Vista's telling me my Product Key is Invalid?

[stangn99]

I bought a new Acer laptop couple of weeks ago.

The first thing I did was format and do a clean installed, because it came with so much crap that really bogged down the system.

The laptop itself didn't come with Windows Vista install disk, so I downloaded one.


I did a clean install of Windows Vista using the downloaded DVD and entered the Product Key UDNER THE LAPTOP when asked.


Now, it is telling me the product key is invalid. WHen I try to do an online activation, it tells me I need to do it by phone, because the key is no valid.

Whats going on? I called MS's 1800 number but their system is down and the guy told me to try calling back later (figures...they're system is probably windows based!)

so..did formatting have to do anything with my serial number not worksin?
Did the Downloaded DVD have something to do with it?

I installed the version that the product key is made for (under laptop)

 

[HAF72]

I bought a new Acer laptop couple of weeks ago.

The first thing I did was format and do a clean installed, because it came with so much crap that really bogged down the system.

The laptop itself didn't come with Windows Vista install disk, so I downloaded one.


I did a clean install of Windows Vista using the downloaded DVD and entered the Product Key UDNER THE LAPTOP when asked.


Now, it is telling me the product key is invalid. WHen I try to do an online activation, it tells me I need to do it by phone, because the key is no valid.

Whats going on? I called MS's 1800 number but their system is down and the guy told me to try calling back later (figures...they're system is probably windows based!)

so..did formatting have to do anything with my serial number not worksin?
Did the Downloaded DVD have something to do with it?

I installed the version that the product key is made for (under laptop)

Windows vista key can be only activated once. Why did you reinstalled it anyways? Couldn't you just uninstall those stuff that were bogging down the system?

 

[stangn99]

Are you kidding me?
So if my windows broke down, and I had to re-install...i would be screwed? or I have to pay 100's for another keys?!?! doesn't make sense

I formatted because there was A LOT of garbage installed...it would take less time/effort to just do a clean install. Plus, uninstalling never "cleans" out everything. I had over 20 programs loading up on windows startup - about 80 processes running with no programs open.

After format and clean install with all drivers, I had 34 processes

 

[HAF72]

Are you kidding me?
So if my windows broke down, and I had to re-install...i would be screwed? or I have to pay 100's for another keys?!?! doesn't make sense

I formatted because there was A LOT of garbage installed...it would take less time/effort to just do a clean install. Plus, uninstalling never "cleans" out everything. I had over 20 programs loading up on windows startup - about 80 processes running with no programs open.

After format and clean install with all drivers, I had 34 processes

Well you should maybe asked acer to give you a windows vista disc and then you could probibly activate it well im not really sure though, I know xp can get activated twice, but ive only activated vista home premium once.

 

[stangn99]

Well you should maybe asked acer to give you a windows vista disc and then you could probibly activate it well im not really sure though, I know xp can get activated twice, but ive only activated vista home premium once.

I would think the disc wouldn't really matter.
I thought it was the product key that mattered. Is this not the case anymore? My product key is a legit key - and the laptop is brand new...so it was never used before.

I'm so confused. I just called MS again and their systems are still down.

I woulnd't mind going down to XP, but it doesn't feel right because I basically paid for vista with the laptop.

 

[HAF72]

I would think the disc wouldn't really matter.
I thought it was the product key that mattered. Is this not the case anymore? My product key is a legit key - and the laptop is brand new...so it was never used before.

I'm so confused. I just called MS again and their systems are still down.

I woulnd't mind going down to XP, but it doesn't feel right because I basically paid for vista with the laptop.

Well since you went into vista and saw that there are lots of programs.. Im assuming that you activated the cd key already. What you should had really done was to call acer first before reinstalling vista. Anyways try calling Acer.

 

[upriverpaddler]

Is the version that came pre-installed the same one that you downloaded? "Home Premium", "Home Basic"? From where did you download it?

 

[swatbat]

The disk you downloaded was prob either a retail disk, and action pack disk, or a vlk disk. You need a normal oem disk.

 

[stangn99]

Ok,

I called MS and their systems are back up.

The guy didn't even ask any questions...he just said what are you trying to activate...

I said "Vista Hom premium"

He said did the disc come with the computer...or are you using a retail disc....I said it came with the the laptop.


He said..ok...here is the activation code. If you need to re-installed, call back and activate again.


I said..ok...thanks..byebye.

All is good now.

 

[HAF72]

The laptop itself didn't come with Windows Vista install disk, so I downloaded one.

Ok,

I called MS and their systems are back up.

The guy didn't even ask any questions...he just said what are you trying to activate...

I said "Vista Hom premium"

He said did the disc come with the computer...or are you using a retail disc....I said it came with the the laptop.


He said..ok...here is the activation code. If you need to re-installed, call back and activate again.


I said..ok...thanks..byebye.

All is good now.

liar you told us that you downloaded vista and then installed it but told him you used the one that came with the laptop :/. Also there are no cd keys specifically made for a comp/laptop. It is just a sticker with the cd key of vista that the manufacture got and stick it under that laptop.

 

[digital_exhaust]

I bought a new Acer laptop couple of weeks ago.

Well, that's a fascinating story. I just have one question though.... you say you "downloaded" a copy of Vista because your laptop didn't come with one...so where, exactly did that download come from? Microsoft?


I'm just curious.

 

[duby229]

As long as he has the sticker on the bottom of the case with a valid key, it doesnt matter what disk he used.

 

[stangn99]

liar you told us that you downloaded vista and then installed it but told him you used the one that came with the laptop :/. Also there are no cd keys specifically made for a comp/laptop. It is just a sticker with the cd key of vista that the manufacture got and stick it under that laptop.

Well.of course I lied to him...I'm not going to tell the guy I downloaded the OS.

He would probably hang up the phone. I bought the laptop from Best Buy...and NON of their laptops come with the Vista install disc.

 

[stangn99]

Well, that's a fascinating story. I just have one question though.... you say you "downloaded" a copy of Vista because your laptop didn't come with one...so where, exactly did that download come from? Microsoft?


I'm just curious.

I dont think it matters where it was downloaded from. I think it all depends on weather or not the prodcut key is legit, and if the version on the sticker matches the one downloaded.

 

[Y2K SE]

As long as he has the sticker on the bottom of the case with a valid key, it doesnt matter what disk he used.

At least in WinXP, it does matter. An OEM key will not activate a retail CD installation.

I dont think it matters where it was downloaded from. I think it all depends on weather or not the prodcut key is legit, and if the version on the sticker matches the one downloaded.

If I understand the EULA correctly, this matters, too. For retail products, the key and the physical media cannot be seperated. For OEM, the physical media, if provided, cannot be seperated from the computer. Some OEM's do not provide seperate OS install media, but only a restore CD/DVD.

 

[duby229]

At least in WinXP, it does matter. An OEM key will not activate a retail CD installation.

If I understand the EULA correctly, this matters, too. For retail products, the key and the physical media cannot be seperated. For OEM, the physical media, if provided, cannot be seperated from the computer. Some OEM's do not provide seperate OS install media, but only a restore CD/DVD.

But it doesnt matter what retail CD he has, as long as it is retail. If it is OEM as it is in his case, it doesnt matter what OEM cd he has as long as it is an OEM cd...

 

[LstBrunnenG]

The actual terms of the license and what will work are often two very different things.

Full install with an upgrade key, anyone?

 

[Vile]

Well.of course I lied to him...I'm not going to tell the guy I downloaded the OS.

He would probably hang up the phone. I bought the laptop from Best Buy...and NON of their laptops come with the Vista install disc.

Not quite...You are correct when you say that the Acers, but the fact is most computers no longer come with the restore disc, however, those that do not come with the restore disc have an onboard partition and you are supposed to make the restore disc yourself within the system.
For Acer computers, it's located in "Acer eRecovery"--> Burn Default Disc. Once you select this option, it burns the restore disc for you.
You can also access the recovery partition for Acer computers by hitting ALT + F8 on most systems, ALT + F10 on other Acers.
Gateeay/E-Machines come with the OS disc, but you still need to burn the drivers & apps disc. Toshiba is one of the few companies that actually still includes restore discs with their laptops, most others do not, so this practice is quite normal now.

 

[Finn]

His first mistake was to buy Acer in the first place. Notorious brand.

 

[Dzero]

A coworker was having problems with his WinXP computer. After every fix, by the end of the week, the antivirus would shut down and it would be sending out spam, even after a clean install. I finally asked him where he got his copy of XP, he said his son "downloaded" it off the internet.

Free = Pre-Compromised

Unless you got it from a friend, Start checking for rootkits.

 

[digital_exhaust]

I dont think it matters where it was downloaded from

There was a reason I asked where you downloaded it.....

Free = Pre-Compromised. Start checking for rootkits.

And this is the reason why.

 

[ilkhan]

You need an OEM install disk
again, free=pre-compromised
call acer and yell until they send you a disk.

 

[stangn99]

everything is running great.
The acer laptop is great.
and cd key is working great..and vista is not sending out span...

THanks for all the help

 

[Dzero]

That's because the hackers in Russia were too busy partying with the credit card numbers they stole from the last guy. They won't turn you into a bot until they're done collecting passwords from everyone on your network.

 

[djnes]

Wouldn't it be worth a few bucks to get a legitimate disc from an OEm, rather than download some malware infest warezed copy? Common sense isn't so common after-all.

Furthermore, if all you wanted to do was clean up the original install, you could do that yourself, with a little help from something like PC-Decrapifier. Then, you make your own recovery discs from your clean install. Simple, logical, LEGAL, safer, and much faster.

 

[Oooska]

I'm going to see if I can try to clear up some misconceptions here that have cropped up in this thread. . .

First: There is no "OEM disk" or "retail disk" of Vista. There's two Vista DVDs - one 32-bit and one 64-bit (and then there's the 32-bit CDs as well). The disk is smart enough to know what version of Vista to install based on the serial key. This is a serious blessing for everyone all the way around--there's no longer 6+ different versions of Windows XP disks to deal with (Home, Pro, Pro 1-2CPU, Tablet Edition, Media Center Edition, Student, VLK, plus the retail copies. . .). I've seen literally dozens and dozens of machines with pirated copies of Windows XP simply because the users did not have an OEM copy of their Windows disk to reinstall with, and their "uber tech friend" helped them reformat their system using a "cracked" pirated copy (which stays cracked for about 5 minutes until MS releases a new WGA update). As a matter o fact, I've seen exactly 2 machines that were using a cracked copy illigitimately---*ALL* the others had Windows XP licenses they should have been using.

Second: Vista had to be reactivated for the OP because Vista Premium came "pre-activated" already. OEM licenes are very restrictive in this manner, even with Windows XP. Working as a tech for a college campus, even doing a simple repair install frequently requires reactivating Windows--I do it so much I now have their number on speed dial
I do tend to find it rather obnoxious that Microsoft treats me as a crimincal first, and a paying customer second, but wwhat are you gonna do?

Third: Restore partitions suck arse and I have yet to meet anyone that ever actually made back up DVDs of the partition (though plenty of "Damn, I should have done that BEFORE my hard drive died, eh?"). It's rediculous OEMs can't provide their customers with a standard OEM Windows disk and the utilities on a second disk to give them a choice how to set up their systems. Dell is nice enough to provide the option for an extra $10, but that's $10 more than it should cost as far as I'm concerned.

Fourth, this is the first time I've heard of a compromised Windows XP disk being downloaded off the Internet, but that's pretty bloody creepy. I would definitely avoid downloading a copy if at all possible and simply bumming a copy off a friend if they happen to have one.

 

[stangn99]

So....I could purchase the less expensive Vista Basic and use my serial number and it will install Premium?

I dont get why MS makes so many discs/versions.

Anyway...im pretty sure my vista disc is a clean copy. thanks for clearing all that up.

 

[Vile]

I'm going to see if I can try to clear up some misconceptions here that have cropped up in this thread. . .

Third: Restore partitions suck arse and I have yet to meet anyone that ever actually made back up DVDs of the partition (though plenty of "Damn, I should have done that BEFORE my hard drive died, eh?"). It's rediculous OEMs can't provide their customers with a standard OEM Windows disk and the utilities on a second disk to give them a choice how to set up their systems. Dell is nice enough to provide the option for an extra $10, but that's $10 more than it should cost as far as I'm concerned.

Most computers nowadays (retail) come with a restore partition, so good luck getting around that unless you pay the extra with Dell, or get a Toshiba since they include it with their units. Restore partitions work just fine, so long as you make the restore/recovery disc immediately (in case the HD needs to be replaced) like you are supposed to - hence the dialog box that appears prompting you to make the disc.

 

[XOR != OR]

Most computers nowadays (retail) come with a restore partition, so good luck getting around that unless you pay the extra with Dell, or get a Toshiba since they include it with their units. Restore partitions work just fine, so long as you make the restore/recovery disc immediately (in case the HD needs to be replaced) like you are supposed to - hence the dialog box that appears prompting you to make the disc.

The third option is to go digging into the restore partitions yourself to extract the ISOs for later use. HP makes that painful however, so only the determined should attempt.

 

[LhasaCM]

So....I could purchase the less expensive Vista Basic and use my serial number and it will install Premium?

Correct - that facilitates the Vista Upgrade Anytime program (where, if you buy one version, you can later decide to bump up a level or two for the price differential, without having to get new media).

I dont get why MS makes so many discs/versions.

Simple - it allows them to price discriminate based on feature sets. It's a necessary maneuver to maximize profits when marginal costs are low. (Apple, by controlling the hardware, doesn't need to differentiate quite as much.)

 

[stangn99]

Thanks!
Makes sense I guess. I like apple's way of doing things better. Upgrading software/os on my g5 is so painless.

I'll stick to the copy I have now. I have run several security checks and everything has shown up clean.

 

[Catweazle]

I'm going to see if I can try to clear up some misconceptions here that have cropped up in this thread. . .

First: There is no "OEM disk" or "retail disk" of Vista. There's two Vista DVDs - one 32-bit and one 64-bit (and then there's the 32-bit CDs as well). The disk is smart enough to know what version of Vista to install based on the serial key. This is a serious blessing for everyone all the way around--there's no longer 6+ different versions of Windows XP disks to deal with (Home, Pro, Pro 1-2CPU, Tablet Edition, Media Center Edition, Student, VLK, plus the retail copies. . .). I've seen literally dozens and dozens of machines with pirated copies of Windows XP simply because the users did not have an OEM copy of their Windows disk to reinstall with, and their "uber tech friend" helped them reformat their system using a "cracked" pirated copy (which stays cracked for about 5 minutes until MS releases a new WGA update). As a matter o fact, I've seen exactly 2 machines that were using a cracked copy illigitimately---*ALL* the others had Windows XP licenses they should have been using.

Second: Vista had to be reactivated for the OP because Vista Premium came "pre-activated" already. OEM licenes are very restrictive in this manner, even with Windows XP. Working as a tech for a college campus, even doing a simple repair install frequently requires reactivating Windows--I do it so much I now have their number on speed dial
I do tend to find it rather obnoxious that Microsoft treats me as a crimincal first, and a paying customer second, but wwhat are you gonna do?

Thank goodness there's a sensible and accurate answer posted in the thread!

Simple fact: Reinstall the laptop using a Vista DVD rather than the recovery media and you'll most likely need to telephone activate. Doing that is easy and perfectly acceptable. Under XP it was quite OK to do the job using a retail CD (and install code) and to tell the dudes at the activation centre what you'd done so they could walk you through changing the install key to the genuine licensed one during activation. With the multiple different disks now gone, the job is even easier with Vista. You can use the laptop's key with a retail package DVD, no worries!

Third: Restore partitions suck arse and I have yet to meet anyone that ever actually made back up DVDs of the partition (though plenty of "Damn, I should have done that BEFORE my hard drive died, eh?"). It's rediculous OEMs can't provide their customers with a standard OEM Windows disk and the utilities on a second disk to give them a choice how to set up their systems. Dell is nice enough to provide the option for an extra $10, but that's $10 more than it should cost as far as I'm concerned.

First thing I do with a new laptop. Making the backup disk set adds to the laptop's resale value, and you can recover the drive space afterwards if that is desired. But being mindful of resale value is the main reason people SHOULD do it

Fourth, this is the first time I've heard of a compromised Windows XP disk being downloaded off the Internet, but that's pretty bloody creepy. I would definitely avoid downloading a copy if at all possible and simply bumming a copy off a friend if they happen to have one.

I had a look around for a 64-bit Vista download and decided what I saw available wasn't worth the effort. Dunno what's going around now, but definitely making a copy of a friend's disk and using your own legitimate install key with it is by far the best alternative for people with recovery media only or people wanting the alternative install.