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January 23rd, 2016 20:00

can't reinstall & activate win, help please

An Optiplex 790 that came w/win7pro. virus messed it up so bad had to wipe and start over. It didn't have the on-disk factory restore. Media is long gone. I have the key# on the side. I've tried a dozen ways to rebuild it and MS blocks me at every turn. I could download win7 from MS but not with an OEM key. I tried a win8 disk from another Dell but doesn't like the key. Have win7 loaded but won't activate from a retail win7pro upgrade dvd and I have the key with that but it doesn't like it. Tried the key from another Dell that came with win7. downloaded win10 but it doesn't like any key I have. don't want to order and wait days for Dell to send a new disk. Somebody get me out of this MS rat maze before I go crazy. please.

Thanks.

8 Posts

January 23rd, 2016 23:00

Have you given a shot to the toll free phone activation service, well its toll free in Finland. I have reinstalled Win 7 on number of second hand Dell machines and most of the time the OEM license key tied with the machine has not allowed automatic activation.

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11.1K Posts

January 24th, 2016 07:00

An Optiplex 790 that came w/win7pro. virus messed it up so bad had to wipe and start over. It didn't have the on-disk factory restore. Media is long gone. I have the key# on the side. I've tried a dozen ways to rebuild it and MS blocks me at every turn. I could download win7 from MS but not with an OEM key. I tried a win8 disk from another Dell but doesn't like the key. Have win7 loaded but won't activate from a retail win7pro upgrade dvd and I have the key with that but it doesn't like it. Tried the key from another Dell that came with win7. downloaded win10 but it doesn't like any key I have. don't want to order and wait days for Dell to send a new disk. Somebody get me out of this MS rat maze before I go crazy. please.

Thanks.

Call Microsoft as suggested or buy a Dell OEM Windows 7 Pro DVD on eBay for $25 ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-New-Sealed-Windows-7-Pro-OEM-64Bit-SP1-Reinstallation-DVD-w-RAM-Option-/262252581963 )

7 Posts

January 24th, 2016 12:00

Talking to a human on the activation line who could cut thu the *** and activate did the trick. Thanks.

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