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windows OEM number not taken after restore

post #1 of 22
9/12/06 at 1:29pm
Thread Starter 
After retore my m6811 it doesnt like the OEM on the sticker that is stuck on the bottom of the laptop. Anybody else have this issue. Is it like the older oem # where it is more or less generic on could I have the wrong disk for XP home? Was there an update for SP2 that maybe changed something? I am not sure if the disk had it on there or if it downloaded after I installed it.
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post #2 of 22
9/12/06 at 4:53pm
what disc did you use to reinstall windows?
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post #3 of 22
9/12/06 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Anaconda
what disc did you use to reinstall windows?

I used the emachines white restore disk. After I did I started taking out junk like mcaffe, MS works, Adobe ect. and replacing it with some software that had a smaller 'footprint'
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post #4 of 22
9/13/06 at 1:29am
hmm it shouldnt ask you for the product key if you used the restore disc
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post #5 of 22
9/13/06 at 2:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Anaconda
hmm it shouldnt ask you for the product key if you used the restore disc
unless...........something was changed, like hardwear, a BIOS update, I had an old emachines desktop w/ XP Home SP2 I bought late in 2002 , I swapped-out a BIOS chip on the motherboard, and reinstalled w/ the restore disc, and after the restore windows ask me to activate, must have been something he did............... to cause that..... seems strange that it would ask for a product key, maybe to activate...........
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post #6 of 22
9/13/06 at 2:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by denb45
unless...........something was changed, like hardwear, a BIOS update, etc
the restore discs images use a master OEM key that doesnt need activation, so you never get the Activate Windows screen (note this key isnt used for Windows Genuine Advantage, that uses the key from your sticker) this master key doesnt work, however, in the event of major hardware changes (the kind that normally trigger a reactivation for an XP installation thats already existing when you change the hardware). so if its asking for a product key to activate, something pretty major has been changed hardware wise
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post #7 of 22
9/13/06 at 10:18am
Thread Starter 
Uhmm I did update the bios to 0F09 do I just reinstall ex again or is there another way? For instance is there to reinstall the XP without wiping it? I'll do whatever I have to do I mean Id install win2k but I dont think it has support for wireless; or does it. Its dual boot with linux now also. Im new to laptops and I have been out of hardware for 8 years but Im trying to pick it up again.
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post #8 of 22
9/13/06 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltim
Uhmm I did update the bios to 0F09 do I just reinstall ex again or is there another way? For instance is there to reinstall the XP without wiping it? I'll do whatever I have to do I mean Id install win2k but I dont think it has support for wireless; or does it. Its dual boot with linux now also. Im new to laptops and I have been out of hardware for 8 years but Im trying to pick it up again.
You should have saved your old BIOS..............if not GO HERE: http://emachines.fizi.ca/bios.php and Reflash your old BIOS so that you can get your emachines restore disc to work again, YES you can use the (Non-Destrictive Restore Fuction) when you restore using your CD/DVD this will prevent you from wiping out your whole HDD, also W2k lacked support on drivers, NEVER COULD FIX my popping sound in my PCMCIA CARD, the wireless card NEVER DID WORK w/ W2K, I had it up and working for a while, but was unable to reslove a lot of driver problems, most of them haven't been updated snice W2k's SP4 Rollup, and most of them DON'T work very well on AMD64 Proc, I have 2GB of RAM and W2K DIDN'T like that as well, at least NOT on my Gateway 7405GX, so I give up on W2k and went back to XP Home then Upgraded to XP PRO w/ SP2.........try the above sugestion and PLEASE post back and tell us how it went........Good Luck
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post #9 of 22
9/13/06 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
I can do this. The bios flash didnt fix the shutdown issue anyway. I was hoping to avoid opening it up. Suppose I have to anyway.
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post #10 of 22
9/13/06 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltim
I can do this. The bios flash didnt fix the shutdown issue anyway. I was hoping to avoid opening it up. Suppose I have to anyway.
Just Reflash the BIOS, then do a (Non-Destrictive Restore) with your Emachines Restore CD/DVD's no need to open up the lappy, this seems to be a softwear problem anyway..........I tried all of the different BIOS, but always went back to the Orginal BIOS, however, my DVD-Restore disc WORKED when I flash my BIOS, dunno why your emachine 6811 did not, seems strange that it didn't, when all else FAILS always good to go back to square #1 that has always worked for me on my Gateway 7405GX........Good Luck
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post #11 of 22
9/13/06 at 3:29pm
Thread Starter 
Maybe I can just restore XP with this bios. I'll try when I get home strange thing is that windows is installed and working I just get a pop up everyonce in a while that I need to activate windows in so many days. Maybe it'll just run out and not boot windows anymore. Oh well I have linux on another partition.
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post #12 of 22
9/13/06 at 6:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltim
...just get a pop up everyonce in a while that I need to activate windows in so many days.
why can't u just call microsoft up for the activation? i had to do mine when i first updated my bios to 0F09 as well cheers ...
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post #13 of 22
9/13/06 at 6:22pm
Thread Starter 
I tried last nite. I got a recording that said the the account number I had was not valid and I should call the OEM. Pain in the ass. What do I do if I change the hard drive? Since I dual boot I may upgrade soon; 60 gb is a bit on the small size for todays monster apps
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post #14 of 22
9/13/06 at 6:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by talltim
I tried last nite. I got a recording that said the the account number
meaning the sticker underneath ur laptop?

cheers ...
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post #15 of 22
9/13/06 at 7:13pm
Just a suggestion to the OP:

Once you get the OS "restored"....

Use a program like Arconis True Image.... or Ghost to image the drive.
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post #16 of 22
9/14/06 at 12:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn
meaning the sticker underneath ur laptop?

cheers ...
Yes underneath
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post #17 of 22
9/14/06 at 12:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Just a suggestion to the OP:

Once you get the OS "restored"....

Use a program like Arconis True Image.... or Ghost to image the drive.

My idea as well but I only had expendable stuff. In any case after messing with it a bit I seem to have tracked down me flashing the bios to be the cause of the issue. Now I have to see if I install linux on there if I will have an issue with wifi or if I should reflash the bios again back to 0f08 or just but a regular version of xp on. I think that reflashing the bios is the easiest. Not I have to figure out how. Off the the bios manufactirers site for a flash utility!
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post #18 of 22
9/14/06 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by denb45
Just Reflash the BIOS, then do a (Non-Destrictive Restore) with your Emachines Restore CD/DVD's .....
M6811 is a Ghost restore, no non-destructive
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post #19 of 22
9/14/06 at 10:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Anaconda
M6811 is a Ghost restore, no non-destructive
Interesting my Gateway 7405GX DVD Restore Disc has a Full Restore or a Non-Destructive-Repair Option, and Ships with XP Home SP2, but I'm using XP PRO......Humm, I didn't know that the emachines M6811 only has a Full Restore Option, that's too bad, I'm very sorry to hear that
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post #20 of 22
9/15/06 at 7:59am
Very simple, flash bios back to the original one. Install windows and then flash the bios back to the one you want. It will work if it has already been installed.
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