Have I reached some sort of install limit on my retail Win 7?

T

Teenyman45

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Nov 29, 2010
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Back in 2010 I bought a retail copy of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit for the computer build. I have done a bunch of drive formatting and re-installing over the last 2+ years mainly when my storage configuration or video card configuration changed.

Several months ago I formatted and re-installed after several botched ATI CCC driver installs trying to get crossfire to work. Windows / Microsoft's network refused to accept my validation code and I had to call in to an automated service to validate.

Last Thursday, I lost the ability to finish a boot sequence to my SSDs until I re-formatted them after an electrician repeatedly toggled the power (while I was away and suffering with only 120volts and therefore no AC or hot water) as part of replacing a failed breaker for about a dozen units in the complex. Again, Windows would not validate and I had to call in to the automated system to get a fresh code.

So to sum up, as in the thread title, have I reached some hidden activation limit for my copy of Windows 7?
 
Yea same thing happened to me. Upgraded my computer mobo and hard drives a few too many times and it locked me out, had to contact microsoft to get them to activating it after poking around to see if i was legit.... DRM for the win...
 
Used to happen with XP after about the 4th or 5th install I had to call up MS and they reset it.

No biggie.
 
This happened to me one time with XP. I called MS and they reset the activation. It was a quick and painless process.
 
I recently had my Win7 installation hit the fan after MS changed the TechNet terms. I think they killed the key I was using. I decided to jump ship & use 8 RP. Such is life though since I'll be using 8 when it's released on TechNet.
 
Every time you change HW, a counter ticks upward. Once the total hits 21 (different HW upgrades increase the counter by different amounts), you get locked out. MS did this to prevent one key from being used across multiple PC's.
 
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