The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    recover Windows 7 serial

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Sir Punk, Mar 8, 2014.

  1. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1,061
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    56
    I have recently bought a laptop that has Win 8 pro serial baked in the motherboard, at least that's what I have read online.
    The previous owner installed Win 7 and for the moment being I would like to stick with it.

    The only issue I have is that I would like to have a clean install to begin with no additional software. Is there a way to either
    a. recover the original serial number
    b. do a recover of windows 7, but I don't have the recovery disk and the recovery partition in the laptop is a win 8 recovery
    c. if I just delete the current user and create a new user i might still have to deal with software and registry installed previously, is that correct?
     
    Sir Punk, Mar 8, 2014
    #1
  2. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    467
    Messages:
    1,348
    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    81
    S.SubZero, Mar 8, 2014
    #2
  3. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1,061
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    56
    thanks, I tried that my other laptop but it doesn't match the key I have on my COA. It says installed from OEM media, could that be the reason why it doesn't match the sticker?

    So I don't know if I can rely on it.

     
    Sir Punk, Mar 8, 2014
    #3
  4. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    If he installed Windows 7, he used his own serial which you can recover.

    You can't recover a serial from an OS that came installed from the manufacturer because they use a generic disk image that they copy onto all of the computers they sell. The OS therefore has no idea what the serial is that is on the bottom of the laptop unless you reinstall the OS.

    Be sure to install the same version of Windows 7, otherwise the serial won't work. Also since the serial was used before, it probably won't activate online so you just need to call the phone number they give you. It is fully automated and you can be done activation in about 5 minutes.
     
    Qing Dao, Mar 8, 2014
    #4
  5. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    467
    Messages:
    1,348
    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    81
    I'm quite confused now. A laptop that came with Windows 8 Pro on it won't have a Windows 7 COA, though it may qualify for Windows 7 Pro downgrade rights. To exercise those rights, you would contact the company that made the laptop and ask for a Windows 7 disc and key. The previous owner may have already done that. I guess your COA is on a card or something, not a sticker.

    You can google the first five digits of the key JellyBean sees and see if it's a "SLP" key, which are the master keys the OEMs use to mass-install Windows 7. It may be outside the scope of this forum, but there are ways to "inject" that SLP key into a clean installed Windows 7 and activate against it. Your hardware does need to match the key's intended vendor and model range.
     
    S.SubZero, Mar 8, 2014
    #5
  6. Tinderbox (UK)

    Tinderbox (UK) BAKED BEAN KING

    Reputations:
    4,740
    Messages:
    8,513
    Likes Received:
    3,823
    Trophy Points:
    431
    Tinderbox (UK), Mar 8, 2014
    #6
  7. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    He was talking about him trying that keyfinder on another laptop and the key in Windows didn't match the key on the COA, so he wasn't sure if the program worked.
     
    Qing Dao, Mar 8, 2014
    #7
  8. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1,061
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    56
    ok I get BBBBBBBB and it looks like this is a MAK or it's called a volume license. I think I can get a W 7 ultimate upgrade license from my school, if I use that to upgrade can I do a clean install?


    I haven't found any way to recover a volume license.
     
    Sir Punk, Mar 8, 2014
    #8
  9. KLF

    KLF NBR Super Modernator Super Moderator

    Reputations:
    2,844
    Messages:
    2,736
    Likes Received:
    896
    Trophy Points:
    131
    Clean install with upgrade key is possible, there's few ways to do it.
    Volume key cannot be recovered. Probably made so they won't leak to public too easily.

    Of course it can be recovered. However the generic key won't work unless a special certificate is also installed. ABR does that automatically when used.
     
    KLF, Mar 8, 2014
    #9
  10. Qing Dao

    Qing Dao Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    1,600
    Messages:
    1,771
    Likes Received:
    304
    Trophy Points:
    101
    Yes. You have Windows 7 already installed on your hard drive, so you can do a clean install using a Windows 7 upgrade license.
     
    Qing Dao, Mar 9, 2014
    #10
  11. Sir Punk

    Sir Punk Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1,061
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Sir Punk, Mar 9, 2014
    #11