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Was wondering the same thing.

from what I recall reading, at least on Win10 machines, some of the telemetry is sent via encrypted connections that bypass normal measures

There is already a thread about this problem. See the one with five strars.

Thanks, found it: http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//170897-Lost-Windows-Update-Icon-in-System-Tray

Very informative thread

I would like to consult one of the experts out there:I used to get notifications about available or necessary Windows updates. …. All I know,that I no longer am notified of any available or needed updates. I have to check (like on the second Tuesday of every month) in order to get them,and occasionally at times,in order not to miss a possibly important one.
Have I done something wrong(like ignoring an update that informs MS that my computer exists)?

Did you install KB3075851 back in August? When I installed that update to “Windows Update Client” I found that the Windows Update notification disappeared from my system tray.

After I uninstalled KB3075851, I once again got Windows Update notifications in my system tray.

HOWEVER, uninstalling it also erased my “update history.” I’ve read reports of others who’ve had the very same experience.

Appears MS is getting Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 users “accustomed” to the Windows 10 way of updates. 🙁

@Marty

My experience mirrors yours. Uninstalling KB3075851 restored the WU notification and cleared update history.

However, WU then took a long, long time to check for updates and download them. That made doing updates a pain since I install them in sets instead of all at the same time

I found the solution to be uninstalling all the recent WU Client update patches: KB3050265, KB3065987 and KB2990214

Now WU is functioning the same it used to. Seems like a point of all those WU Client patches to get Win 7 and Win 8 users accustomed to the Win 10 way updates are delivered: without notification.

After upgrade to an SSD in an HP Pavilion desktop machine, we reinstalled Windows 7 from a retail DVD. The product key on the external sticker was different from that which Magical Jelly Bean found. We flipped a coin and went with the sticker. Brought everything up to date. Everything went fine for a few days, but then the “not valid” message started to pop up. We’re going to try MJB’s key next, but I’d love to know why HP doesn’t put the correct key on their sticker.

The product key found by Magical Jelly Bean is the OEM product key specific to your brand & model of machine for the OS originally installed on it.

It allows for preactivation based on a brand & model code embedded in the BIOS by the manufacturer.

However, most people would be able to find out what the OEM product key is on their machines if they need to reinstall, so there the key on the sticker which often called the COA key. Automatic activation of it is disabled.

Most OEM machines never use their COA keys and if they were disabled then people could just give them to friends to use on other machines. So, activation of them requires a phone call to Microsoft where they will ask you some questions to make sure you are actually looking at the sticker.

I recall reading of utilities that will allow you to change the product key of your Windows installation, but I don’t have any link handy.

Now that I think about it, would a clean,repair install of Windows 7 be the cause of the notice? That was done over a month ago by a friend using remote control.

Quite possibly. It depends on how he installed it, such as the Windows 7 DVD he used, product key etc.

As I mentioned earlier, “OEM royalty” machines have a BIOS based preactivation method using brand specific OEM product keys.

Typically when I work on an OEM machine for the first time I use a system info app to gather and record that machines OEM product key in case it’s every needed down the road. I do remember Microsoft publishing some product keys for people with preactivated OEM machines to use in the event they need to do a clean install and haven’t recorded the machine’s key. But I think that was for XP.

Perhaps he used the key on your machines Windows 7 sticker and did a phone activation.

As for the Roaming folders, I’ve never used “Windows System Restore”; I have it turned off. I’ve read too many horror stories, I guess. But using drive images and my Set 7 Free method, it doesn’t matter where the System folders are.

Yeah, I turn off System Restore as well. I don’t see the point of needlessly eating up drive space when I have a solid system imaging strategy in place.

Thanks for the advice bbearren! Just bought the IFW – BI BareMetal bundle. Let the learning and experimenting begin. 😉

Have a look at Image For Windows from Terabyte Unlimited. It is advertised to handle GPT. I’ve used Terabyte Unlimited software since the mid-’90’s, and have never had a reason to look anywhere else. I’ve found it to be completely reliable; I’ve never had an image fail to restore (and I routinely test my images).

…. all future updates of the same release series (such as 2.xx) are free. Their support is via email, and they always have the correct answer in less than 24 hours

We have a winner here. Thanks bbearren!

I was looking around and read some very high praise for IFW on WildersSecurity forums. My take-away impression is that IFW is the imaging solution for the uber-geeky. It’ll do exactly what you want it to do once you overcome the learning curve.

And then, your experience with IFW is quite convincing and seals the deal in my mind.

I’m thinking IFW installed on WinPE rescue media is likely to be what I’ll need to use for GPT disks like my friend has. What do you think?

Oh, and if you do decide to use my Set 7 Free method, I’m available for questions and support via the “Contact Me” link.

Thanks, man!

I’m considering “setting 7 Free” on my personal machine. It’s a bit intimidating, but I’d definitely learn a lot in the process. 😉

However, for friends machines as well as the ones I maintain –for free– at a small non-profit, I’m just looking for a solution that’s makes for seamless and easy to maintain system restores. I’m really tired of getting frantic calls where the primary concern is user data loss when they have system problems. Thus, my question about the Roaming folders in my response to Ted.

I can’t answer your question unfortunately. I will be interested in the answer however!

The method to move data folders to a new partition is well documented (You probably already know this but many others reading this might not)

Thanks Ted!

Yeah, I’ve read that Lincoln Spector article. Frankly, I believe it’s the best (article / guide) on moving user folder by the “Microsoft approved method.”

Of course, there are a couple of problems with the “MS approved” method.

[*]A bit tedious; you have to do it for each folder to be moved.
[*]The moved folders’ permissions are not copied: they will inherit the permissions for the drive-folder they are moved to.
[*]Junctions for “legacy” folders like “My Documents” still point to the old location, not the new one.

What I’ve tried so far is to use a Modular Script (Vista & Windows 7) to change the locations for specific user folders for the “Default User”: any new user accounts will have the specific folders in the new locations automatically with proper permissions and junctions in place.

The modular nature of the script is nice: you can pick and choose which folders you want moved. Also, the process is reversible.

It was originally written in French, but you can find an English translation HERE. There’s also a script to move the Public Folders as well (see reply #2)

So far, this script works well, but it does not move the %userprofile%/AppData/Roaming folder a la the Lincoln Spector guide.

I’m debating about this since I’m aware that some apps, like iTunes & Adobe products, can write a tremendous amount of data within their Roaming folder.

My question is, for the sake of seamless system restoration, do the Roaming folders need to be on the system partition or not?

I came to love have the user data folders moved in XP. Made it very simple to restore an earlier system image if an install went wrong or simply regretted installing some apps.

Do a system restore and voila… the only thing I need to do is do Windows Update, and do any updates or reinstalls any apps that I had done after the restored image was made.

Simple, elegant and highly efficient and reliable.

I would be inclined to give Dell a call and see what they have to say. After all, they’re responsible for ensuring that the copy of Windows 7 which has been installed by them is genuine.

The copy Dell installed is definitely genuine.

In fact, Dell is MS “OEM royalty”: Windows licenses are automatically pre-activated. Activation is accomplished by a product key specific to the brand and edition of the OS in conjunction with brand & edition specific information in the BIOS (SLIC key).

NOTE: the OEM product key being used in your machine is NOT the one on the Windows label (COA product key) on the machine.

I’ve heard of retail license Windows wrongly being flagged as non-geniune but this is the first time I’ve heard of it happening on a OEM-royalty machine. I suspect the fixes in the link chowur posted might work. Something’s gone quite wrong within Windows unless something happened to the BIOS.

I purchased my computer (Dell Inspiron) with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit preinstalled. I have used it for a little over a year, today a message appeared on my desktop that said: This copy of Windows is not genuine. 😡

Did chowur’s suggestions work?