Vista - Can't reactivate windows

My lap top came with a preinstalled vista.I had some problems and had to
reinstall vista which i received from where i bought it.It has a different
product key with OEM word in it.When i tried to change the product key with
the key that came with my lap top it doesn't accept.I know its a genuine
product key cause i registered it on line before.How can i reactivate my
vista?Please help me find a sollution.Thank you.

cva wrote:
> My lap top came with a preinstalled vista.I had some problems and had to
> reinstall vista which i received from where i bought it.It has a different
> product key with OEM word in it.When i tried to change the product key with
> the key that came with my lap top it doesn't accept.I know its a genuine
> product key cause i registered it on line before.How can i reactivate my
> vista?Please help me find a sollution.Thank you.

Follow the prompts to get to phone activation. You'll have to talk to a
real person but it's fairly painless.

Tim

cva - There is no problem. Product keys are specific to a Windows DVD/CD.
the preinstalled Vsta key will not work with the "replacement" Vista. Use
the product key you received with the replacement DVD.

"cva" <cva@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D30E4B6-4212-4D92-AEE7-1688108F06B7@microsoft.com...
> My lap top came with a preinstalled vista.I had some problems and had to
> reinstall vista which i received from where i bought it.It has a different
> product key with OEM word in it.When i tried to change the product key
> with
> the key that came with my lap top it doesn't accept.I know its a genuine
> product key cause i registered it on line before.How can i reactivate my
> vista?Please help me find a sollution.Thank you.

If you reinstalled Vista with your OEM disk, normally OEM Setup will
activate Vista for you, with the right key. Is your computer saying the
computer hasn't been activated yet, and that you need to do so? Or are you
just trying to change the key?

"cva" <cva@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D30E4B6-4212-4D92-AEE7-1688108F06B7@microsoft.com...
> My lap top came with a preinstalled vista.I had some problems and had to
> reinstall vista which i received from where i bought it.It has a different
> product key with OEM word in it.When i tried to change the product key
> with
> the key that came with my lap top it doesn't accept.I know its a genuine
> product key cause i registered it on line before.How can i reactivate my
> vista?Please help me find a sollution.Thank you.

You say: Product keys are specific to a Windows DVD/CD.
This is wrong! CD/DVD has no info as to what was printed on the label of
the envelope it was shipped with. The CD/DVD does know what language it is
for (so I've heard) and whether it is OEM or retail or whatever, and is
smart enough to reject a key for any other kind of CD/DVD. It will accept a
key that is not rejected for being the wrong type.

-Paul Randall

"AJR" <ajrjdr@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:uF$wl7e3HHA.5240@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> cva - There is no problem. Product keys are specific to a Windows DVD/CD.
> the preinstalled Vsta key will not work with the "replacement" Vista. Use
> the product key you received with the replacement DVD.
>
> "cva" <cva@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:0D30E4B6-4212-4D92-AEE7-1688108F06B7@microsoft.com...
>> My lap top came with a preinstalled vista.I had some problems and had to
>> reinstall vista which i received from where i bought it.It has a
>> different
>> product key with OEM word in it.When i tried to change the product key
>> with
>> the key that came with my lap top it doesn't accept.I know its a genuine
>> product key cause i registered it on line before.How can i reactivate my
>> vista?Please help me find a sollution.Thank you.
>
>