Windows 7 activation error: invalid product key
If you receive an error indicating that your product key is not valid when installingWindows 7, it could be for the following reasons:
You might have mistyped your product key. Try retyping it.
You might be using a product key that doesn't match the version of Windows 7 that's installed on your computer. Check the product key to make sure it is for the version that you are trying to activate. You can't use a product key for Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) to activate a copy of Windows 7 without SP1.
The product key is for an upgrade version of
Windows 7 and a previous version of
Windows wasn't on your computer when
Windows 7 was installed. To install an upgrade version of
Windows 7,
Windows Vista or
Windows XP must be installed on your computer. If you formatted the drive before starting the installation process, you won't be able to use the upgrade product key to activate
Windows 7. To activate
Windows 7, you'll need to install your previous version of
Windows, and then reinstall
Windows 7. For help with the activation process, go to the
Microsoft Support website.
We recommend that you install Windows 7 with your current version of Windowsrunning. If you want to format the hard drive, and you are using an upgrade version ofWindows 7, you'll need to start your computer using the Windows 7 installation disc or a USB flash drive, click Custom (advanced), and then click Drive options (advanced).
To verify your product key, look for the product key sticker on your computer or inside the
Windows package—or in a confirmation e‑mail if you purchased and downloaded
Windows 7 online. Go to the
Microsoft website to see examples of product key stickers.
If you still can't find your product key, you might need to buy a new one to activate
Windows. You can purchase an additional copy of the same edition of
Windows 7, which contains a product key that you can use. For more information, see
Get a new Windows 7 product key.
If you're unable to enter a product key without getting an error message, you can leave the box empty and click
Next, or you can click
Skip. This will allow you to finish setup, but your copy of
Windows 7 won't be activated. You must activate
Windows within 30 days of installation. For information about activating
Windows 7 after setup, see
Activate Windows 7 on this computer and
Activating Windows 7: frequently asked questions.
The product key won't be valid if you're running a non-genuine copy of
Windows. For more information, see
What is genuine Windows?
Article ID: MSW700002
