reinstall - Windows 7 activation failed, legal product key was used (HP 840 G1 laptop / clean install)

Problem

• Valid product key is not accepted after clean reinstall.

  
  

  What could be the reason of that and how to pass activation process ?

Goal

• install & activate "clean" windows 7 professional (no pre-installed vendor sw)


• avoid using windows 8.1 if possible


• avoid moving pre-installed windows 7 professional from hdd to ssd (lots of hp crapware)

Initial conditions

• hp elitebook 840 G1 laptop with legal & activated Windows 7 Pro installed


• only Win8.1 Pro DVD / restore & drivers dvds were provided


• no product key printed on the laptop case


• initial windows 7 installation shows its status as activated

What I did

1. Manually install M.2 256 Gb SSD


2. Get product key using NirSoft viewer


3. Save activation status using "Advanced Tokens Manager" util


4. Save complete original HDD image to external HDD


5. Remove all HDD partitions


6. Download Windows 7 Pro from MS and write it into USB flash


7. Install windows 7, enter previously extracted product key


8. Activation failed


9. Use "Advanced Tokens Manager" util to restore activation status


10. Got "activated" status from "my computer" view


11. Install some win7 updates


12. Activation status changed to not done


13. Any further attempts to restore activation via util/by entering key manually have no effect

Note

• calling MS support is to be avoided if possible, it is quite expensive from my location


• therefore, downgrade from windows 8.1 requiring such communication is not preferred way as well

Answer

Your laptop was shipped with a Windows 8.1 Pro license that was legally downgraded by the OEM which exercised what Microsoft terms downgrade rights. However, the OEM does this using special volume license keys that you cannot use yourself. Instead, if you wish to reinstall Windows 7 Professional yourself, you will either need to:

1. Contact the manufacturer and request a Windows 7 product key (this isn't likely to work)


2. Provide your own Windows 7 product key from another legally licensed Windows 7 computer that you own.

If you choose option 2, automatic activation will probably fail. This is to be expected. In that case, you need to call Microsoft's Product Activation Hotline and explain to them you are exercising the downgrade right of your Windows 8.1 Pro license.