Refurb computers unactivated?

[freedomit]

In Jan/Feb this year we purchased 10 Dell 790 desktops from an authorised Microsoft refurb company. They came with a Windows 7 key and a Windows 10 refurb key both stuck on the case. The machines were preinstalled with Windows 10 so we did a fresh install of Windows 7 and used the 7 key to activate.

Roll forward 10 months and all of a sudden all of the desktops have become unactivated. Retyping the key and they will no longer activate. Fresh install and type the key and they fail to acitvate and loca any futher attempts. If we then fresh install and use a 7 key from another desktop they activate.

Any ideas why this might have happend? When they are refurbed are the old licecnes blacklisted after a period?

 

[Krynn72]

I'm not 100%, but I do believe creating a refurb license does indeed "consume" the original license. Those computers are windows 10 PCs now, and I think the refurbisher should have stamped a big 'ol X through the original windows 7 sticker to let you know its not valid.

 

[Markverhyden]

If they had the original Dell OEM W7 key then that will only work with an OEM version of W7. Basically if you do not have a Dell W7 disk then you have to use W10.

 

[freedomit]

Really? I though if would work as its just a Windows 7 key. It did activate and has been activated from 10 months, they just all deactivated in one hit.

Those computers are windows 10 PCs now,

If im right in thinking though any Windows 10 Pro licence can be downgraded to Windows 7? Im sure i read somewhere you just install Windows 7 and then grab a key from another computer you own?

 

[Your PCMD]

asically if you do not have a Dell W7 disk then you have to use W10.

You can get a Dell Windows 7 disk.

http://www.dell.com/support/home/au/en/aubsdt1/Products?app=drivers

Enter the Service Tag and browse through the drivers section. You should see the Operation system > "Download Operating System Recovery Image"

There is a German site that has a list of all DELL OEM disks for Windows 7. It offers both Windows 32 bit and 64 bit, in several languages.

http://mirror.corenoc.de/digitalrivercontent.net/

Good luck.

 

[Markverhyden]

Really? I though if would work as its just a Windows 7 key. It did activate and has been activated from 10 months, they just all deactivated in one hit.



If im right in thinking though any Windows 10 Pro licence can be downgraded to Windows 7? Im sure i read somewhere you just install Windows 7 and then grab a key from another computer you own?

No. If they are Dell's then they came with an OEM version. You cannot use an OEM key with a retail, VLK, etc disk. On the down grade. I do not know if a refurb W10 includes downgrade to W7. I seem to remember those are only available via OEM on a new purchase.

 

[Altster]

You can get a Dell Windows 7 disk.

Just checked my Dell and "support.dell.com" does not show any type of O/S download available for it. So I would say that the info above is not absolutely correct!

I have a Dell Precision T3400 Workstation and I did a lookup on my Service TAG#.

 

[Altster]

There is a German site that has a list of all DELL OEM disks for Windows 7

I like #5 in the info above the listings:

:5: if you're a microsoft representative, please dont be ******,
i just help your customers where you leave 'em in the dark (i do not provide keys here!), thank you!

 

[Porthos]

Retyping the key and they will no longer activate. Fresh install and type the key and they fail to acitvate and loca any futher attempts.

You will be going to 10 or you will have to call MS to activate each one. Those are most lilleyOEM 7 stickers/keys and sometimes they get blocked from online activation.

 

[freedomit]

You will be going to 10 or you will have to call MS to activate each one. Those are most lilleyOEM 7 stickers/keys and sometimes they get blocked from online activation.

To be honest we have just used a Win7 key from other computers as we have been told to do before when downgrading Win10.

Although from what I’ve just been reading Windows refurb licences don’t come with downgrade rights like OEM so looks like we might have to upgrade them to Win10 anyway.

 

[Porthos]

Windows refurb licences don’t come with downgrade rights like OEM

That is correct.