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
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!

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