No Windows product key

Question

I just received my brand-new $4000 Rugged Latitude 14 that came with Windows 7 Professional. I use a Windows 7 Pro image install that contains all of our proprietary software with databases, licenses, etc. already installed. Before now, every computer I have ever purchased has come with a Certificate of Authenticity sticker attached. No sign of one anywhere on this computer, not under the battery, not in the drive bay. I called customer care and spent 6 hours being transferred to 10 different people all who told me a version of 'Its not my department.' or 'we can't do that'. All I need is my CoA with the product key so I can use this laptop for what I purchased it for. Oh, and when I called the sales line for help and told them this lack of support was going to keep me from buying another Dell product, ever, I was told, and I quote, 'If that's what you want to tell yourself.' and hung  up on.

Philip_Yip · Answer

Likely you were not sold Windows 7 Professional but Windows 8.1 Professional with Downgrade Rights to Windows 7 Professional. Things are a bit different with Windows 8.1 licensing...

Microsoft licensing is not completely straightforward and I do not see the information documented very well anywhere. I put this page together in my Windows Reinstallation Guide which should help explain the licensing in your circumstance:

http://dellwindowsreinstallationguide.com/a-clean-install-of-windows/the-oem-or-retail-license/

I have documented how to clean install with such a license and I think my guides are the only guides which address this issue and installation media for clean installation in this case.

I'm sorry about your experience with the Dell telephone support, if you want to address the customer experience issue in more detail you should post something in the customer care board.

txaggie96 · Answer

That worked great, easy too. Thanks for the help, you apparently know more about Dell's products than their entire tech support phone department combined.

Philip_Yip · Answer

That worked great, easy too. Thanks for the help, you apparently know more about Dell's products than their entire tech support phone department combined.

Thanks for letting me know it went well. I'm glad my guides helped. :)

Windows General

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