Problem with reinstalling Windows 7 and poor retailer experience.
Problem with reinstalling Windows 7 and poor retailer experience.
Hello everyone, I've been working on enhancing my setup recently. One adjustment involved switching to an SSD. With all the discussions online about cloning the operating system, I opted for a fresh start. I gathered everything needed and used a tool designed to recover software keys. Among them, one product key stood out—it was a BBBBB-... type. At that moment, I didn’t realize its significance and simply saved it. After installing, when I reached the product key section, things went wrong. Through some investigation, I discovered these keys are often generated during mass installations by manufacturers. Looking back, when I bought my PC from that store, they had pre-built systems for sale. They offered me a choice between Windows 7 and 8, and I chose 7. Fast forward to today—I reached out to them to verify my product key. When I mentioned my setup was in a small space with limited storage, they informed me it was a trial account, not a full OS installation. They also confirmed the trial version lasts up to three months, which aligns with what I’ve experienced since May. In short: How long does a trial account typically last? And more importantly, did they install a pirated version on my machine?
Ensure your operating system is active, then launch BelArc. It will provide comprehensive information about your setup and display any linked license keys for future reference.
It wasn't prebuilt from a major manufacturer like Dell or HP; it was assembled in a local computer shop.
I already tried reinstalling my OS. I only realized the issue came later. Newbie definition here. Seriously, why are you so confused?
Did you fully prepare and erase the storage before installing the new operating system? If you simply restarted using the installation media and let Windows handle everything, you should find a folder on your C: drive named something like "old" containing all essential files from the prior Windows setup. You may also use BelArc to scan it and retrieve license keys.
Sorry to hear that. It was another setback. I’ll format it after setting up, on the interface where you pick the installation drive. I’ll see if I can check again when I’m back home, though I’m not sure I’ll be that fortunate. Regarding the shop’s claim about it being a trial version, how did it perform over such a long time?