err, activate please!!!....

[markbrown83]

The Partner program has nothing to do with obtaining an OEM key. The partner program is aimed at businesses. They then receive quartly software packages from microsoft as well as a big pack one a year.

You must be at the wrong page in order to get a OEM key. I would have thought it you call up phone activation it will then possibly say it cannot be activated using the automated service. Then it will direct you to an operator and they will activate it for you - giving you an authorisation code - you shouldn't need a key.

Just tell them you had problems with your hardware and had to be replaced - this is in the terms and conditions from what I remember and you are within your right to get it activated again.

Hope this help - and makes sense...

Mark

[markbrown83]

Just looked at the link above and maybe there is a differenet partner program for OEM.

Anyway....

You should need to register as an OEM builder - the HDD failed so you should be able to get it reactivated - did you explain tihs to the operator on the activation line?

[Lucio]

My best guess at explaining it would be to almost honest with them, explain that one of the computer's you built (imply plural here) has had it's HDD fail and you're trying to reinstall Vista but it's requiring telephone authorisation as it's the OEM copy you supplied with the machine. Most of it probably comes down to confidence in your voice and getting the other person to realise that they'll have a very bad day if they upset you because you are one stressed IT professional....

One other thing, if you are or sound under 18, get someone older to phone, they definately won't believe a kid is a professional OEM builder.

[tigerboyce]

ok i basically did what you guys are saying.. ill explain it a little better

• I phoned the number and pressed 1 for home user
• pressed 2 for product activation
• then it said try the automated phone service (1) but i pressed 2 for general enquirey
• spoke to some guy and explained what the problem was saying the HDD failed on my computer and the OEM windows cd is asking for activation but it says key is already in use.
• he asked am i a registered buisiness partner i said no
• he asked what my vista key is i told him
• he then asked me to explain what was written on the actual CD.
• then he asked for personal detail things
• then he said he was searching something
• and he then said that he cannot give me a new key becausei have an OEM licsence that is intended for system manafactures (he said such as dell) to use and that it is there responsibility for support and i would get no support. i said i dont need it anyway
• he then said that because im not a registered manafacturer that i cannot get a new key and would have to buy a retail copy

i am actually 18 so it is slightly dodgy althouth it would sould about 10 times worse if i got a parent to do it as they wouldnt have a clue. i guess i could try again tommorow knowing what questions i will be facing as i 1. couldnt hardly understand him and 2. didnt really understand what he was actually asking me to look for such as the cd cover..

but i think the real problem is that it was because i wasnt a registered member thing..

[markbrown83]

You shouldn't be asking for another OEM key - just ask for an authorisation code to activate it! If it was the same HDD that you received as a replacement there shouldn't be a problem.

[tigerboyce]

different HDD, it was out of stock basically the same its a WD 2500JS instead of a WD 2500KS

[markbrown83]

different HDD, it was out of stock basically the same its a WD 2500JS instead of a WD 2500KS

Call them up again and just explain the HDD scenario again and they should give you an auth code. Don't ask for another key.

Just say you bought the machine and you had to get the HDD replaced due to stock issues etc.

[tigerboyce]

they will say ask the manafacturer though surely, sieng as an oem liscence is the manafacturers responsibility

[markbrown83]

But all you are wanting to do is activate your copy of windows... I have done it on my brothers machine at home after reinsalling it. They ask if it is on any other machines, the first x amount of digits in the auth code or whatever it is then they give you the code to enter

I think you are making it more complicated than it is

[vinnyT]

As mark says, it's just the auth code you want to ask for. I've found that they are usually very helpful, maybe they've been told to be stricter?

try telling them you are slightly deaf at the beginning of the conversation and ask them to speak slowly, occassinally ask them to repeat something, you'll be surprised at how quickly people will try to help (and get you off the phone). Genuine in my case, but it may help you to get what you want.

[streetster]

i dont know how much stricter they are with Vista oem compared with XP OEM, but when I had to re-activate my XP i just said it came bundled with the computer (like option 1 or something, i didnt actually speak to a person) and that there had been no major hardware changes, and then I got the activation key (not a new serial number!)

hth

[arbitor]

This is the downside to purchasing the OEM copy of Windows, you have to give exactly the right answers on the phone to get them to release a new code. I don't honestly know whether or not you'll win this one and you might have to purchase another copy

tell me what they said and il tell you what to say, used to do this all the time, for people to cheap to buy another os for a new pc

[tigerboyce]

well i got to wait till monday anyway now, and i got 24 days left to activate..

they basically just asked my name home phone number and am i a register partner and then he just asked for my product key, and for me to read whats on the CD. I guess he didnt ask anything else because i explained the HDD problem stuff at the very start when he answered.

He then just said that OEM is for dell only and because im not a registered user he cannot give me the key. i explained i dont need MS support and i built the computer myself, but he wasnt having any of it so i just gave up.

im going to try again tomorrow knowing what to expect and it will hopefully go ok.

[lxtwin]

Mate,
It sounds like you are going round in circles, I would tell them your going to switch to Linux, but I do not think that they would give a dam...

lxtwin

[tigerboyce]

same problem

They still say that i have to be a registered system builder to purchase OEM software which is not true. It was all going great untill she asked "am i a registered system builder"... then she just said the usualy robotery and directed me to OEM web adress

[tigerboyce]

YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

worked this time