Windows 7 Activation after cloning laptops

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Gordy7

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#165996 27-Feb-2015 08:54

I just did a Windows 7 Home Premium factory restore on two Compaq Presario CQ57 laptops which were performing badly.

To save time installing updates, I cloned the second from the first with the intention of entering the licence key of the second after cloning was complete.

However, both laptops appear as activated on the System Properties page. I can’t find where to enter the key into the second laptop.

Do I need to worry?

Both have proper licence keys on their Cert of Auth labels.

Cheers

Gordy

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sonyxperiageek

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#1247561 27-Feb-2015 08:58

I don't think it should matter.. Just if one or both laptops suddenly decided to ask you for a product key, just know that you've got one.

Sony

MikeB4

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#1247601 27-Feb-2015 10:18

The Product keys are probably coded in the UEFI

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

markl

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#1247609 27-Feb-2015 10:29

KiwiNZ: The Product keys are probably coded in the UEFI

No, not for Windows 7, surely.... I thought that was something that Win 8 was first out of the blocks with?

yitz

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#1247615 27-Feb-2015 10:36

Factory activation for mass OEMs is done through the ACPI table within the system BIOS. Since both PCs are the same manufacturer and in this case even model, there is no problem (essentially all you've done is recreated your own factory restore image).

lxsw20

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#1247651 27-Feb-2015 11:18

markl:
KiwiNZ: The Product keys are probably coded in the UEFI

No, not for Windows 7, surely.... I thought that was something that Win 8 was first out of the blocks with?

HP have activated Windows via DMI since Windows XP, maybe earlier.