Stephen,

Windows 7 Profession is a retail product. Our Key Management Service
activates volume license versions of Windows.

When you activate a retail version of Windows, you either allow your
computer to connect to Microsoft over the Internet, or you can call
Microsoft to receive an activation key or the phone.

From:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/faq.aspx

"Activation is required. It's how you provide your product key to help
ensure that your copy of Windows is used according to Microsoft Software
license terms. You have 30 days after installing Windows to activate it
online or by telephone. For more information, see Activating Windows:
frequently asked questions."

See:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Activating-Windows-frequently-as
ked-questions

Hope that helps,

--Geoff

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Technology Discussion at UVM [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Stephen J.Pintauro
> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:10 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Windows 7 MCA install
>
> I am having a related Windows 7 activation problem.  I installed
> Windows
> 7 Professional a few months ago from a disk I purchased at the Depot.
> I
> entered the product key from the back of the disk sleeve when I
> installed.  But now I am getting messages indicating that I need to
> activate Windows 7.  I tried entering the product key again, but no
> luck.  Am I missing something obvious?
> Thanks,
> Stephen Pintauro
>
> On 1/30/2010 9:29 PM, Geoffrey Duke wrote:
> > Alison,
> >
> > I have some detailed documentation on troubleshooting activation
> here:
> > http://www.uvm.edu/~gcd/2008/09/troubleshooting-vista-activation/