Installed win7 on a OEM win8 machine... kms says invaild microsoft volume license

[Jaan]

I came across this on the final hour of the last day of term, so i haven't really dug too deep into it yet. however i'm back on monday so i thought id start to reseach.

 

we have a microsoft volume license which allows use to install the OSs as long as the machine has a current OEM/retail license already. (as per t&cs).

 

we have a batch of OEM/retail DELLs that came with Win7 HP. we've nuked these and imaged them with the in house image. no probs kms says hellow and welcome etc etc.

 

We also have some IBM Win8 pro machines. i set the first one up on FOG and all went well.... image works etc etc.... however, we get a KMS microsoft volume license screen pop that says something along the line of;

 

......Invaild microsoft volume license make sure your have a OEM/Retail version of windows before activing with KMS. If not try using a MAK or retail serial key...

 

Any ideas? the machine dont have a WIN8 oem serial on the them.... i assume its something embedded in BIOS?

[fairm010]

Commonly the Windows 8 key is now integrated into the BIOS which causes Windows 7 to throw a wobbly.

 

There are ways around it I am aware but do not know them myself as we refuse to touch anything that is Windows 8.

 

Sorry I can't help but thought I'd share

 

Matt.

[DrCheese]

I had to use one of our MAK keys to get around this. It was only one laptop tho.

 

Eventually this will be a big problem, as all machines will come with Windows 8 installed by default so...

 

What happens if you put your Windows 8 key on your KMS server? that might activate it then.

[featured_spectre]

Put the Windows 8 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 8

Put the Windows 7 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 7

 

Typically, what happens with Win8, is the key is registered to the BIOS.

 

What you can do on Windows 7 and 8, is load up CMD prompt, type in slmgr.vbs -ipk (remember to include the dashes). Then hit enter, it will accept the key (hopefully), then to activate windows after changing the key, type: slmgr.vbs -ato

 

This seems to work for me when I have done it at work. Not yet had a problem running it this way.

 

*edit*

 

Removed spelling errors and grammar issues.

Edited April 2, 2013 by featured_spectre

[DrCheese]

Put the Windows 8 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 8

Put the Windows 7 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 7

What I meant was putting your highest Windows 8/2012 key on your KMS. For example, putting a Windows 2012 datacentre license on your KMS will also activate all downlevel clients, 2012 standard/8/7/vista.

 

This is how it worked with Windows 7 & Vista

How to Choose the Right Volume License Key for Windows

 

"In the case of Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 KMS keys, each key will also enable activation of the products in the previous generation (Windows Vista/Windows Server 2008, in this case)"

 

 

Since this computer/laptop has an integrated Windows 8 key, it might be after a Windows 8 client VL key to activate against. Even tho you've blown it away and installed Windows 7.

Edited April 2, 2013 by DrCheese

[Arthur]

Put the Windows 8 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 8

Put the Windows 7 key on the KMS server, it will activate the Windows 7

Doesn't the Windows Server 2012 KMS Host Key (CSVLK) activate all client OSs that use the default GVLK (as @DrCheese said above)?

 

[b]Windows 7 Enterprise[/b]
33PXH-7Y6KF-2VJC9-XBBR8-HVTHH

[b]Windows 8 Enterprise[/b]
32JNW-9KQ84-P47T8-D8GGY-CWCK7

Edited April 2, 2013 by Arthur

[featured_spectre]

It should do, however there are instances where it wont, such as winsock errors preventing the key from registering and this may actually be such an instance.

[Jaan]

OOPS sorry guy i haven't been getting the notifications for the thread..... im back at work on monday, but im sure that all the above keys are installed on the KMS server. i know it can activate Windows 8 as the techi office computers run it. but these machine came with WIN7 pre installed not Win8.

 

thx for all the solutions..... i'll post my findings next week.

[Jaan]

Ok i've sorted this i had to update the bios from samsung as the SLIC table was invalid from the manufacturer. simple fix.

[featured_spectre]

Glad it was sorted

[Jaan]

It's happening again...... and this time no BIOS update available from the manufacture for this machine. (Lenovo) another MAK bites the dust....

[dmanning]

We had this same problem with a lot of Acer's we purchased a few years ago and had to do a back and forth with them and MS and CDWG. We had to have Acer make/give us a BIOS update which took about two weeks to correct the issue. Here is a good reference document on MS's site. Most times you can get the vendors to release an updated BIOS to correct the problem.

 

https://support.microsoft.com/kb/942962