Re: [gentoo-user] [OT as it gets. Sorry] Windoze 7 and reinstalling error.

[Frank Steinmetzger]

On Wed, Feb 01, 2012 at 09:31:13PM -0500, Mike Edenfield wrote:
> > From: Dale [mailto:rdalek1967@×××××.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2012 8:06 PM
>
>
> > Your reply made me think of something.  I had a XP reinstall once that
> > required a number from MS because of the new mobo and hard drive.  They
> > said it recognized the change in the serial numbers.  When I ran into
> > that before tho, it installed fine but gave 30 days to put in the
> > number.  Does winders 7 have something similar?

That's the Product Key, being 5x5 characters in size *looking at sticker on
bottom of laptop*. Once you entered the key, Windows activates itself online.
If that fails (e.g. if you used the key too often or the key is blacklisted,
etc), you can reactivate Windows via a phone call to MS.
 
> I *think* you get a grace period after that to re-activate your system but
> it's been a while since I had that happen to me.

Incidentally, I have this very situation in a virtual XP right now. Once that
grace period is over, it shuts you out completely. When I try to log in it
tells me that I need to activate it before I can log in. My choices are to
either enter a key into a dialog or to not do so, in which case I get thrown
back to the login screen. Neat, huh.

Windows 7 gives you some more leeway, in that it lets you log in to your
desktop, but IIRC the background is blackened and all you can open is IE to
open the MS site or summit like that.

There is a command which can rearm the 30 days counter at most twice, as long
as it hasn't run out yet.
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