i bought an acer notebook then i formatted it but i didnt have recovery cd so
i downloaded all drivers. then i used it 1 month the cd i used for format was
copy but i had product key on my notebook. now when i open my notebook it
wants product key and when i write mine it doesnt accept. what can i do?

Hi erkan,

If you didn't get a recovery disk with your machine, you should have been
provided with instructions to create one. If you no longer have this option,
you need to contact acer to see if they can supply you with one. Your other
problem is related to the product key. You can use an unactivated
installation for 30 days before it needs activating (this ties in with the 1
month you mentioned in your post). The version of Vista that you are using is
the RETAIL version whereas the version to which the product key that is
attached to your notebook is the OEM version. These keys are NOT
interchangeable, ie an OEM key cannot be used on a retail version and
vice-versa. You may be able to obtain an OEM version from some computer
stores if you buy a piece of computer hardware such as a USB cable at the
same time, in which case your key MIGHT work. Failing that, the safest way
would be to buy a legitimate retail copy of Vista and use that instead.
Dwarf

"erkan cakir" wrote:

> i bought an acer notebook then i formatted it but i didnt have recovery cd so
> i downloaded all drivers. then i used it 1 month the cd i used for format was
> copy but i had product key on my notebook. now when i open my notebook it
> wants product key and when i write mine it doesnt accept. what can i do?

Seems that your notebook does not have the M/S (hologram) logo and key
sticker on the case somewhere? My IBM and HP both do?? OEM normally would
include this as nominal advertising for M/S if nothing else. IMHO.

>Or is there much more to this story than what is being posted?

"Dwarf" <Dwarf@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4DDCAEB5-6D12-4E98-A279-C069FE8EEA53@xxxxxx

> Hi erkan,
>
> If you didn't get a recovery disk with your machine, you should have been
> provided with instructions to create one. If you no longer have this
> option,
> you need to contact acer to see if they can supply you with one. Your
> other
> problem is related to the product key. You can use an unactivated
> installation for 30 days before it needs activating (this ties in with the
> 1
> month you mentioned in your post). The version of Vista that you are using
> is
> the RETAIL version whereas the version to which the product key that is
> attached to your notebook is the OEM version. These keys are NOT
> interchangeable, ie an OEM key cannot be used on a retail version and
> vice-versa. You may be able to obtain an OEM version from some computer
> stores if you buy a piece of computer hardware such as a USB cable at the
> same time, in which case your key MIGHT work. Failing that, the safest way
> would be to buy a legitimate retail copy of Vista and use that instead.
> Dwarf
>
> "erkan cakir" wrote:
>

>> i bought an acer notebook then i formatted it but i didnt have recovery
>> cd so
>> i downloaded all drivers. then i used it 1 month the cd i used for format
>> was
>> copy but i had product key on my notebook. now when i open my notebook it
>> wants product key and when i write mine it doesnt accept. what can i do?

get a lagit copy of the OS because the key you have is already activated
with microsoft. if it is only activated on the computer you are using you
will need to contact microsoft and tell them that you reformatted your hard
drive

"erkan cakir" <erkan cakir@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B90AE6B6-30AC-493D-B702-21BFA13A4FC4@xxxxxx

>i bought an acer notebook then i formatted it but i didnt have recovery cd
>so
> i downloaded all drivers. then i used it 1 month the cd i used for format
> was
> copy but i had product key on my notebook. now when i open my notebook it
> wants product key and when i write mine it doesnt accept. what can i do?

<matthew.a.owens@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FD84F501-83CE-4F21-BE9E-2D642B3B5C75@xxxxxx

> get a lagit copy of the OS because the key you have is already activated
> with microsoft. if it is only activated on the computer you are using you
> will need to contact microsoft and tell them that you reformatted your
> hard
> drive
>
> "erkan cakir" <erkan cakir@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:B90AE6B6-30AC-493D-B702-21BFA13A4FC4@xxxxxx

>>i bought an acer notebook then i formatted it but i didnt have recovery cd
>>so
>> i downloaded all drivers. then i used it 1 month the cd i used for format
>> was
>> copy but i had product key on my notebook. now when i open my notebook it
>> wants product key and when i write mine it doesnt accept. what can i do?

>Both my Laptops, an IBM and H/P have a sticker with the M/S Logo. On the
>sticker is the key for my machines. Your Laptop should have that type of
>sticker on it if it originally had any M/S operating system installed via
>ACER.