1

So about 4 months ago we purchased 67 machines from Dell. I had deployed them all using the dell stock image.

Today I had to re-image my first computer and it was noted that windows was not activated. Since there is no product key stamped on these machines (they were windows 8 downgraded) I used spiceworks to pull a product key report. I noted all my machines 67 are using the same product key. I went ahead and typed the product key used on the other 66 into the windows activation window and Microsoft comes back with the hex address that our product key is blocked. I contacted Microsoft Activation center by phone and they tell me that our product key is either pirated or stolen!? Now i have a $550.00 machine with windows that won’t activate. Where would you turn?

@Microsoft @Dell_Technologies

9 Spice ups
2

have you contacted dell since they are clearly still under warranty? That is always the first step, contact the manufacturer direct. The will help you.

3

I have been in the chat que for about 2 hours now I was 25th.

4

I would contact Dell and see what they can do about it. Did dell downgrade the machines or did you?

5

I’d go straight to my account manager in Dell and let them sort it. If anyone needs to deal with MS on it, I’d definitely make them do it :slight_smile:

1 Spice up
6

This will be a stock image and if what Microsoft has told you is true then it is going to affect thousands of machine. I would probably start with Dell and see what they have to say about it. They should be able to sort it out for you. Effectively it is their product key and they sold you the machine and licensed it for you.

7

call them, its easier when you speak with someone.

8

Dell did the downgrade (they all came with the windows 7 image preloaded) and each box contained the windows 8.1 DVD.

9

Do you have an account manager with them? 67 is a sizeable order, you should have been dealing with someone specific on that, rather than just their webshop (even just from a pricing point of view).

Did you get Pro Support or Premium Phone Support on the systems by any chance?

10

we dealt with a reseller… We have pro support… I’m chatting with an agent now …we will see what comes of it.

1 Spice up
11

They may just refer you to the reseller…

12

More than likely, the product key the SW pulled is Dell’s VLK they use. Your rep ought to be able to get you keys.

2 Spice ups
13

Pro support are excellent I have found, I don’t think they’ll refer you to the reseller - they should work with you to sort it. I met a similar issue about a year ago, only for 5 machines though - but my account manager sorted it all out for me and I received an envelope with the proper keys in it a few days later.

Good luck with it anyway

14

Ugh… That went south real quick!

08/14/2014 09:22:52AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “Thank you and just to confirm, what was the original version of Windows that came as pre installed on your computer and did you receive a media from Dell?”

08/14/2014 09:23:38AM Brent Leis: “yes”

08/14/2014 09:23:56AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “What was the original version of Windows that came as pre installed on your computer?”

08/14/2014 09:24:08AM Brent Leis: “yes”

08/14/2014 09:24:18AM Brent Leis: “it was preinstalled on all 67 machines”

08/14/2014 09:24:30AM Brent Leis: “and included with all machines was a Windows 8 DVD”

08/14/2014 09:24:36AM Brent Leis: “we had taken the downgrade path”

08/14/2014 09:25:09AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “So it was original Windows 8 and you downgraded to Windows 7?”

08/14/2014 09:25:39AM Brent Leis: “no”

08/14/2014 09:25:44AM Brent Leis: “we ordered them from dell with windows 7”

08/14/2014 09:25:53AM Brent Leis: “and a windows 8 DVD came with all machiens”

08/14/2014 09:26:08AM Brent Leis: “the Windows 7 that was loaded on them was loaded from DELL”

08/14/2014 09:27:44AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “At this time, you are having issues with just 1 one the machines?”

08/14/2014 09:28:03AM Brent Leis: “i have only re-imaged one so far”

08/14/2014 09:28:05AM Brent Leis: “so yes”

08/14/2014 09:28:32AM Brent Leis: “the other 66 machines have not had to be re-imaged yet”

08/14/2014 09:30:33AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “What was the media that you used after re imaging the machine?”

08/14/2014 09:31:19AM Brent Leis: “since all 67 machines consisted of the same exact hardware i used acronis and grabbed a factory image”

08/14/2014 09:31:48AM Brent Leis: “and then used acronis and put that image on this PC”

08/14/2014 09:32:10AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “You did not use an Dell OEM disc?”

08/14/2014 09:32:58AM Brent Leis: “was previously mentioned “no” dell windows 7 OEM discs were provided for 7”

08/14/2014 09:33:03AM Brent Leis: “only Windows 8”

08/14/2014 09:34:06AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “While I am checking if we can just send you an Dell OS CD for Windows 7, can you check on the machine if it has a key on the battery bat?”

08/14/2014 09:34:08AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “bay*”

08/14/2014 09:34:43AM Brent Leis: “its a optiplex desktop? Battery bay?”

08/14/2014 09:34:57AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “I am sorry, so all of them are desktops.”

08/14/2014 09:35:16AM Brent Leis: “yes”

08/14/2014 09:35:27AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “Let me check with our resolution specialists if we can just send you a Dell OEM for Win 7 which you can use to reinstall Windows.”

08/14/2014 09:35:45AM Brent Leis: “i dont want to have to reinstall again?”

08/14/2014 09:35:53AM Brent Leis: “i just got most of the software installed already”

08/14/2014 09:36:46AM Agent (Clark Air BaseSMB US DIV_ Oleg): “I understand your concern. However, I understand that the OEM feature on Dell systems works if we are to use a Dell OEM Media. I understand that you did not use that when you reinstall Windows.”

15

When you get Win8 with Downgrade rights you should have gotten a paper only version of the Win7 PK.

Ofcourse if you were able and allowed I would go Win8.1 and the PK is embedded so you don’t need it to be entered. This is pretty cool i think. Makes life easier.

16

You are not with Pro Support Agent. They would have Pro Support in the name and are in the US. This is likely non US Support.

17

This post has a response or two from the microsoft guy on how to do the downgrade etc.

http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/272245-downgrade-windows-8-to-windows-7-what-do-i-need?page=2

1 Spice up
18

We have a couple machines that were configured with a similar OS, provided with downgrade to win 7 from win 8. I have not had to do a reinstall\reimage yet but had thought about this issue and wondered how much of a pain it is going to be to deal with.

19

So to confirm, you are trying to reinstall Windows 7 Pro on your OEM Windows 8 Pro licensed device? What media did you use to reinstall Windows? The key you used to activate needed to match the media in order to activate successfully.

As noted below, in order to downgrade you need the media/key to do so. Microsoft will provide VL customers with the downgrade OS media/activation key, however OEM customers are responsible for obtaining the media and key.

The simplest way to resolve your issue would be to start a Microsoft Open VL agreement - which has a minimum of five licenses to start. This will give you access to the media/keys to reimage your PCs. One key benefit of being a VL customer is Microsoft will provide you access to N-2 versions of Windows media/keys via the Volume License Service Center website. Part of being a VL customer is having reimaging rights and access to the Volume License media and keys. *Note at least one of the five licenses are required to be the Windows 8.1 Pro Upgrade license for reimaging rights. The other four licenses can be any other product offered via that agreement. Your Microsoft Partner should be able to help you with this.

1 Spice up
20

I am trying to reinstall windows 7 pro on a device that was purchased with windows 7 preinstalled from dell. The media for windows 8 was sent with the units. No windows 7 media was sent.

I used a image from a single machine (they are all identical) Acronis to create a image since I had setup to include our primary software (office 2010, Adobe, Flash, Java, DMS, Bookeeping software) etc.

I just tried to put that image on a exact same make/model PC and everything was fine with the exception of windows not being activated.

Am I missing something wrong with the way I am doing licensing or imaging? I know product keys are tied to specific OEM hardware and I am complying with that but I have no product key on the hardware.