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Windows 8 Blocked Key nightmare

I spend an entire day calling Lenovo and Microsoft trying to get support, but got nothing.
I called each at least 3 times in two different phone numbers I have been given, with no luck. Each company keeps pointing the finger to the other.

1) I bought a brand new Lenovo computer with Windows 8. However, my windows 8 keeps complaining my product key has been blocked.
2) Lenovo claims this is a software problem related to Windows, hence I have to contact Microsoft.
3) Microsoft claims it's a problem on Lenovo's end, hence I have to contact Lenovo.

I called each one back and forth at least three times. I've been given at least 3 numbers for Microsoft support and 2 numbers for Lenovo support.

This is a costumer support nightmare.
1) Lenovo shipped a computer with a blocked windows 8 key.
2) Neither Lenovo nor Microsoft's "specialized" support have a path to get this issue fixed.

I'm posting here because I believe this is ultimately Microsoft's fault. Support was useless for this case.

Can someone responsible for the Windows 8 activation / OEM keys please get in touch? On my book you are doing a terrible job so far.

Edit: this computer was bought directly from Lenovo, came with windows 8 and a windows 8 sticker. See reply bellow with computer description (from the invoice) and sticker.

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Anyway, I have huge respects for Microsoft, but as a big company I know that not everything will work perfectly, however this is not an excuse to simply let problems fall through the cracks.

I know a lot of effort was put into this new shiny Windows 8 activation scheme, and I don't expect Microsoft to excel in everything, but for a core product like Windows let me just put that the support is being... sub-optimal.

If someone from Microsoft ever reads this, would you please get the owner of Windows 8 activations to get this fixed? Thanks.

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simply put you do not have a windows 8 computer. you have a windows 7 computer with an attempted activation exploit (hack). your windows 8 install is counterfeit.

no one is going to support a counterfeit product.

the only fix is to purchase and install genuine windows.

edit: neither Lenovo nor Microsoft had anything to do with this installation.

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simply put you do not have a windows 8 computer. you have a windows 7 computer with an attempted activation exploit (hack). your windows 8 install is counterfeit.

no one is going to support a counterfeit product.

the only fix is to purchase and install genuine windows.

edit: neither Lenovo nor Microsoft had anything to do with this installation.

The irony is that now I really wish I had the windows 7, it would've saved a lot of my time.
If I knew what I know now, I would've definitively ordered windows 7 instead.

Thanks a lot for trying to help though, I really appreciated it, but I'm afraid you are wrong this time.

Lenovo's website said it would ship with windows 8.
The invoice says it's windows 8.
The sticker that came attached to my machine also says windows 8.
The software that came installed, is also windows 8.

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perhaps you should have another discussion with Lenovo support. you have the facts of your install now. with the serial number of your computer etc they should be able to tell you when it was manufactured, what os it was shipped with etc.

I can assure it did not leave the factory this way.

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perhaps you should have another discussion with Lenovo support. you have the facts of your install now. with the serial number of your computer etc they should be able to tell you when it was manufactured, what os it was shipped with etc.

I can assure it did not leave the factory this way.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm done dealing with supports, at this point I don't reasonably expect that both Lenovo and Microsoft support would be able to fix this, because some of:
a) lack of capable people.
b) lack of necessary tools to properly track this problem.
b) or simply lack of authority to fix this.

Anyway, I don't know who screwed up (e.g. someone that manages the windows 8 support, or the partnership with lenovo, or oem keys, or the activation process of windows 8, etc..). Well, it's not up to me to go debugging other companies organizational problems.

I've got to say that this community of volunteers helping support Microsoft's core paid product is very lovely, more informative than their specialized support. I can't complain about the volunteers, but I'd expect more from Microsoft.

I really wish I had the windows 7 instead of the windows 8.

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perhaps you should have another discussion with Lenovo support. you have the facts of your install now. with the serial number of your computer etc they should be able to tell you when it was manufactured, what os it was shipped with etc.

I can assure it did not leave the factory this way.

About the factory condition, FYI doing a factory reset in my computer didn't help.
It installed the windows 8.

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If this is the first time you've faced this error after purchase, use the recovery disc to restore your computer to original factory condition. If the problem still continues, you must send your PC to Lenovo to get it repaired. Back up your data first before you proceed.

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What about this one?



<DiagReport>
<LicensingData>
<ToolVersion>6.2.9200.16384</ToolVersion>
<LicensingStatus>SL_LICENSING_STATUS_NOTIFICATION</LicensingStatus>
<LicensingStatusReason>0xC004F009</LicensingStatusReason>
<LocalGenuineState>SL_GEN_STATE_INVALID_LICENSE</LocalGenuineState>
<LocalGenuineResultP>0</LocalGenuineResultP>
<LastOnlineGenuineResult></LastOnlineGenuineResult>
<GraceTimeMinutes>0</GraceTimeMinutes>
<TotalGraceDays>0</TotalGraceDays>
<ValidityExpiration></ValidityExpiration>
<ActivePartialProductKey>RJMQ3</ActivePartialProductKey>
<ActiveProductKeyPid2>00179-40217-88075-AAOEM</ActiveProductKeyPid2>
<OSVersion>6.2.9200.2.00010300.0.0.100</OSVersion>
<ProductName>Windows 8 Single Language</ProductName>
<ProcessorArchitecture>x64</ProcessorArchitecture>
<EditionId>CoreSingleLanguage</EditionId>
<BuildLab>9200.win8_rtm.120725-1247</BuildLab>
<TimeZone>Malay Peninsula Standard Time(GMT+08:00)</TimeZone>
<ActiveSkuId>71f411ae-7b4b-41bd-b68c-c519c499f950</ActiveSkuId>
<ActiveSkuDescription>Windows(R) Operating System, OEM_DM channel</ActiveSkuDescription>
<ProductUniquenessGroups>55c92734-d682-4d71-983e-d6ec3f16059f</ProductUniquenessGroups>
<ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>67311c34-879b-0cc6-df77-5ed51ebd773b</ActiveProductKeyPKeyId>
<ActiveProductKeyPidEx>05426-01794-021-788075-02-2057-9200.0000-1102013</ActiveProductKeyPidEx>
<ActiveProductKeyChannel>OEM:DM</ActiveProductKeyChannel>
<ActiveVolumeCustomerPid></ActiveVolumeCustomerPid>
<OfflineInstallationId>126997327359039742850018087411744668165515845221179865019471123</OfflineInstallationId>
<DomainJoined>false</DomainJoined>
<ComputerSid>S-1-5-21-184531624-1660134584-2451720299</ComputerSid>
<ProductLCID>1033</ProductLCID>
<UserLCID>2057</UserLCID>
<SystemLCID>1033</SystemLCID>
<CodeSigning>SIGNED_INFO_PRS_SIGNED</CodeSigning>
<ServiceAvailable>true</ServiceAvailable>
<OemMarkerVersion></OemMarkerVersion>
<OemId></OemId>
<OemTableId></OemTableId>
<Manufacturer>Hewlett-Packard</Manufacturer>
<Model>HP ENVY Sleekbook 4 PC</Model>
<InstallDate>20130420052719.000000+480</InstallDate>
</LicensingData>
<HealthCheck>
<Result>PASS</Result>
<TamperedItems></TamperedItems>
</HealthCheck>
<GenuineAuthz>
<ServerProps>0xc004f200</ServerProps>
</GenuineAuthz>
</DiagReport>




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I've been reading through this thread with interest because I have just experienced the same problem.

I've been fixing computers for a living for around 10 years and two days ago I was tasked to find out why a relatively unused Samsung ultrabook would not activate its Windows 8 licence. I looked in PC info and it showed the last 5 characters of the key that was already embedded into the BIOS. It only gave me the option of typing a new key or purchasing one. I tried refreshing the machine back to a non bloaty state and although Windows had no problem in finding the product key it still did not give me the option to activate. Remember at this point I still had no idea what the full product key was so I could not have typed it in myself.

So with a bit of research I found a little program called 'Windows 8 Product Key Viewer' which lets you view the key with a simple double click. I copied and pasted the key as a new product key and tried to activate but it told me that it had been blocked! From my own experience I know that a blocked key usually means it has been pirated so I Googled the key and immediately found it all over the internet in numerous piratey looking sites!!

Now the sort of people that call me for work are absolutely not techy people and I have no doubt in my mind that they were telling the truth when these respectable, 50 somethings told me that this laptop had never been in anyone else's hands or remote supported since they purchased it as new from PC World in December. In fact they had barely used it due to the confusions of Windows 8 and they reason they got me in was because they were worried about wasting their money on this very nice Samsung ultrabook.

So whats going on here then? They have always had a windows password setup after being prompted by the initial setup so I don't think someone couldn't have accessed it personally so maybe they caught a virus that extracted they key?? All I know is that I have never seen this before with an OEM licence even though the CoA was always viewable before. Furthermore, I expect the only way to progress from this is to purchase another licence seeing as neither Microsoft nor PC World can guarantee the laptops whereabouts in the last 9 months! 

I can see this giving me future headaches! 

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I've been going through this nightmare with Lenovo for 2 weeks now. I have a Thinkpad Helix which is barely over a month old. I was trying out Windows 8.1 preview on it and decided there are too many issues with the Helix to continue. I'm an IT Manager of a company so I tend to do a lot of testing before things are released and I have 20 years of experience in the industry with PCs and Windows. Before the 8.1 install I did what was suggested and created a Restore USB drive in Windows 8 since the Helix doesn't come with a factory install partition or anything and even the Helix guide states to use the W8 System Restore function as a factory restore.

So I restore the system to it's initial state and lo and behold, Windows isn't activated. Looked up the error and it's stating the key is blocked. I'm not sure how that would happen and obviously you don't get the key with the system like W7 provided them on stickers for OEMs. Calling MS of course wasn't useful because I don't even have a key for them to look up and they tell me I have to contact Lenovo, which makes sense. Lenovo don't even seem to know their own product very well and asking inane questions that only apply to proper laptops or desktops, even asking what my key was. Obviously I don't have it since it's encoded in the BIOS. They then tell me I have to send it back to them to have it repaired. I paid $1800 for a tablet and $250 for NBD onsite priority support, the **** I was going to be sending it back for a week or 2. They end up sending me out factory restore DVDs which I run on the system knowing what was going to happen.

Sure enough another factory restore and it's still blocked. Next thing they send out a tech next day to replace the motherboard. It's dead. The tech also kills my old board by snapping a component.... really? Day after he returns with yet another motherboard and replaces it, getting it functional again. The new key is also blocked.

Lenovo now tell me I'm in some queue to have a new Windows 8 key generated and emailed to me within 24 hours. That was a week ago. I've called back twice and had my issue escalated and the group handling the escalations haven't called back either. The latest helpdesk rep stated they don't generate keys for W8, the motherboard replacement should have fixed it and doesn't understand why not. So I have a Helix here not activated and apparently no one knows what to do about it.


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Last updated February 8, 2024 Views 9,010 Applies to: