TechNet copy of Win 7 U x86 RTM boots to a blank screen with "This copy of Windows is not genuine".

TechNet copy of Win 7 U x86 RTM boots to a blank screen with "This copy of Windows is not genuine". The only change I can think of is that I added a RAID Array on the system. However I'm dual booting to W 7 U x64 and that has no problem. Yet!

I've searched various forums but can't find a similar issue. All I can do on the blank screen (light blue) is run Ctrl Alt Delete to get a shutdown icon.

The x86 was working fine until yesterday.

Have you called Microsoft?  if you are a Tech Net Subscriber you should i think have a support call as part of your package.

Typically if it is an activation problem you can call them for free without using up a support ticket.

ManipUni said:

Typically if it is an activation problem you can call them for free without using up a support ticket.

I called the TechNet Concierge who confirmed the key was genuine and gave me two numbers to phone. I'll follow that up and report back. I have no way of getting in to the x86 and am coming to the conclusion it was malware or a virus.

fjk61011 said:

ManipUni said:

*snip*

I called the TechNet Concierge who confirmed the key was genuine and gave me two numbers to phone. I'll follow that up and report back. I have no way of getting in to the x86 and am coming to the conclusion it was malware or a virus.

When you install new hardware Windows can get deactived. Have you tried to activate it again?

ZippyV said:

fjk61011 said:

*snip*

When you install new hardware Windows can get deactived. Have you tried to activate it again?

There's no way to reactivate. I can't get past the blank screen.

OK. I booted the x86 version again. I got the blank screen. I opened task manager via Ctrl Alt Delete and using "new tasks" key, I launched explorer.exe. I got the taskbar and my programs shortcuts. Some of the programs worked. However Control Panel wouldn't, giving me a "no such interface" and a string of numbers. Back in x64 now.

Came across this: http://www.avforums.com/forums/windows-7/1139059-black-screen-death.html

I've scanned the disk and then moved my data and downloads to one of the RAID Arrays. I deleted the partition and created a new one.

 

 I then started to install using the 32-bit disk but that hung after the windows starting screen before the language selection screen.

 

 I remembered that I was trying to install to a laptop last week and I kept getting an invalid key message after the name and password screen. 

 

 I don't think setup checks online for the keys at that stage, maybe it does.

 

 I'm thinking the .iso file was damaged on download or my dvd drive is dodgy. But I'm not sure how that would give the light blue thingy screen.

OK. I noticed I had a USB floppy drive plugged in. I removed that and boot again and the installation goes to the select language screen.

One problem solved.

I don't remember if I had the USB floppy drive plugged in when I got the light blue screen.

I'll try to replicate the light blue screen after I've re-installed Win 7 x86 by plugging in the USB floppy drive.

Ouch. That is a flawed design - if you cannot even change your product key nor re-activate it...

Did you try safe mode? Same thing?

ManipUni said:

Ouch. That is a flawed design - if you cannot even change your product key nor re-activate it...

 

Did you try safe mode? Same thing?

It's a flawed design only if it's happening by design, in this case it's not the expected behaviour of a machine whose product key is invalid. It sounds most likely that something has corrupted the 32-bit installation somehow.

ManipUni said:

Ouch. That is a flawed design - if you cannot even change your product key nor re-activate it...

 

Did you try safe mode? Same thing?

Yup. Safe mode. Same thing. I'm going to call it the light blue screen of death  

Having re-installed Windows 7 Ultimate x86, I now have a phantom 5 1/4" B: floppy drive. The A: floppy drive works.

The B: floppy drive does not show up in the BIOS but does show up in "fsutil".

fsutil shows the B: floppy drive as 5 1/4", which would be great, cos I need one for an IBM PC 5150 (Original PC) that i'm fixing. 

In "Computer" the B: icon even shows a 5 1/4" floppy disk!

What intrigues me is that Windows 7 has the 5 1/4" floppy icon!