Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: Ian Price on March 28, 2009, 08:44:03 PM
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Evenging all,
Just bought a new mini laptop from M&S (classed as a ULCPC - ultra low cost pc). When attempting to put the wondows product key in it is saying that it is not valid. I've tried carefully a few times and am putting in what it says. Any ideas on this? I'm a bit of a technophobe - is there anything I can do about this rather than go back to the retialer?
Cheers,
Ian.
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Did it come with the licence or have you installed windows yourself? If it came with the licence I'm not sure why you need to enter it, they normally come ready to go.
If you installed windows yourself then you need to have the right media (cd/dvd) to match the key, there are a number of different 'flavours' of windows, and each can have it's own key set. For instance a key that comes with a pre-installed system will only work with an OEM cd/dvd, and not a retail version such as you'd buy in a shop.
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It already came installed - the product key was on a windows license sticker on the base of the laptop. That is the invalid key apparently.
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I'd probably call Microsoft and try to find out why the key is invalid first. If it's already been used or mis-assigned to the PC then you have good ammo to go back to the retailer. When the key fails you should get a telephone number to call, if it seems ok to them, then they can give you another activation code over the phone. If takes a few minutes but it's not the end of the world.
I've had to call it couple of times, I upgraded my motherboard, and now my media doesn't match the motherboard so the key won't work.
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I work for a laptop company and very often our products come with a free trial of MS Works which asks for the product key when you first turn on the computer (to activate the free trial).
Sometimes it's not obvious that it is MS Works asking for the key and we get a lot of customers calling and saying the same thing; they put in the key on the base of the machine and it doesn't work.
I may be wrong, but try this:
(presuming you use Windows Vista here, btw)...
Go into your start menu, in the search bar at the bottom, type "activation". Hopefully something will come up at the top of the start menu that says something like "Microsoft Activation Assistant".
Click on that, should say something like "generate trial key" or something similar. Click on that, copy the key it gives you and put it into the activation box.
As I say, assuming a lot about your machine here, as not seeing the thing myself I couldn't tell, but this might be worth trying just in case the manufacturer has included this kind of free trial thing. :wink:
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I'm going to sound fairly stupid here. Do you need to be connected to the internet to have the product key validated?
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Normally yes, but if you are getting an 'invalid' error then something must be validating the key.
Not to be funny but are you sure it's windows you are entering the key for? I wouldn't expect you to have to enter a key for a preinstalled version. And are you sure it's a windows (and not a 'works') key you are entering?
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Cheers Ailean - the key is asked for any time I log into either word or excel. The laptop didn't come with any packaged cd's as everything is preinstalled. The only reference I can see to a product key is on the bottom of the laptop - 25 alpha numeric characters.
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Ok, that's not the windows key then. It's wanting a 'Works' key, or 'Office'. Nadz1lla got it right, it looks like you have a demo version of the office or works software (whichever version they've installed) and now they want you to buy the full version.
Did it come with any documentation at all?
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It appears as though I am being a complete c*ck. It is a trial version. All sorted now!
Cheers for the patient responses guys!
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No worries :)
edit: ooops. Wrong login! (ailean)
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Heh, no probs, as I said in my post, it's one of the things we get the most calls about so I am assuming it's not an immediately obvious thing (having not actually witnessed it for myself).
How did you sort it? Activation Assistant for Microsoft Office?
I really wouldn't worry mate, we get I.T professionals calling about their windows key not validating, and then it turns out it's this Office trial that's causing the confusion. Happens to the best of 'em. :wink:
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How did you sort it? Activation Assistant for Microsoft Office?
Activation assistant. Basically connected to the internet and it gave me a product key to use which was different to the one on the base of the laptop. I don't understand, or particularly care!, why it was different though.
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Because Microsoft office does not come on all machines, so people should buy it.
Microsoft office is not one, or the same thing as Microsoft's Windows.
I'm sorry, but you did say you didn't care. I had to give a brief explanation after that :D
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No axe to grind MS Office is a great product which I use a lot but there are office compatible free packages available if you can't afford the genuine article
Just google sun office
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Or want nothing to do with the "genuine" article.
Open office has many superior features, and is fully compatible with office.
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Because Microsoft office does not come on all machines, so people should buy it.
Microsoft office is not one, or the same thing as Microsoft's Windows.
I'm sorry, but you did say you didn't care. I had to give a brief explanation after that :D
No worries - the reason I don't care so much is that the laptop will be used pretty much exclusively for internet browsing i.e. BKP forum and maybe some music stuff and I won't need access to windows software much, if at all. My main PC has all of that so it's not an issue for me.