Hi.
I have been helping a friend re install win 7 on her laptop, all went o.k. until the activation when we realised the label with the product key had faded so badly it was illegible.
I E-mailed Toshiba the serial number asking if they could supply a copy of the product key.
They reply was as follows:
Thank you for your email. We are sorry to hear that you are having trouble activating your operating system after REINSTALLING.
Our image of Windows 7 is a pre-activated OEM version, the sticker on the bottom of your notebook is proof that the copy is licensed you would not be able to activate your install with this key.
If you are installing your own version of windows this would have been supplied with an activation key of its own?
If you are reinstalling our image of windows, this will not require activation?
When you purchased your notebook you would have been prompted to create a set of recovery discs containing your operating system.
If you do not have access to these you can purchase replacements here.
Now correct me if I am wrong but I am sure I have done this before using a standard win 7 DISC and the code on the base of the laptop.
Is there a way of activating using the windows Old file?
Thanks.
What Windows Old file?Hi. Allen.
When I re installed windows it backed up the original windows as windows. Old.
I have looked in this file and it contains all the old o/s and the old registry, so I’m guessing that the original key would be stored here somewhere.
Why did you reinstall the OS - and why did you install it as a second OS?Hi.
When I got the machine it would only go as far as the boot option screen whatever option I chose resulted in blue screen

I REMOVED the H/drive and used a usb caddy to my computer and ran a virus scan which came back with lots of infections which the virus scanner removed.
I then replaced the H/drive back in the laptop and it still would not boot to windows just blue screen.

I then downloaded a win 7 disk and ran a windows repair which was unsuccessful, I then decided to re-install the o/s.

While the install was taking PLACE I got a message that the original o/s would be saved and stored as windows. Old, and that I would be able to access the files in the .old folder but the o/s in that folder would be unusable. My guess is that it does this so you can access your own old files as well as any third party drivers that may be needed.

So there is only ONE o/s on the machine and the backup of the old o/s.
Hope that makes sense.

You need to connect the drive back to your machine and copy off the data files. Next put the drive back into her machine and wipe the drive clean by formatting it. Then use microsofts disk or the laptops restore disks to do a fresh clean install. Do not use anything but an orginal disk and not something you downloaded. After you have installed a fresh install of windows then do all the updates and install a good antivirus software. Last copy the data files back onto the machine. But only after they have been scanned again to be sure they are clean.


Thanks, all working now.