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General discussion

Number of activations of Windows 7 on single computer

I have a new Samsung laptop that came with Windows 7. I wiped the hard drive and installed Ubuntu, figuring I could go back to Windows 7 with recovery media. I later found out Samsung doesn't in fact provide recovery media for this laptop.

I receive a Windows 7 Professional .ISO free through the Microsoft MSDN Academic Alliance at my University. However, I've reformatted my computer and activated Windows 7 a number of times in a matter of days on the same computer (long story), and now it won't activate. I think MSDN licenses are only able to be activated a small number of times.

I also have a key on the bottom of my computer for Windows 7 Home Premium.

How many times can one activate a Full $200 version of Windows 7 Home Premium on the same computer? For my needs, I need to be able to reinstall and activate it as many times as I want on the same computer. I contacted Microsoft and they said 5 times, but they might have been referring to MSDN licenses. Furthermore, are there any suggestions as to what I should do? Like I said, I do have a perfectly good license key on the bottom of my computer.

Thanks for your help!

Discussion is locked

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Infinity and beyond.
Nov 30, 2010 8:05AM PST

The retail version can be reactivated on the same machine without issue. Well it may balk and you get to call in to explain what's up but your retail license does not have any "only so many activations" in the last license I read.

As to the restore media, why did you pass up making the restore media?
Bob

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Infinity squared.
Dec 1, 2010 4:38AM PST

What some do is to plan ahead. Every version can be activated and then we can backup an image of the system to some other place. While I use CLONEZILLA you can research other image solutions.

Restoring from the image gives me a ready to use pre-activated install.

Activation is no problem here.
Bob

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Yeah

I should've made the restore media Sad but it's too late now unfortunately

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One more thing.
Dec 1, 2010 12:49PM PST

I know some gripe about buying restore media but compared to buying another license at 99+ bucks I usually get the media for about 35. That's a big savings.
Bob

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Restore media

I do not mind buying restore media at all, but Samsung isn't selling it :-/

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Two more tries?
Dec 1, 2010 3:59PM PST

1. Call 1-800-SAMSUNG and get a case on incident number then.
2. Ask about it in the Cnet Samsung Forum.

This is a real GEM of a forum at Cnet.
Bob

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Assuming the Recovery Partition is gone
Nov 30, 2010 8:52PM PST

and there was no Recovery Media made before the "hard drive was wiped", options are few.
Probably the best would be to get your hands on Recovery Media for that exact model of laptop. If Samsung refuses to issue them, either for a fee or free, look for a friend with the same computer.
If that fails, then a Windows 7 install from a retail disk is possible with the key on the bottom of the laptop BUT it will not activate without the "Samsung.xrm-ms OEM certificate"
You will still need a friend with a Samsung OEM install to get that or try Samsung support.

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OEM Win7 you got
Dec 1, 2010 4:30AM PST

8 activations and then MS wants you to buy a new OS. However, you can ring activation saying due to technical problems and they activate it.

Once the 8 activations are up you ring MS every time. Only the retail Win7 is unlimited.

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Retail

Wait sooooo the retail version, the $200 version you buy can buy from Microsoft, can be reinstalled and activated on the same computer an infinite number of times? Just to verify

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Yes, Retail 7 (not OEM)..
Dec 1, 2010 2:04PM PST

got infinite activations (on same PC) and can be moved to another PC as well. However, Win7 Family can be installed on 3 PCs with one key.

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Thanks

Excellent! Thanks!

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Just guessing.......
Dec 1, 2010 11:48AM PST

That you wanted to TRY Ubuntu out, before committing.
If/when you get Win-7 installed again, use disk mgr
to allocate maybe 1/3 of HDD space for Ubuntu.
Dual-boot is the way to go.

My question is why you wanted to go back to WIN
after installing Ubuntu ??? Many folks get frustrated
with trying to get common/needed things to work,
such as Java and Flash. There are "re-masters" out there
that have all this pre-configured....I am running a
distro called "Super OS", my version is based on
Ubuntu 9.10. Downloaded the ISO, burned it, booted it
and installed...20 min install time and EVERYTHING
worked. Java, Flash, e-mail, internet....I still have
Win-Vista on the other partition, yet I haven't booted
that for about 8 months now...

I hope you will continue to explore Linux. Your
described problems are only one of many reasons I
decided to dump Windows. And free beer.....

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Linux

I hear ya. I've actually been using Ubuntu on and off for a number of years, experimenting here and there.

Pros:
Boots very fast
Entirely free and open source

Cons:
Newer versions of Ubuntu, especially 10.10, have been extremely buggy on my hardware
No iTunes support
Even after getting familiar with Linux for quite some time, I still find Windows UI more attractive

If free beer is involved, I may have to reconsider.