2013 Archives

[dsampson]

I had a hard drive crash and had a new one installed.  When I tried to re-install the Operating system and drivers it asked for the key.  The sticker on the bottom with the letters is half worn off and I can only read the last 5 letters and a few of the others.  I don't know who to contact to get the number.  I tried Microsoft and they said to contact Acer.  Acer said I am out of warranty and they want $200.00 to give me the number.  I already had to pay someone to put in a new hard drive - If I have to pay $200.00 for the key I may as well buy a new laptop.  Anyone know what I should do?  I have and Aspire 8730 with an 18" screen running Vista Home Premium.  Should I just invest in a new laptop?  I really don't want Windows 8.  I am a senior citizen and do not want to learn it all over again.

[Colonel_Ives]

Vista home premium... I'll be willing to bet if you placed a wanted ad in your local Kijiji, someone with a dead or old computer could sell you the Vista license for dirt cheap (I wouldn't accept only a licence key written down on a piece of paper or anything, but the entire official Windows license sticker which is super hard to remove though). Also, I'd only pay the person once that license had cleared Microsofts' activation process onto a different computer/hardware. Beware, the tricky part is that some keys are only for specific branded computers/notebooks... this is why you're better off buying an old and not used license key from a dead computer from a tech who may even be nice enough to install the Vista license for you to show that it's legit and activated.

There are a couple of ways to try and retrieve your actual license via some tutorials with free programs...

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/easiest-way-to-recover-xp-and-vista-product-key-from-dead-or-unbootable-w...

Yeah, it's too bad they don't put the license sticker underneath one of the compartment doors for the memory or whereever for safer keeping.

Actually, I even have a currently unused Vista home premium license from a parts laptop which I bought to swap out my friends' broken screen with.