Windows 7 no longer genuine

[Planefreak]

I am having trouble with windows 7. I rebuilt my pc with a new mobo, hard drive, and ram. Once this happened, I figured I would start fresh with a clean install on my biggest and newest hard drive. Once I installed windows, it said it needed to be activated. I checked the product key and it is the same as the old one, but I can't get it do anything but tell me that Windows is not genuine.

I booted up the old drive and found that it too says windows is not genuine.

Its Windows 7 professional. I got it through a school program that gives software to students in my program. I've been using for about 1.5 years without a problem.

What should I do? Travis

[David M]

Sometimes the software that checks for validation gets tripped for a number of possible reasons. In your case it is because you have a new motherboard.

First try to activate it automatically over the internet. If this is not successful then you will need to call Microsoft and explain your problem over the phone. They will have you read a code from your OS and in return they will read you a code which you enter in to validate your OS. Just say you don't know why it got tripped. New motherboards can be considered a new computer and OS licenses are not supposed to be transferable between computers. It is sort of a grey area as to exactly what constitutes a new computer.

I have on a number of occasions been able to validate my OS license after installing a new and different motherboard.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...sked-questions

[glc]

David, this is a whole different story - schools usually give out volume licensed copies which are fully transferable. What has probably happened in this case is the volume license has been compromised and blacklisted.

You are going to have to call Microsoft and find out what's going on.

This usually happens when people give it to all their friends..............

[Planefreak]

Well that sucks. I thought it might have been something like that... thanks

[David M]

The good new is an OEM version is $100 if Microsoft tells you no dice.