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How to recover windows without a readable COA sticker?

dalvarado
Level 7

‎06-16-2013 04:38 PM - last edited on ‎03-05-2024 11:03 PM by Community Admin

Hello. This is my first post. I did search, but found nothing. Please forgive me if I'm posting to the wrong forum. I did contact asus support, but I thought I'd also try the forums while I await a response to see if some kind individual here could help.

Yesterday I bought a used G60JX laptop off craigslist. The seller did not have recovery media. The laptop came with a non-genuine version of windows 7 ultimate installed. The laptop does have a Windows COA sticker on the bottom, but is is unreadable (I can make out maybe half the letters at best). The recovery partition is gone. I want to restore it to it's factory state with a legit version of windows that it came with. I see that I can buy a recovery cd from asus for about $50, which I'd rather not have to pay for, but whatever. I also wish to avoid buying a new retail license if possible.

Questions:
1. If I bought the recovery media, how would I be able to install it if I don't have a readable COA sticker and I don't have the original OS installed?

2. Is it possible to use the product key off another G60JX together with the factory restore media to restore to factory?

Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Pitcher1
Level 9

‎06-16-2013 06:39 PM

I think you can bring to service center to install it, it will be having all official OS and restore partition.
we can use MB SN to find your laptop SN.
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cl-Albert
US Customer Loyalty Agent

‎06-17-2013 09:28 AM

Welcome to the forums!

Yes, you're in the correct area.

dalvarado wrote:


Questions:
1. If I bought the recovery media, how would I be able to install it if I don't have a readable COA sticker and I don't have the original OS installed?


If you plan to buy recovery media from the U.S./Canada ASUS eStore site, you don't need to type in the product key under the notebook to install/use the ASUS Win7 OEM image.
Unlike retail Windows versions, the ASUS OEM Windows image does not ask you to type in your Windows product key at first boot.

However, there may be some situations where the recovery media will not work for your notebook and your notebook may need to be sent in for (out-of-warranty in your case?) repair, so you may want to consider this possibility and discuss with ASUS eStore as well what your options are if this happens.

dalvarado wrote:

2. Is it possible to use the product key off another G60JX together with the factory restore media to restore to factory?


As mentioned above, since the ASUS recovery disks don't require you to enter the Windows product key, there probably isn't much reason to get a different product key.

Hope this helps!
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billyray520
Level 10

‎06-17-2013 10:14 AM

If it were me, I'd prefer Asus to give me the COA key that should be on the bottom of the unit if possible. That way you can download your copy of Windows 7 and install it. You can do a clean re-install whenever you want too. You can also install Windows 7 in the normal way without the restore partition which gobbles up 20 more GB of space. I did that with my G73Sw, but I had to call Microsoft to re-activate my original COA key, as the refubisher had installed another key. I was luck that the original key was still very easy to read on the bottom of the unit.

You just have to make a driver CD from the download page on ASUS, which I did with excellent results, not installing the bloatware.

Now I have a Window 7 Home Premium DVD SP1 and a ASUS driver CD all ready should I ever need them, just like I bought it new! 😉
Asus Maximus V Extreme BIOS 1903, see specs above avatar.

Asus G73 jh A1 laptop, BIOS 213, vBIOS OD2, 8 GB Ram, 240 GB Intel SSD, 180 GB Intel SSD. Win 7 Pro. Purchased new from PowerNotebooks.com in May 2010.
(both have 1920X1080 hd screens, mine above, hers below )
Asus G73 Sw XR1 laptop 8 GB Ram, 160 GB Intel SSD, 80 GB Intel SSD. Purchased used >Ebay 1/10/13, Did clean install of Windows 7
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cl-Albert
US Customer Loyalty Agent
In response to billyray520

‎06-17-2013 11:08 AM

billyray520 wrote:
If it were me, I'd prefer Asus to give me the COA key that should be on the bottom of the unit if possible.


Thanks for the suggestion and please let us know if you have more information, but unfortunately, I don't believe we have a way to pull up the original Win7 COA key on our end although customers may still want to contact our U.S. and Canadian support to confirm (by chat?).
If the notebooks were still under warranty, we would probably just ask customers to send them back for repair to be re-imaged.

Also, it's not too likely customers are near the few authorized service providers (ASPs) on our website that we have, but if they are, another option is to discuss with them to find out what cost/options they can offer for out-of-warranty service. Don't expect the ASPs can pull up the product key either though if it's illegible.
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jtapoling
Level 7
In response to cl-Albert

‎09-06-2013 09:13 AM

I have an alternative out of the box idea. I ran into this same problem with a totally unreadable Windows 7 COA. I noticed upon extemely close examination that the COA actually leaves very small indentations. If you take a very small amount of acrylic paint on your finger and very very lightly rub the area the numbers will start to reappear. It took about 30 - 45 minutes of tinkering and examining but now I can read all of my numbers. Only one number is within question. For clarity I could only read about 3 or 4 numbers / letters before this process. The numbers you see below were completely unreadable as was the words "Product Key". Hope this helps someone out. 25874
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billyray520
Level 10
In response to jtapoling

‎09-06-2013 12:28 PM

Brilliant! :cool:
Asus Maximus V Extreme BIOS 1903, see specs above avatar.

Asus G73 jh A1 laptop, BIOS 213, vBIOS OD2, 8 GB Ram, 240 GB Intel SSD, 180 GB Intel SSD. Win 7 Pro. Purchased new from PowerNotebooks.com in May 2010.
(both have 1920X1080 hd screens, mine above, hers below )
Asus G73 Sw XR1 laptop 8 GB Ram, 160 GB Intel SSD, 80 GB Intel SSD. Purchased used >Ebay 1/10/13, Did clean install of Windows 7
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Zygomorphic
Level 17
In response to billyray520

‎05-31-2014 02:07 PM

@Jatapoling, that is a really nice idea, I will have to try that if I ever need to recover a product key. If there are dents, then maybe rubbing with a pencil would work (sort of like the way you can create rubbings of coins. Just a thought.
I am disturbed because I cannot break my system...found out there were others trying to cope! We have a support group on here, if your system will not break, please join!
http://rog.asus.com/forum/group.php?groupid=16
We now have 178 people whose systems will not break! Yippee! 🙂
LINUX Users, we have a group!
http://rog.asus.com/forum/group.php?groupid=23
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odosta
Level 7

‎05-31-2014 08:32 AM

Windows 7 is an OS (Operating System) of Microsoft, Which is very popular in all over the world. It is used for windows 7 key home and office PCs & Notebooks. Microsoft Provides its legal copy (Genuine Registered Version) with its Genuine Product Key for any user to install its registration. Its cost is almost $150, Which you know, is not affordable for Us.
You can get a new product key of windows 7 for new system or laptop at reasonable price, - See more at: http://odosta.com/windows-7-product-key-sticker
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