1. Copy and save or backup the following activation-related files to
external storage medium such as USB flash drive or portable hard disk
drive:
%SystemDrive%\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetWorkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwarePlatform\Tokens.dat
and,
%SystemDrive%\Windows\System32\spp\tokens\pkeyconfig\pkeyconfig.xrm-ms
Note: For 64-bit (x64) OS,
%SystemDrive%\Windows\SysWOW64\spp\tokens\pkeyconfig\pkeyconfig.xrm-ms
have to be backed up too.
2. Retrieve and record the product key used to
install and activate the current Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.
Tip: If you can’t remember the product key used, there is plenty of
product key viewers available to help.
3. Reinstall Windows 7 or Windows
Server 2008 R2. When installation wizard prompts for a product key for
activation, leave it blank (do not enter anything).
4. In the newly
installed Windows operating system, stop the Software Protection
Service in Services.msc or with the following command (run in elevated
command prompt):
net stop sppsvc
5. Navigate to the following folder:
%SystemDrive%\Windows\System32\spp\tokens\pkeyconfig\
Note: In 64-bit (x64) operating system, also perform the action in
%SystemDrive%\Windows\SysWOW64\spp\tokens\pkeyconfig\
folder.
6. Take
ownership and give user full control permissions (alternatively add
grant full control right click menu item) to pkeyconfig.xrm-ms file.
7. Delete the original default pkeyconfig.xrm-ms file, and replace with
the backup copy.
8. Navigate to the following folder:
%SystemDrive%\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetWorkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwarePlatform\
9. Take ownership and give
user full control permissions (alternatively add grant full control
right click menu item) to tokens.dat file.
10. Delete the original default
tokens.dat file, and replace with the backup copy.
11. Restart the
Software Protection Service in Services.msc or with the following
command (run in elevated command prompt):
net start sppsvc
12. Register the product key for Windows 7 or Windows
Server 2008 R2 with the following command (run in elevated command
prompt):
slmgr.vbs -ipk xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Replace xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx with the actual product key.
13. Windows will activated instantly, off-line. To check activation
status, uses of of the following commands:
Best Answer
In your Control Panel -> System, the "Windows Activation" section is totally missing. This probably means that Activation was hacked, and that required system components have been deleted.
Try to Run as Administrator the following command :
slui.exe 3
. It normally brings up the Windows Activation dialog.If this doesn't work, try to run the System Update Readiness Tool for Windows and the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, as sometimes they fix a problem or two.
You could also try
sfc /scannow
, as described in this article.If all else fails, and you have the Windows 7 installation media, try doing Repair Install as described in this article.
If nothing works, then this version of Windows was too damaged by the crack. I suggest in this case to reformat the hard disk and reinstal Windows from scratch. It might be a good idea to do this in any case, rather than use an unknown and maybe virus-ridden image.