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Windows Vista Windows Vista Activation issue!

Discussion in 'Legacy Windows' started by Evan Omo, 2009/02/10.

  1. 2009/02/10
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi all. I started a thread back in September of 2008 called Can't Reactivate Windows Vista. This issue happened where I couldn't reactivate Windows Vista for some apprent reason. Anyway to make a long story short I performed a system restore and was able to have Vista activate again.

    All of a sudden this same exact situation happened a second time today. My computer was running fine, then I installed the Windows updates that were released by Microsoft every patch tuesday. They installed fine with no problems. I rebooted the machine and when I logged in, Windows informed me that my system wasn't genuine and for me to activate windows. Activation failed so I performed a system restore to the time before I installed the updates. After it finished I reinstalled them and then the computer was running fine as if the activation issue never happened.

    So my question is this: Since this is the second time that this has happened is there anything I can do to make sure that Windows doesn't mark my system as non genuine again? I don't want to have to keep doing system restores every time this happens just because I can't get into my system. If anyone has any information about this issue and a solution I would love to hear it. Thanks! :cool:
     
    Evan Omo,
    #1
  2. 2009/02/11
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    mattman,
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  4. 2009/02/11
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff Thread Starter

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    Thanks for the link matt. I am going to spend some time looking through the Microsoft forums and see if I can find anything.

    On a side note, not sure if this is related or not but after I did a system restore to fix the activation issue I looked at my Windows Experience Index score and it said it needed to be updated. I had it update my score and my primary harddisk which previously showed a score of 4.3 went up to a 5.8. :confused: How did that happen? I didn't change any hardware or anything so it makes no sense for my experience score to all of a sudden change like that. Since it gave me a better score though I guess I shouldn't complain. :p
     
    Evan Omo,
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  5. 2009/02/12
    mattman

    mattman Inactive Alumni

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    The activation keeps track of the serial numbers of several pieces of hardware (motherboard, HDD, CPU and grahics adapter). If it thinks those change, it will say the system is a new one and make you do activation.

    I would check for updated drivers, especially if you haven't done so since installing SP1. Be certain to get the chipset drivers (first), also the graphics and audio, at least.

    As you've probably heard me say, get them from the hardware manufacturer's website, not by Window's Update. I checked the specifications for my system and went to the h/w manufacturer's website, they offered me a different version of the chipset drivers than WU, and now a different set of graphics drivers. I go by what the h/w manufacturer suggests.

    If you don't have a proper set of chipset drivers, Windows and other software can find it hard to identify h/w properly.

    You...might...want to check for a BIOS upgrade as well if it keeps happening.

    Matt
     
    mattman,
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  6. 2009/02/12
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff Thread Starter

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    Ok thanks for the info. I will look for updated drivers for my system and make sure I am using the latest versions of them. I can understand why Vista could have mistakenly missidentified my computer and tell me I need to activate it again. I will run sfc /scannow, chkdisk and update all my drivers. Hopefully by doing that I can put this puzzling problem to rest.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #5
  7. 2009/02/12
    CUISTech

    CUISTech Inactive

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    Phone is the best way to re-activate your system. Call in, get the automation and say you need to re-activate, but not re-register, and then give your old license. It will give you a new license that'll let you install, and the whole process only adds about 6-7 minutes onto an install.

    Hope you got your fix and don't have to keep using this method, though...
     
    CUISTech,
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  8. 2009/02/12
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff Thread Starter

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    Thanks for the input CUISTech. I was actually going to re-activate Windows Vista by phone if system restore didn't work in solving my issue. If this problem happens again though I will take your advice and activate windows by phone instead of using system restore.

    Thanks everyone for the help.
     
    Evan Omo,
    #7

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