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Windows 7 product key
_SpeedRacer_
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There's a story in this month's PC Pro (Feb) that if you use an old product key that's over 90 days old, M$ might claim it's "unsupported" and force you to buy a new key. I want to reinstall Windows but can I check if my key is still valid or not somewhere?
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If this is a serious question, then the activation will either pass or fail. If it fails for some reason you just ring the freephone number provided, and if everything is above board they will provide you with an authorisation code. If the system is the same one it was originally installed on then there is no obvious reason it should fail activation.
The OP is clearly trolling.
Busted! (unless we just jumped forward three months!)
O/P I wouldn't worry about it unless you have some evaluation version of something.
I received a copy of Computer Shopper on Wednesday this week (28/11/2012) dated February 2013 so the cover date given by the OP is correct.
No, I'm really not... Unless you've been living under a cave you'll know that computer magazines are always months ahead in terms of issue.
There's a letter in the PC Pro that's out now from a consumer stating that he rebuilt his machine using new components like SSD etc, called Microsoft to activate it and they told him he needed to fork out again as his copy is too old.
Ah, that's not quite what you said before. The writer might be relaying his experience, but its not a general policy by Microsoft.
To reiterate, its nothing to do with age, but that the person was using OEM software which is non-transferable. A normal retail copy of Windows would not present this problem but costs slightly more.
Btw, this isn't a Microsoft thing. Plenty of other companies provide OEM versions of software for system builders which have the same limitations.
its not the first key to be given away, can always remember pc format magazine printing a screen shot that showed a win 98 key which was very useful as i had to sort out a machine and didn't have a 98 key on me but the mag i'd just picked up did as the owner had lost the key and i knew he had one as i'd sorted him out before and had seen it
Yeah, there was someone selling a laptop on Ebay years ago and showed clearly the XP COA number, it must have been a magic COA as I used it on several different PC's that I'd knocked up and they activated everytime
Well if his software isn't already blocked, it soon will be...
Windows 7 product key - PC & Mac Hardware and Software - Digital ...
forums.digitalspy.co.uk › ... › Gadgets › PC & Mac Hardware and Software
13 posts - 11 authors - 8 hours ago
... a while back (can't exactly remember when) - can anyone tell me if it is still valid? The key is. xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx Thanks ...
Too late now, I'm afraid, but I've reported the post
Don't worry, I won't post any of my keys, but I can reveal that they have some dashes in them. Shhh!