Replies to post #32883 on Dream Machine

[PMS Witch]

To activate an OEM Windows system you need three pieces of a puzzle that must fit together: Product Key, BIOS SLIC, and OEM Certificate.

Since Windows 7 has been running on your system, you can be certain that you have the correct BIOS SLIC (System Locked License.)

You also have the correct Product Key.

That leaves the OEM Certificate. If you did NOT install your OEM Certificate, then you can assume it's missing. The easiest fix is to grab a copy of it from your old disk. To do this, you have two choices: Manually or use Software. . .

For Manually:

Grab a copy this file:

C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwareProtectionPlatform\Tokens.DAT

NOTE: You want to work with a COPY. NOT THE ORIGINAL!

Once you have a copy of this file, you must find and extract the OEM Certificate that is inside of it. Notepad will work for this.

Search for the following string: "OEM Certificate"

Find the string "<?xml " directly preceding the string "OEM Certificate" (About 345 characters)

Find the string "</r:license>" directly succeeding "OEM Certificate" (About 2,370 characters)

Select from the "<?xml " to "</r:license>" and copy into another file (Include the "<?xml " and "</r:license>")

Save the file with .xrm-ms file extension.

That's how to get your certificate manually.

You may find the automated way easier.

Download Activation Backup

Execute this tiny program using your old system. It will self extract a few files. One will be Activation_Backup.EXE

Execute Activation_Backup.EXE and it will create two files: Your Product Key and your OEM Certificate. Both will be text files.

Cheers, PW.

[Bruce A Thompson]

I worked all day yesterday and just finished manually

Wouldn't it have been easier just to clone from your working drive?