![]() Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows 10 Pro. If you are on Windows 7 Ultimate edition, when you upgrade to Windows 10 using the free upgrade offer, you will get Windows 10. Contents Introduction System Prechecks Downloading a Windows 10.iso Extracting a Windows 10.iso (Windows 7 only) Upgrade Install from Windows 10 Installation Media. Windows 7 OEM – Applying OEM System Locked Preinstallation Activation – The Unofficial Windows 1. Reinstallation Guide. Microsoft Code of Authencity – Windows XP OEM, Windows Vista OEM and Windows 7 OEMFor systems shipped with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 a Code of Authenticity (COA) with a 2. There was a change in print quality of the COA when Windows Vista was released which made the COA prone to fading. As a consequence for most Windows 7 systems the COA was Placed in the Battery Compartments of Laptops to Reduce the Problem of Fading. What is Original Equipment Manufacturer System Locked Preinstallation Activation? Examples of Microsoft’s Major Partner Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMs) are: Alienware/Dell.
![]() Lenovo/IBMHP/Compaq. ASUSAcer. Samsung. Sony. Toshiba. MSIFujitsu. Microsoft Major Partner OEMs preinstalled Windows 7 on millions of machines. In order to save production time these Major OEM licenses utilised a BIOS based activation mechanism and as a consequence the key on the COA is typically not used for Windows Installation. The system BIOS of Windows 7 OEM will contain a SLIC of version 2. Microsoft’s Minor OEMs are small scale OEMs that sell a low volume of machines. Should you ditch Windows 7 for Windows 10? Windows 10 is a big improvement over Windows 8, but what if you’re still using Windows 7? Microsoft may be offering a. A detailed guide that shows you how to easily upgrade Vista to Windows 7. Windows 8.1 has been released to public and Windows 8 users can update their computer. It lists links to. ![]() These licenses known as Commercial OEMs do not apply OEM System Locked Preinstallation. Motherboards with Commercial OEM Licenses will not contain a SLIC. The conventional activation mechanism (using the key on the COA) would have required the OEM to input a unique 2. Microsoft for every single machine they made. Instead OEM System Locked Preinstallation is applied: Instead of using this unique 2. COA for installation an OEM System Locked Preinstallation (SLP) Key is input by Dell Branded Reinstallation Media. In essence the System Locked Preinstallation (SLP) Key must match up to the System License Internal Code (SLIC) incorporated in the systems BIOS for System Locked Preinstallation (which is automatic offline Product Activation) to be applied. This means you can still use OEM SLP to activate Windows 7 OEM even if your COA has Faded. ![]() Windows 7 Pro OEM SLP can also be used for Downgrade Rights from Windows 1. Pro or Windows 8. Pro. SLIC Version: Version 2. Eligible for Windows 7 OEM System Locked Preinstallation. Version 2. 0 – Eligible for Windows Vista OEM System Locked Preinstallation. Version 1. 0 – Eligible for Windows XP OEM System Locked Preinstallation. This means that one may Clean Install Windows 7 OEM on systems that have faded COAs: It also means one may exhibit Downgrade Rights to Windows 7 Pro without a Windows 7 Pro Product Key: A SLIC version of 2. Windows 7 OEM SLP. To determine your SLIC launch RW- Everything and select Access . You are interested in 2 fields: In this case the OEM is Dell and the SLIC Version is 2. The example I used was from a Dell Latitude 7. Windows 8. 1 Pro. It doesn’t have a Windows 7 Pro COA but is eligible to run Windows 7 Pro using OEM Downgrade Rights. An Inspiron 7. 34. How to Upgrade Windows XP to Vista. This procedure will guide you on upgrading your Windows XP machine to Vista without reformatting. Back up your files.![]() Windows 8. 1 (Home) and hence doesn’t have any OEM downgrade rights. It has no SLIC tab and hence Windows 7 cannot be activated by use of OEM SLP. Systems sold with Windows Vista OEM in the period of 6 months before the release of Windows 7 may have an SMBIOS of 2. SLIC version of 2. The latest BIOS update won’t change the SMBIOS which will remain at 2. SLIC version to 2. In testing the SLIC seems not to be Edition specific. To be licensed correctly you should match the Edition on the Windows Vista/Windows 7 COA. System Locked Preinstallation Key and Product ID List. One can check the Product ID and Activation status in system (go to Start, Right Click Computer and Select Properties). If it contains OEM- 8. Windows 7) or OEM- 7. Windows Vista) then it is activated using OEM- SLP: The SLP keys and Product IDs are generic every single Dell system shipped with Windows 7 Pro OEM will have the Product Key 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 71- 0. The SLP key associated with this is 3. KD2- K9. CTF- M3. DJT- 4. J3. WC- 7. WD. This Product Key can only be used for OEM SLP and cannot be used for conventional activation. If Windows 7 has been activated by the 2. Digit Product Key on the COA the Product ID will contain OEM but not 8. One should verify whether a SLIC exists in the system BIOS or not. Installation Media. Major OEM Installation Media e. Select skip: This will install Windows 7 without a Product Key allowing a 3. One can check the Product ID and Activation status in system (go to Start, Right Click Computer and Select Properties). They should see that Windows 7 is not activated. OEM Cert Collection. To activate using OEM SLP download the OEM cert collection: http: //en. Windows 7 should be activated using OEM SLP: Legacy Guide. In the past I used to recommend the use of the ABR program to apply OEM SLP. However one had to use ABR to backup their cert files from their old installation (requires pre- planning thats not always possible) or alternatively download the SLP certs and the ABR program separately then copy the SLP certs to the correct folder making the process look more complex than it ought to be. Contents. What is the Activation Backup and Recovery Program? OEM system locked preinstallation keys cannot be used in the traditional manner. The backup procedure obtains the OEM cert file and OEM SLP key in text form however because the cert file files are in mass circulation e. If the cert file and OEM SLP key is used on an illegal system you will be given 9 days to input a valid product key. This tool is useful if there is a product activation issue and Dell/HP OEM SLP needs to be reapplied without reinstallation or if one has a Retail Installation DVD. Download Links and System Locked Preinstallation Keys. Most major OEMs are supported with this collection: Alienware/Dell. Lenovo/IBMHP/Compaq. ASUSAcer. Samsung. Sony. Toshiba. MSIFujitsu. These were obtained from here which covers a few more less common major OEMs. Restore. Download ABRbeta (Windows 7) and the Activation Files. The following steps may look a bit more complicated than they actually are. Essentially all you are doing is extracting two folders. One has two programs activation. The cert and product key files must be copied to this extracted folder so the activation. Next snap downloads to the left. Extract ABRbeta. exe (Windows 7) or ABR. Windows Vista) by double clicking it. Accept the warnings to run it. Again select the default location of downloads and select extract. You will now have a folder called ABR, open it to the left and open the ABR activation files to the right. Activation- Restore. Select your version of Windows. I will use Professional as an example. Move the backup- cert. Xr. ML and backup- key. ABR folder. Once these files are copied across run activation- restore. It will input the Major OEM SLP key from the backup- key. Xr. ML to activate Windows Vista or Windows 7. Note: You may be prompted to continue press . Windows 7 should be activated in the exact same manner as the OEM factory install. The rest of this guide is just additional information. The ABR backup will not work for a system without such a product ID. Download ABRbeta (Windows 7) or ABR (Windows Vista). Extract ABRbeta. exe (Windows 7) or ABR. Windows Vista) by double clicking it. Accept the warnings to run it. Select the default location to extract. This will extract to an ABR folder, open it. Launch the activation. These can be used later to restore your OEM product activation. If you have the cert file for any OEM thats not Dell or HP you may add the files to a zip file and save this to One. Drive and share it in the comments section. It can help other users with Vista or 7 from your OEM which wish to clean install and whose hard drive or installation has failed and have no recovery media. Ineligible System Example Test. This is just a demonstration to show that the Activation Backup Recovery program or Dell Windows 7 Reinstallation DVD won’t work on ineligible systems. A Dell Latitude D8. Vista Business COA in this test. It has a genuine Windows 7 Upgrade license and was later activated using it. This system was only sold by Dell with Windows XP and Windows Vista, hence the latest BIOS revision only has markers for Windows XP and Windows Vista. If one tries installing with a Dell Windows 7 Professional Reinstallation DVD or using the ABR files for Windows 7 which mimic the activation mechanism of the Reinstallation DVD on this system, Windows 7 will not activate. Instead you will get a 9 days until automatic activation as shown below. When you click to activate now you will be unable to activate with the Dell SLP key and will be prompted to enter another product key. After 9 days you will get: Dell OEM SLP Keys and Product IDs. Product IDs (the first 5 digits differ depending on language – English UK is given here): Windows Vista Home Basic xxxxx- OEM- 7. Windows Vista Home Premium xxxxx- OEM- 7. Windows Vista Business xxxxx- OEM- 7. Windows Vista Ultimate xxxxx- OEM- 7. Windows 7 Starter 0. OEM - 8. 99. 27. 07- 0. Windows 7 Home Basic 0. OEM- 8. 99. 27. 52- 5. Windows 7 Home Premium 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 87- 0. Windows 7 Professional 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 71- 0. Windows 7 Ultimate 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 62- 0. SLP keys are: Windows Vista Home Basic 3. YMR2- WMV4. 9- 4. WD8. X- M9. WM7- CH4. CGWindows Vista Home Premium 4. GPTT- 6. RYC4- F4. GJK- KG7. 7H- B9. HD2. Windows Vista Business 3. Y7- 4. 9YMQ- VRCTY- 3. V3. RH- WRMG7. Windows Vista Ultimate 2. QBP3- 2. 89. MF- 9. X- 3. 7XGX- 2. 4W6. PWindows 7 Starter 3. Q3. Y- BBT8. 4- MGJ3. H- FT7. VD- FG7. 2JWindows 7 Home Basic 3. T8. 8- RT7. C6- R3. TQ- RV8. M9- WWTCYWindows 7 Home Premium 6. RBBT- F8. VPQ- QCPVQ- KHRB8- RMV8. Windows 7 Professional 3. KD2- K9. CTF- M3. DJT- 4. J3. WC- 7. WDWindows 7 Ultimate 3. DG- 6. YJR8- X9. 2GV- V7. DCV- P4. K2. 7Alienware OEM SLP Keys and Product IDs. Product IDs (the first 5 digits differ depending on language – English UK is given here): Windows 7 Home Premium 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 87- 0. Windows 7 Professional 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 71- 0. Windows 7 Ultimate 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 62- 0. Windows 7 Ultimate 0. OEM- 8. 99. 26. 62- 0. Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media. Note: This article received significants updates on October 2. November 5, 2. 00. But now, thanks to numerous reader reports, my own hands- on experience, and a briefing with the team at Microsoft responsible for this technology, I think we have some answers. Sadly, Microsoft is still making it difficult to clean install Windows 7 with Upgrade media, as it did with Windows Vista. But fear not, there is some good news. While you can't simply use Upgrade media to do a clean install of Windows 7 on a new or previously formatted PC, the workarounds this time are easier than ever. And that's what this article is all about: Revealing the secrets to clean- installing Windows 7 with Upgrade media. In older versions of Windows, Microsoft would actually prompt you to insert an install floppy or CD from a previous Windows version, to prove that you qualified for the upgrade version. But beginning with Windows XP, PC makers were able to dramatically change the Windows install disc, so much so that, in some cases, those discs weren't even identifiable as valid install media to Windows Setup. Clearly a different system was required. For some people, it just works, and I'll provide information here so you can help ensure it just works for you, every time. For purposes of this discussion, a clean install- -or what Microsoft calls a custom install- -is when you boot your PC with Windows 7 Setup media (typically a Setup DVD, but with this version it could also be a specially created, bootable USB memory device containing the Setup bits) with the intention of installing just Windows 7 on the PC. There could be a previous version of Windows (XP or Vista) installed on the PC already. You will either install Windows 7 to a separate partition or will wipe out the previous Windows version during Setup. If it's the latter, please- -please- -be sure to backup all your data first. Upgrade versions of Windows 7 are far more common than Full versions, both because they are less expensive and because Microsoft offered (and in some cases is still offering) exceptionally cheap pricing on Upgrade media. Note: One such special offer, the Windows 7 Family Pack, consists of 3. Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade media Setup discs and a single product key which can be used to activate three copies of the OS on three different PCs. The Family Pack costs $1. Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade. It's kind of a no- brainer. But rememeber what you're getting there: The Family Pack comes with Upgrade, not Full, product keys. While anyone with a valid, licensed copy of Windows XP or Vista qualifies for any Upgrade version of Windows 7- -and by the way, that's pretty much every single PC user on earth- -only Vista users can do an in- place upgrade, which is the install type for which Upgrade media is optimized. If you're an XP user, there's no way to do an in- place upgrade. So you have to perform a migration, which consists of three steps: 1. Backup your crucial data and settings using Windows Easy Transfer (it's on the Windows 7 Setup DVD) and make note of the applications that are installed, because you'll have to manually reinstall them again after the fact. Perform a clean install of Windows 7 using the Upgrade media. I describe this process in this article. Restore your crucial data and settings using Windows Easy Transfer (part of Windows 7) and then reinstall your applications. Many people have experienced issues with Windows 7 upgrades, especially those trying to do clean installs with Upgrade media, but if you follow the advice in this article, you will get up and running. You will get a legally activated, legitimate version of Windows 7 installed on your PC. I'm not sure yet, but I think so. In any event, here's a checklist of things to try, in order from least painful to most painful. One of these methods will work for you. Note: In all of these methods, you should observe one simple rule. Do not enter your product key during Setup. Instead, you will attempt to activate Windows 7 manually after it is installed. So you can just enter your product key later. These tips and tricks represent the bulk of the information we didn't have before Microsoft shipped Windows 7 to millions of people in October 2. Each of these was confirmed by the team at Microsoft that created the Windows 7 Setup technology. If you run Windows 7 Setup from your previous OS, Windows 7 will always activate. If the existing install of Windows is on some other partition, Windows 7 should still activate. There are instances in which this won't work- -especially when people really muck around with directory structures and so on, but it should activate. If it was there, Windows 7 will still activate. While Windows 7 Setup will look for previous installations of Windows, it will not look for recovery partitions or use them for compliance checking. The call is free, and they will get you up and running (i. And you know what? It doesn't hurt to simply try this method, because if it doesn't work, you can then try methods 2 and then 3, in order, afterwards. There is no downside to trying this. Insert the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD in your PC's optical disc, reboot the computer, boot off the DVD, and then follow the steps to install Windows 7. If you are installing onto a computer that already has another version of Windows, be sure to back everything up first. Then, type activate in Start Menu Search to bring up the Activate Windows utility. Type in your product key and attempt to activate Windows. You're done. Congratulations. Here's what you do want to see. But don't worry, we can overcome this. If you are nervous that performing this workaround will lead to later complications- -unlikely, but not impossible- -please use Method #3, below, instead. Method #3 is supported by Microsoft. Right- click this shortcut and choose . When Windows 7 reboots, run the Activate Windows utility, type in your product key and activate windows. You're done. Congratulations. In my experience, some of these can cause this method to fail. Install them and reboot PC. Re- run the command line (with administrative privileges) noted above, reboot again, and re- attempt the activation. This workaround is fully supported by Microsoft. There's already a whole article dedicated to this topic, but here's the short version since you've already done the initial install: 1. Insert the Windows 7 Setup DVD in the optical drive if it isn't already there and choose Run Setup from the auto- run dialog that appears. Or, if it is already inserted, navigate to the optical drive in Computer and double- click is icon to trigger Setup. At the appropriate stage of Setup, choose Upgrade (and not Custom). Windows 7 will install as before, though you might notice that it takes quite a bit longer this time. Because you're upgrading this time, you won't be prompted to enter your user name or most of the other information that you need to provide during a clean install. Using the user name (and password) you created during the first install, logon to Windows 7. To activate Windows 7 immediately, type activate in Start Menu Search. This brings up the Activate Windows utility. Type in your product key and attempt to activate Windows. However you do it, these tips, tricks, and workarounds should get you up and running in Windows 7 legally, safely, and easily. My only regret is that it took so long to get this information out to you. Hopefully, with the next Windows version, the Upgrade process will be more well known before the product launches.
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