A friend has had their Toshiba laptop formatted, now the 30 days have expired it's asking for a Windows product key, the one on the sticker on the underside is apparantly invalid (I have triple checked I'm entering it correctly). I also understand that this is not the product key that the previously installed Vista would be using; manufacturers use a generic key and just attach the sticker for legal reasons, is this right? Personaly I usally run a product key finder before formatting and re-use this key with no problems, but somebody has formatted this laptop without doing this. Any ideas how to get round this? Has the Toshiba product key gone forever?
yes it has gone, but if it has been reloaded, they may have installed the wrong version of vista for the license.
What I have found with laptops and machines preinstalled with an OS (vista and 7, never seen it in XP) is that when you reinstall it will occasionally find the info for that machine from their database and apply it automatically. When reinstalling vista a few times on my girlfriend's laptop this was the case, with a complete reinstall, hard drive wiped and a normal install with a retail disc, not upgrade. No hardware parts were changed though. Who was this 'someone' who formatted the machine, if it was a shop or someone being paid to service the machine, I would ask them to provide another key, as really they shouldn't have wiped the machine without properly ensuring they could put it back into a usable state.
they wont do that in a million years, customers are assumed to have the proper license key providing there is a key sticker. ive retreived keys before for customers only to find their key is VLK one and invalid and thier windows is pirated (they always fail to mention that) now its not the companies responsiblilty to provide another key. however doesnt sound like the issue here since it has a genuine MS sticker. but with the issue what version on vista is stated on the license sticker ? vista home , basic etc is that the same ones as installed ? also who formatted it ? oo after thought is the key invalid or just fails to activate ?
I was hoping the key may be stored somewhere in the hardware? Or maybe a special Toshiba recovery disc may have this generic key and automatically enter it on installation. I think it was a family member who reinstalled it, looks like they are gunna be shelling out.
Exactly, a genunie sticker should work I would of thought and it says Vista Home Premium on the sticker. A family member apparantly
did they install vista business instead, which will cause the key to be invalid. get hold of a vista home disk, try and repair install, and when asked for the key, provide the one on the sticker.
i forget but cant you use the upgrade option in vista to downgade as well as along as your connected to the net ?
The Vista product key at the bottom of your laptop, is not an activated/real one. It's proof of purchase. (unless you have a Dell, Lenovo or HP business, as the real OS disk is provided). The real license is part of the OS disk provided with your laptop. As only Dell, Lenovo, and Business line HP comes with the OS disk (and not an image), you have no choice to use the imaged disk. If your system came with no image disk or recovery partition on your system, then you agreed on the license agreement when you first turned on the computer, that you will take full responsibility in creating a backup image disk(s). All hope is not lost, you can contact your manufacture and pay between 25-95$ (well that is the case in Canada), for the imaged disks. What you can do? You can contact Microsoft so that they can give you a new key. You have the proof of purchase, so it should be good. Retail store experience :S The clients are always pissed (except the ones with a Dell, Lenovo or business line HP, as they have the official OS disk)
The key won't be installed anywhere on the hardware. The laptop was likely to have been sold in one of three configurations: 1. Windows installation files on a special recovery partition on the hard drive but no recovery CD/DVD 2. No recovery partition but sold with a special recovery CD/DVD specific to that model 3. Installation files on a recovery partition and a recovery CD/DVD If 1 and the format also deleted the special recovery partition then you are screwed unless Toshiba will supply you with a recovery CD/DVD (usually chargeable). If the format did not wipe the recovery partition, is there a recovery option in the BIOS or at bootup? E.g. "press F12 to enter recovery mode"? If 2 and you have the recovery CD/DVD, boot from it and the OEM key for Windows will be built into the recovery installation software. If you don't have a recovery CD/DVD, see if Toshiba supply/sell them for that specific model. If 3 then both of the answers to 1 & 2 could apply, same choices really. tldr; check if there is a recovery option in the BIOS at bootup, if not then see if Toshiba supply/sell a recovery CD/DVD for that specific model, if neither is available then you'll have to purchase a copy of the O/S of your choice. Edit: ninja'd by Goodbytes but I had forgotten about the Microsoft option.
I've always used the product key from the sticker on the bottom of a laptop. It succesfully let me activate Vista Business x64 on a Vostro laptop that came with Business x86. You should be able to use the product key on your sticker to activate. Reinstall or upgrade the install and type the key in when asked - it should install the correct version off the install dvd that is tied to the type of key you have, or just select the version you have a key for.
why not its your license key installed on that machine. ive used it 100's of times for laptop and desktop installs and not once has the key ever been invalid because when you build OEM you HAVE to stick the license key on the machine once you used it. they certainly dont put stickers on for poops&giggles. hell i buy windows 7 HP OEM every day and stick it on a deskstop using the KEY on the sticker.
That is because you have a Dell. Again, Dell and Lenovo (and HP business) provide you with the official Windows disk (just pre-activated and have OEM label on it)
ive used Acer, samsung, toshiba, dell, hp, fujistsu seimens, ASUS, sony and all have OEM license stickers on them and all activated the laptop they were stuck to
Assuming Vista is the same as XP you will need an OEM Vista installation disk. If you installed Vista onto your friends laptop using a retail disk and then try and enter an OEM licence key it will reject it.
But the OP said there's an OEM label on the bottom of their laptop. It matters not if there was no disc included, as long as you can get hold of one you can use the key off the label. I think you're correct.
Tell him to get Windows 7 instead hehe. Anyway, in all seriousness, I think I read something online where if some of the letters on the product key sticker are faded, you can call up Microsoft or the OEM manufacturer, prove that you own the system and they will give you the missing blanks off the key.
Update if anyones interested; The laptop had no recovery partition, F8 on startup led to the machine asking for the Toshiba recovery disk. Spoke the owner, after looking through everything that came with the lappy, found the 'Toshiba product recovery' DVD! With Windows Home Premium 32-bit written on it (the same OS as the product key sticker), result! Ran the DVD, install seems fine... Go to My Computer >>> Properties 'The Windows product key appears to be invalid' !! Getting on the phone to Toshiba and probably Microsoft tomorrow. Surely the product key should work using the recovery disk?!
hard drive does not effect a key been invalid it would just fail to activate. seems odd that your key is inccorect not just fail to activate. i would be ringing MS
