downgrading Win 7 ultimate to pro

K

kcducttaper

New Member
Hi everyone. A couple years ago, I purchased a legit Windows 7 Activated OEM copy which has all of the versions (Ultimate, Pro, Home, etc x64, x32, blah blah blah) on it (kinda surprised by that, but whatever). I installed Ultimate on my machine and ran it fine for a couple years. Recently, I dropped in a new motherboard and hard drive and reinstalled Windows Ultimate on it. I've got 20 days to activate, but it's not activating. I suspect that since it's an OEM copy, that key just locked itself to the motherboard, so now that I'm running a different motherboard, I can't use that key any longer. My thoughts are if I could downgrade to Pro and use the key printed on the package (which is different than the Ultimate key that is shown on the system), hopefully I can get it activated without reinstalling everything - only I'm not having much luck with it. I've gone into the registry and changed the values as described in the article below, but it's not having it. I still get the typical "Windows can't upgrade from Ultimate to Pro" thing when I try to install it and in my control panel->system, it still shows Ultimate on there (even after a reboot). Did I miss something?

If nothing else, I can install my copy from MSDNAA on there, but I'd really rather not have to re-install windows again since I just installed it a week ago and got everything sorted out on it.

http://www.unawave.de/installation/downgrade-en.html?lang=EN
 
Call Microsoft support and explain the problem. A motherboard or video card will and could shut ya down. Explain its on the same computer. With me they gave me another key.
 
tremmor said:
Call Microsoft support and explain the problem. A motherboard or video card will and could shut ya down. Explain its on the same computer. With me they gave me another key.
Click to expand...

If you're referring to changing hardware which will deactivate Windows, changing the motherboard will deactivate your copy of Windows, but changing the graphics/video card won't.

@kcducttaper - what I recommend you do is activate Windows via the telephone. Go through all the steps, type the numbers into your phone which it asks you to, and you may be good to go then. Keep note that you may need to say that you changed your board. Microsoft's automated activation phone lines are pretty good these days. :good:

The reason why it's not activating is likely because it's OEM and you changed your board. In which case, activating via the phone and telling MS about the changes is the only thing you can do without buying a new key.
 
Doesn't the ultimate DVD contain pro?

Just reinstall, enter your key, call MS, activate... easy.
 
Well, I called up Microsoft and they said that since my key was an HP OEM key, it has expired and I would have to call HP about it. I called HP and they said that their product keys are built into the motherboard and typing in a key wouldn't work because my motherboard doesn't have the key built-in and to call Microsoft again. I called up Microsoft again and they said that my key has never been active in the US (which makes no sense since I had this exact copy installed on my previous computer with no problems at all) and that it is geo-locked, activity-locked, and validation-locked and I'll have to buy a new key.

I suspect since it's an HP OEM disk, HP called them up and said "ok, we're done with it now" since they're using Win8 on everything now. MS then blocked it on every level and it shall no longer work for anyone again - which is really annoying.
 
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