I bought this computer a month ago. Then I learned that W7 would not run my copy of autocad, visual basic, and most important my CNC control software(Camsoft).
I managed to completely hose W7 trying to get XP running on the same box. So, I went nuclear:reformated, installed XP, then W7 using the COA sticker on the side of this box (emachine from Best Buy).
All was well until just a few minutes ago. The screen went black and I got "This copy of windows is not genuine". I was able to put in a new background.
Did you activate it ? Microsoft usually gives you like 30 days from install to activate an OS . Sometimes when you do a re-install it won't activate over the 'net - you have to call an 800 number and read off some digits , they then send you some numbers to enter and voila , activated .
Is it registered? You can try calling the M$ 800 number in the W7 package, the one time I had to call them they were very responsive and helpful and even followed up later to make sure things were still ok. I was quite impressed.
Agreed. A significant part of my business has, unfortunately (because it's really boring), become resurrecting virus-ridden and otherwise busted computers. Every time I've called Microsoft's activation number, they've been helpful and polite. I've never had to pay for a replacement license.
I think you've run into the OEM vs. retail license issue. If you used a retail install disk, it probably won't activate using the emachines' serial, the reverse is true, also. Win7 and Vista OEM versions are tied to the box, you can't use a retail install and an OEM serial. You'd need emachines' install/recovery media for that machine and probably the recovery partition on the hard drive. If you changed out the hard drive or blew away the recovery partition, you are SOL, you'd need a retail Win7 install disk plus a valid retail serial. Usually the recovery disk is an extra-cost item and retailers don't have them. People are treating the low-cost machines as disposables, junking them if they require more fiddling than they know how to give.
Things have changed since the Win 98 days. Also, those recovery partitions can make setting up dual-booting a lot of fun, not recommended unless you go to full retail licenses all the way across and start with a completely blank hard drive or drives. Much better is a Win7 install plus virtual boxes for the old stuff, if you've got enough CPU and memory to run such and your old app software doesn't want to talk to specific hardware. See virtualbox.org for a non-MS free solution.
I gotta disagree with ya there Stanley . I used a retail disc to reinstall Vista Home premium on my wife's desktop . Used that same disc with it's own serial to install Vista Ultimate on a build I did a couple of years ago , plus used it to install home basic (with her numbers) on my daughter's laptop . The only one that activated without a phone call was the ultimate build . The Vista discs have all versions available as of the manufacture date on every disc , what gets installed is controlled by the numbers . Anybody want a brand new 64 bit Vista Ultimate disc ?
And that's where we scavengers get boxes . I have been refurbing and giving them to the kids in my neighborhood ... and if they treat them right they'll get a better one in a few months .
I've found that it's always better to install the other OS in a dual-boot box on a separate hard drive . I've got Ubuntu on one set up that way - the
10-04 LTS version can be set up while booted into Windows , then you get a selection of which OS when the comp boots up .
My honey just had the opposite experience. An hour of automated voice prompts, two east indian clueless techs and then told to try calling the manufacturer. As she said, an hour of tech. support hell.
This was the M$ 800 number? When I called I spent about 30 seconds in the VRU 2 minutes giving the basic info to the first CSR, 15 seconds being transferred to a tech and then about 10 min with the tech sorting out the issue. About 30 min later I got a call from a supervisor following up to ensure the issue was resolved.
The COA sticker on the box was the product number I used. M$oft says its not valid and told my better half to call the manufacturer. Can't find a place to call on this best buy emachine.
I'll be returning the 'puter to best buy as soon as it dies.
I NOW REALLY F%^&ING HATE M$OFT. This new OS won't run my old software and caused all the trouble. I've spent DAYS on this.
I had a hell of a time downloading this large a file. Finally got it done and made a DVD. As it worked out, Tom Gardner got an original to me before I tried it.
Uh, oh! Look for changes in your shopping habits, in case it's loaded with evil subliminal messages telling you to BUY U.S. WIRE BRUSHES! BUY U.S. WIRE BRUSHES! BUY U.S. WIRE BRUSHES! BUY U.S. WIRE BRUSHES!
Whuffo you do dat?
If you have the Win7 Pro (or Ultimate), it will give you an XP mode which will have a better DOS mode for older software.
When you want to run older software and specialty hardware, it is generally best to *not* try to upgrade anything before absolutely confirming compatibility. Technology progresses and decade old software and hardware can not be expected to be supported on new hardware and OSes.
So why do you need to upgrade your old CNC controller to Windows 7???
Second-hand XP machines are cheap now, I recently bought a 3.6GHz Dell tower for IIRC $35. The Dell office series is pretty solid, though limited in expansion slots and sometimes power supply capacity. I built a low-buck media center that records HDTV from one.
You can change XP from networked to stand-alone behavior in Properties>Computer Name.
You have it all wrong Larry, it is from those far eastern suppliers saying BUY Useless WIRE BRUSHES! BUY Useless WIRE BRUSHES! BUY Useless WIRE BRUSHES! BUY Useless WIRE BRUSHES!
I tend to buy Spanish or Italian wire brushes rather than far eastern ( really far northern ) as the quality is better. There are none made in Oz and Tom does not sell here.
I'm not sure but I thought you had a Dell. Did you get a generic OEM or a Dell OEM from that idiot? Dell OEM versions are pre-registered and the info in the BIOS precludes doing any registering or validating. You could use a "Windows 7 loader". That is a software patch that fools the OS with an OEM BIOS patch into thinking it's pre-registered. Don't ask how I know this.
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