I can't activate my vista! HELP!!!

matthewsmommy · Oct 29, 2008

Ok, so I have a toshiba satilite laptop, the motherboard fried and my warenty was over, so a friend who had the same laptop gave me his, we put my harddrive in his laptop & it worked great

About a week ago my computer did an update, restarted and said i had to acitvate my vista. so i put in the key code under the laptop and it didnt work. I realized it is because that code is for vista home premium and i have basic. the basic is what i own and what is on my harddrive. I no longer have the old laptop. but i downloaded a program to find my code for this computer. i did this with more than one program and they came back witht he same keycode. I type it in and it says i am not typing it right. i have tried switching b's and 8's around and nothing is working! I dont know what to do. toshiba told me i cant do anything but buy a new vista program, microsoft told me i cant do anything but try to rearange some numbers and letters or buy a new vista program. is there anything anyone can think of to help me!!! If i have to put a new vista on here, i will lose all my stuff! I never got a chance to backup all my photos and videos, i have thousands and would be crushed if i lose them. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!! :cry:

Brink · Oct 29, 2008

Hello Matthewsmommy, and welcome to Vista Forums.

If you still have the fried laptop, check to see if it has the product Key number sticker on the bottom of it to get your correct number from.

You should still be able to manually copy your photos, videos, etc... to a DVD or other media to back them up though. If you are in reduced functionality mode and cannot, then the tutorial below will hwlp show you how to get out of this so that you can backup the files.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/121866-reduced-functionality-mode.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Deleted member 37170 · Oct 29, 2008

you need to get the license from you original laptop like Brink said. If you cannot then yes, you will have to do what Microsoft and Toshiba told you to do: Buy another license.

BUT I do have a thought (I don't know if it will work because the physical harddrive is still different but people upgrade their drives all the time.): After you have gotton you files off the laptop, you could use the Toshiba Recovery disks that came with your friend's laptop to reformat the drive and re-install that comp's original OS (since you have the key for that version of Vista). All Toshiba Laptops have Recovery Disks and if your friend purchased his from Toshiba, he should have gotton those disks. Unless, of course he lost them or got the laptop second hand and never recieved the disks in the first place. (Oh, you also should have gotton those disks for you laptop but obviously that won't help 'cause it'll just deactivate again so don't try it.)

I don't know if that idea will work because I believe that those Recovery Disks are hardware specific meaning that the recovery disks will only work on that specific laptop and absolutely NO OTHER, not even if it's the same model. Which is another reason why you must go to your friend to get them and NOT use yours. I just don't know if the disks are harddrive specific or motherboard specific. If it's hardrive based then it won't work but I don't know.

how to get to your data? Well, again like Brink said you should still be able to get to your data in RF Mode, can you not do that? Will it let you? Although I do believe it will automatically log you off after some time but you should still be able to do it.

(God I hope I made some sense....)

matthewsmommy · Oct 29, 2008

When i start it up it takes me to the activate now or later window, if i click later, it closes and goes back to login screan. If i click now, i have three options, enter key, conact toshiba or buy new key. i can get online but that is it! I can get into safe mode if i do a hard shutdown on my computer. is there anyway to just download vista prem. since i have the code for that one? or will it still cost me? why does it keep telling me my keycode that the computer found is wrong? it said it was:
REMOVED by admin

I dont know what to do anymore, this really sucks!

SCSIraidGURU · Oct 29, 2008

You can call Microsoft and get a media kit shipped out for your license. Have you used the Vista Premium license on another computer? It is still activated for the other computer?

Deleted member 37170 · Oct 29, 2008

Well, how about those recovery disks I was talking about? That's your best bet to get your system up and running since I'm guessing you don't have the other serial. There's NO other way. You can't just download the full Vista Premium without buying it first. It's not possible unless you want a pirated version which will just lead to more hell, trust me. Bottom Line from what you've told me: You need a valid Basic serial and it says you don't have one. You have a Premium serial with a Basic install. Which means you need a Premium installation to go with the Premium serial written on the underside of that laptop. At least if I understand you correctly.

Again, I will say: Those Toshiba Recovery Disks are your only shot to get things working.

Now, as for logging into Vista to get you files off BEFORE you Recover, I don't know if you can. If Brink's article did not help then I don't think you easily get to your files. At least I don't know any other way.

matthewsmommy · Oct 29, 2008

the premium was what was originaly on this laptop, the harddrive for this one was fried so the vista for this laptop has not been used on another computer (as far as i know) Is there a timeline i have before its too late to do anything? i thaught i had read somthing about that. is there anyway to find out what letter or numbers i am typing wrong with my key code? what is a media pack? is it free or does it cost money?

Deleted member 37170 · Oct 29, 2008

Yes! for Heaven's sake don't put your key on a public forum!
Now, what I'm trying to say is: Yes I know that the current laptop you are using had Premium originally installed on it which is why you need to get Basic off of the hard drive and get back Premium on it. Specifically from those Recovery Disks. (Unless you want to pay for an entirely new Vista License.)

SCSIraidGURU · Oct 29, 2008

Usually 30 days to order a media kit.

This is why I recommend home users buy a retail version of the OS or call immediately and order a media kit.

You moved the hard drive to another computer but did not keep the key from the bottom of the old unit. No way to get the old laptop back to retrieve the key.

You have another key but no way of getting media kit. Do you know anyone with the same OS that you could borrow their OS media?

I know they make a USB to laptop hard drive enclosure. You could put the old hard drive in something like that and slave it to another computer and retrieve your files.

Can Toshiba get you the proper restore DVD for your license that came with the original laptop? Microsoft stopped allowing vendors from selling OEM media kits because of piracy. Does your repair OS partition still work on your hard drive?

matthewsmommy · Oct 29, 2008

so if i can find someone with home premium than i can just install that & use my code? I do not have the disk for this computer, just for my old one. there isnt anyway to just make it go back to before it asked me to activate windows? I do not know alot about computers, so this all makes no sence to me

Brink · Oct 29, 2008

Matthewsmommy,

If you do not have the product key number for your Vista Basic, then you will need to either use the product key number for the Vista Home Premium for that laptop by borrowing a OEM Vista installation DVD. Otherwise, you will need to purchase a completely new copy of Vista to do a clean install again with it.

A workaround for getting your files back is to plug that hard drive into a friends computer and manually drag and drop them onto a DVD.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Deleted member 37170 · Oct 29, 2008

Yeah, that's true, matthewsmommy.The code you have is for a specific OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) version of Windows Vista and will not work with the boxed retail version. And you can't get another OEM Lisence without buying another computer (or at least another harddrive) with the OEM version already installed it unless you know someone that has an OEM version install DVD. As Brink said, it has to be an OEM install disk. You'll know if it is because it will say so on the box or disk or whatever it came in.
And no you also cannot 'go back' after an activation has taken place. If you could pirates would have a Windows Orgy.
Out of curosity what specific model is your laptop?

SCSIraidGURU · Oct 29, 2008

You need to find a OEM version of Home Premium DVD to install from. These are made from the computer itself. It prompts you to make a backup. OEM by EULA must stay on its original hardware to function. You will have to purchase a new license. I would get a retail version. It is worth the extra money. You can install it on any hardware.

matthewsmommy · Oct 29, 2008

ok, so i decided to just upgrade to vista premium, it will come in the mail and than what? if i cant get any disk to open on here when i put it in what do i do?

Brink · Oct 29, 2008

You would boot from that new Vista installation DVD to format and install Vista with. It will be somewhat similar to the installation method as in this tutorial.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/117366-clean-install-full-version-vista.html

SCSIraidGURU · Oct 30, 2008

I would recommend taking the computer into a repair shop and see if they can copy your data off the hard drive for you. Then, do a clean install with your new media kit.

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