Okay, before I start I have to point out that my laptop was bought legitimatelly and that the copy of Vista on it is genuine. I posted for help on a Widows forum and got flamed because they claimed I got what I deserved for stealing Vista. /sigh Okay, so I have owned my Acer Aspire 5050 laptop since November, all was well until it took a fall a few weeks back and the hard drive took the brunt of it. New hard drive needed, moved everything over and reinstalled vista. Everything worked perfectly, until last night. I turned it on to be told my copy of Vista Premium was not genuine and that I could run my laptop in reduced functionality mode, contact Microsoft or try putting in the product key. Did the latter only to be told that the system liscencing service said that the bios license was missing. Oh joy. I phoned up Microsoft and after 45 minutes of giving them every detail imaginable they said "Contact Acer". I phoned them who said either reinstall vista or buy a new copy (like that's happening) I reinstalled Vista, and still they bug me about it not being genuine. So anyone had this prob and can help? I thought perhaps if it's a bios issue then updating it would help but the link to an updated bios for the vista model on the acer website is a dead link so I'm at a loss. Can anyone help out?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Hi John,

Since you are using a new hard drive, Vista thinks you are trying to install it on 
another computer. This is why you are receiving this activation message. You will 
just need to do a phone activation to get your Vista activated again. This will show 
you how.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/84488-activate-vista-phone.html


If you are still in Reduced Functionality Mode, then this will show you how to get 
of it.

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

Shawn
There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Thanks Shawn! I'm out of reducd functionality mode (thank god) but there is no option for phone activation, only to buy online, hit reduced functionality mode or contact Microsoft. Is this because it's an OEM?


On Monday, March 17, 2008 at 12:20 pm, Shawn wrote:
>Hi John,
>
>Since you are using a new hard drive, Vista thinks you are trying to install it on
>another computer. This is why you are receiving this activation message. You will
>just need to do a phone activation to get your Vista activated again. This will show
>you how.
>
>http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/84488-activate-vista-phone.html
>
>
>If you are still in Reduced Functionality Mode, then this will show you how to get
>of it.
>
>http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/121866-reduced-functionality-mode.html
>
>Shawn
>

There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Take a look at this site:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931573







On Monday, March 17, 2008 at 12:53 pm, John B wrote:

>Thanks Shawn! I'm out of reducd functionality mode (thank god) but there is no option 

>for phone activation, only to buy online, hit reduced functionality mode or contact 

>Microsoft. Is this because it's an OEM?

>

>

> 

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

John,

Now that you are out of Reduced Functionality mode, are you able to use this to activat 
Vista?

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/84488-activate-vista-phone.html

Shawn
There are no dumb questions, just the people that do not ask them.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Okay: Debs: They said the update was not required for my system. Shawn: Still not working, the option for phone activation just doesn't come up.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

The issue is not with the BIOS, it's the change of hard drives that's causing OEM 
Vista to want activation.
Because you can't get the phone activation prompt, you may have to start all over 
again.
Use the Acer restore disks that came with the laptop and restore the system.
Immediately try to activate Vista online, once that fails, you should get the prompts 
to activate it by phone. You will be walked through an automated activation system, 
once that fails also, you will get a live person.
Tell them the truth, you had a hard drive failure and had to replace it. They will 
rattle off some numbers for you to input into the activation window and presto, Vista 
will be activated.
In the future, if there is no hardware changes, Vista will activate online.

Good luck!
 

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