Windows 7 re-installation and activation

[John Green]

I recently lost my laptop on which I had Windows 7 (upgraded from
Windows XP). I bought the upgrade disk disk from PCWorld about a year
ago for that laptop.

Now the laptop is lost and so I intend to buy a blank box from Novatech
and install Windows 7 using the disks I have. Does anybody know whether
the activation will go thru automatically or do I need to use the phone
method? I have got the original Windows XP disks as well just in case
it is required to prove the upgrade.

I always thought that Microsoft had a cut off date of 120 days after
which the activation is automatic but this might have changed. In the
old days (XP days) one could activate windows every 120 days
automatically but is this still the case for Windows 7?

 

[philo]

I recently lost my laptop on which I had Windows 7 (upgraded from
Windows XP). I bought the upgrade disk disk from PCWorld about a year
ago for that laptop.

Now the laptop is lost and so I intend to buy a blank box from Novatech
and install Windows 7 using the disks I have. Does anybody know whether
the activation will go thru automatically or do I need to use the phone
method? I have got the original Windows XP disks as well just in case
it is required to prove the upgrade.

I always thought that Microsoft had a cut off date of 120 days after
which the activation is automatic but this might have changed. In the
old days (XP days) one could activate windows every 120 days
automatically but is this still the case for Windows 7?

You will have to re-activate Win7.

 

[Dominique]

You will have to re-activate Win7.

I think the OP already knows this.

 

[philo]

philo <philo@privcy.not> écrivait

I think the OP already knows this.

You are right, I guess I should have said that the automatic update will
probably work fine...if for any reason it does not, I've done phone
activations before and was glad to see it was no big deal.

 

[Dominique]

I recently lost my laptop on which I had Windows 7 (upgraded from
Windows XP). I bought the upgrade disk disk from PCWorld about a year
ago for that laptop.

Now the laptop is lost and so I intend to buy a blank box from Novatech
and install Windows 7 using the disks I have. Does anybody know whether
the activation will go thru automatically or do I need to use the phone
method? I have got the original Windows XP disks as well just in case
it is required to prove the upgrade.

I always thought that Microsoft had a cut off date of 120 days after
which the activation is automatic but this might have changed. In the
old days (XP days) one could activate windows every 120 days
automatically but is this still the case for Windows 7?

You don't need the the XP disk.

I understand that you have an upgrade disk for Seven. In that case, you
can use the "double install" method. (Upgrade over itself) this method
works for Vista and Seven, I don't know about Eight

You boot your PC from the DVD and do a fresh install WITHOUT entering the
key and do not get updates when "INSTALL" suggest it. Don't bother with
the drivers yet.

Then you start your PC with the new installation, insert your Seven DVD
and proceed with the Upgrade option. This time, you enter the key and you
can go for the updates that "INSTALL" wants to get.

If you get the updates on the first install, the upgrade won't work
because the install version will be "newer" than your DVD.

Once the "upgrade" is done it should activate on-line, if not, the phone
call should work.

Install your drivers.

Be aware that if the lost or stolen laptop is still being used by
someone, there might be validations issues in the future (not sure).

HTH

 

[pricedo]

I recently lost my laptop on which I had Windows 7 (upgraded from
Windows XP). I bought the upgrade disk disk from PCWorld about a year
ago for that laptop.

Now the laptop is lost and so I intend to buy a blank box from Novatech
and install Windows 7 using the disks I have. Does anybody know whether
the activation will go thru automatically or do I need to use the phone
method? I have got the original Windows XP disks as well just in case
it is required to prove the upgrade.

I always thought that Microsoft had a cut off date of 120 days after
which the activation is automatic but this might have changed. In the
old days (XP days) one could activate windows every 120 days
automatically but is this still the case for Windows 7?

I activated Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit by internet on a fresh install on an Acer netbook after I scraped the original host computer. I used an image made from the original w7 installation DVD since the netbook doesn't have an optical drive. No problem whatsoever. Microsoft apparently makes allowances for operating systems that outlast the host computer which happens a lot seeing that XP ruled the pc roost for 6 years and lasted 13 years from its original release in 2001 as a supported windows OS. W7 has been around since 2009.