setting up TV: need product key..

hi,

the cable guy was just here installing the card for the TV tuners..

when trying to set up TV in Windows Media Ctr it's asking for a product
key, it's says it's "on the back of the installation CD" -- I don't even
know CD it's referring to.. I purchased my machine with everything
installed.. (Vista Ultimate..) it also says I can find this "product
key" in the Windows Manual, but my computer came with no manual...

only Vista CD I have is one where it says

"This DVD may ONLY be used for the recovery
of your computer's operating system.."

I have no idea, consequently, where to get this "product key" Windows
Media Ctr is demanding in order to set up the TV tuners.. would
appreciate some help....

thank you very much...

look for the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) affixed to the body of your
computer
The COA includes the 25-character product key.
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/h...lang=en&fid=21

Here is a longer link in case the first link doesn't help:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/h...displaylang=en

"maya" <> wrote in message news:fn0e2i$too$...
> hi,
>
> the cable guy was just here installing the card for the TV tuners..
>
> when trying to set up TV in Windows Media Ctr it's asking for a product key,
> it's says it's "on the back of the installation CD" -- I don't even know CD
> it's referring to.. I purchased my machine with everything installed.. (Vista
> Ultimate..) it also says I can find this "product key" in the Windows Manual,
> but my computer came with no manual...
>
> only Vista CD I have is one where it says
>
> "This DVD may ONLY be used for the recovery
> of your computer's operating system.."
>
> I have no idea, consequently, where to get this "product key" Windows Media
> Ctr is demanding in order to set up the TV tuners.. would appreciate some
> help....
>
> thank you very much...

Hi,

On most preinstalled machines, it's a sticker somewhere on the back or side.
Barring that, you might download and run the advisor from belarc.com which
can give you the system's product key as well.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"maya" <> wrote in message news:fn0e2i$too$...
> hi,
>
> the cable guy was just here installing the card for the TV tuners..
>
> when trying to set up TV in Windows Media Ctr it's asking for a product
> key, it's says it's "on the back of the installation CD" -- I don't even
> know CD it's referring to.. I purchased my machine with everything
> installed.. (Vista Ultimate..) it also says I can find this "product key"
> in the Windows Manual, but my computer came with no manual...
>
> only Vista CD I have is one where it says
>
> "This DVD may ONLY be used for the recovery
> of your computer's operating system.."
>
> I have no idea, consequently, where to get this "product key" Windows
> Media Ctr is demanding in order to set up the TV tuners.. would
> appreciate some help....
>
> thank you very much...

Rick Rogers wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On most preinstalled machines, it's a sticker somewhere on the back or
> side. Barring that, you might download and run the advisor from
> belarc.com which can give you the system's product key as well.
>

thank you all for your responses.. I did find it in the end, the product
key for Digital Cable Support (not the same as the one to activate
Windows), but even though I typed it in a no. of times I couldn't get it
to work.. spoke to tech support for my machine today... after I finally
convinced the guy I had indeed typed in the correct no., he puts me on
hold to find out if this is a known issue, he comes back and says that
what happens is Vista gets corrupted and the only solution to this
problem is to do a clean re-install of Vista after reformatting the HD
and yada yada... I don't believe this....

has anybody experienced this same problem when trying to set up Digital
Cable TV in Windows Media Center??? (personally am on Ultimate...)

thanks again..

Maya

That recommendation to format and reinstall the OS is a typical response
when a tech support person doesn't know how to fix a problem.

When you say "Digital cable support product key" is this a key provided by
the cable company? If so, it seems they would be the people to contact if
their key is not working.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User


"maya" <> wrote in message news:fn2rnn$6pn$...
> Rick Rogers wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> On most preinstalled machines, it's a sticker somewhere on the back or
>> side. Barring that, you might download and run the advisor from
>> belarc.com which can give you the system's product key as well.
>>
>
> thank you all for your responses.. I did find it in the end, the product
> key for Digital Cable Support (not the same as the one to activate
> Windows), but even though I typed it in a no. of times I couldn't get it
> to work.. spoke to tech support for my machine today... after I finally
> convinced the guy I had indeed typed in the correct no., he puts me on
> hold to find out if this is a known issue, he comes back and says that
> what happens is Vista gets corrupted and the only solution to this problem
> is to do a clean re-install of Vista after reformatting the HD and yada
> yada... I don't believe this....
>
> has anybody experienced this same problem when trying to set up Digital
> Cable TV in Windows Media Center??? (personally am on Ultimate...)
>
> thanks again..
>
>

Ronnie Vernon MVP wrote:
> Maya
>
> That recommendation to format and reinstall the OS is a typical response
> when a tech support person doesn't know how to fix a problem.
>
> When you say "Digital cable support product key" is this a key provided
> by the cable company? If so, it seems they would be the people to
> contact if their key is not working.
>

actually the guy said it's a known Vista problem that has been reported
to MS.. he says what happens is Vista gets corrupted and doesn't accept
the product key, I have to re-install it.. he's not the one saying I
have to reformat the HD; it turns out that the CD Vista comes with
ERASES all your data (and it says so on the CD itself..) the
tech-support guy says that unfortunately that's a Vista thing, that you
can only re-install it by losing all your data...

the Digital Cable Product Key is on a sticker on the machine right
alongside the product key to activate windows... Windows Media Center
demands this key when you activate Digital Cable TV for WMCtr.. (this
product key comes from MS, not from the cable co....)

thanks for yr response.....

"maya" <> wrote in message news:fn3hu8$khv$...
> actually the guy said it's a known Vista problem that has been reported to
> MS.. he says what happens is Vista gets corrupted and doesn't accept the
> product key, I have to re-install it.. he's not the one saying I have to
> reformat the HD; it turns out that the CD Vista comes with ERASES all your
> data (and it says so on the CD itself..) the tech-support guy says that
> unfortunately that's a Vista thing, that you can only re-install it by
> losing all your data...

This is not a normal Vista DVD, this is the one that is supplied by the
manufacturer of the system where Vista is pre-installed. A retail Vista DVD
can perform a non-destructive re-install that leaves all of your user files
intact.

>
> the Digital Cable Product Key is on a sticker on the machine right
> alongside the product key to activate windows... Windows Media Center
> demands this key when you activate Digital Cable TV for WMCtr.. (this
> product key comes from MS, not from the cable co....)
>

The Digital Cable Product Key is supplied by the manufacturer of the
hardware that enables you to access the digital cable functions on the
machine. This key is not from Microsoft. The installed Media Center
component is just the interface that the digital cable hardware uses.

If this is a compatibility problem with that hardware and Vista, hopefully
they will have it fixed soon. Make sure that you have all of the current
updates installed.

--
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User