your system fully updated, and the way you want it, that would be a prime opportunity to make a full backup of your drive. That way, should you have problems, you'll have that to fall back on.

That backup that I restored with last time, I saved it, just in case I need it again.

Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

You can use Windows Easy Transfer to help a little, it can back up your userids and data and after reinstall you restore those things. Yes you still have to reinstall all your programs, browser add-ins, and any system tweaks.

That is why we highly recommend creating and sticking to a back-up plan: such as taking a system image monthly and data back-ups weekly and storing them to an external back-up drive which is turned off when not making a back-up (if it is always on and connected then a virus attack can affect your back-up drive as well).

 

[littlex]

Hello everybody!
Thanks for your support and help, I got it fixed.
Fortunately I have a valid backup of the entire partition (Acronis True Image, a really helpful program - if you use it regularly ). Although it is not brand new, it did the trick. I got the "old" system back and .... TaTa, W7 is activated again.

But I still can not get Update to run. It claims that it is not turned on (true) and that it needs to re-boot in order to get Update up and running. Tried it and ... does not work.
Any suggestions on that?

I don´t want to try installing SP1 right now, as I don´t want to have the same problems with an un-activated W7 again...

Thanks again :knuddel:
Littlex

 

[davehc]

Open "Services.msc" in the RUN.
Scroll down and ansure you have windows update turned on. The option is "Delayed " start. If it was not turned on, then you will now be able to start it from that location, at the same time.

It obviously did not occur to us that you already had an Acronis image on your computer. LOL. That would have solved the problem after your very first post!"!

 

[littlex]

Hello, Dave!
Thanks for your quick reply.
I found THE solution for my problem yesterday on answers.microsoft.com.(cannot find the post at the moment, will try again later).
I had to stop Update service, delete all files and folders in c:/windows/softwareDistribution and re-start Update Service. And TaTa... there it is! Up and running and claiming that there are (at least) 66 important updates pending
There goes my evening off...

And I was reluctant to use the (quite old) backup (dated Jan 27th 2011) but now I am sort of glad I did... I did not loose much data (just my mails) but I think I backed them up after I noticed that W7 was not activated anymore. Have to check later...
Thanks again and have a nice day,
LittleX

(Excuse my bad english, actually I am German, so my english needs improvement badly... )

 

[davehc]

A little off thread but. I have found the easiest way to preserve your mail is to set up a mailBox elsewhere on your computer. You can even install Windows Live Mail elswhere, or copy the entire folder. It is then a simple matter, in the event of a disaster, to recover everything.