How can I tell if XP is legal?

[mike]

I bought a used computer with XP.
It's activated.
I want to make DARN SURE it's gonna continue to work
before I spend a week installing and configuring stuff.

I went to the MS site and got nowhere.
I ran genuinecheck.
It gave me a number and said, "Paste this into step 2"
but there was no step 2.
Tried downloading some stuff. Worked without incident,
but not sure I tried the "restricted stuff".

So, how can I verify that my install is legal and will
continue to work?

 

[David B.]

There are a limited number of pirated XP VLM product keys floating around
the web, the quick way I check is to extract the key using magic jellybean,
then Google the key, if you get hits it's pirated, you should get zero hits
if it's valid. This isn't 100% effective but it's a quick check.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Visit: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/ and click on
"Start Diagnostics".

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

I bought a used computer with XP.
It's activated.
I want to make DARN SURE it's gonna continue to work
before I spend a week installing and configuring stuff.

I went to the MS site and got nowhere.
I ran genuinecheck.
It gave me a number and said, "Paste this into step 2"
but there was no step 2.
Tried downloading some stuff. Worked without incident,
but not sure I tried the "restricted stuff".

So, how can I verify that my install is legal and will
continue to work?

 

[Jack D1ldo]

If you are getting all the updates then you are legal otherwise tough
luck. If it is working then why fix it! Continue doing what you are
doing and you should be ok unless, of course, you want to spend money to
get another XP package. If the system is branded like Dell, HP etc then
it must be legal. They never ship anything without installing a legal
OS and some say (I don't believe this though) OEM branded OS cannot
be installed on any other systems.

hth

 

[mike]

Visit: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/ and click on
"Start Diagnostics".

Thanks,
Been there, done that.
I don't want to change my browser settings to allow popups.
I don't want to install a WGA plugin to firefox.
I don't want M$ adding additional spyware to my system.
All I want to do is determine IF I have a genuine XP.
Why is this so hard?
M$ can determine If I'm valid in order to limit my use of MY computer.
Why the heck can't they just tell me if the numbers are valid?
-

 

[mike]

If you are getting all the updates then you are legal otherwise tough
luck. If it is working then why fix it! Continue doing what you are
doing and you should be ok unless, of course, you want to spend money to
get another XP package. If the system is branded like Dell, HP etc then
it must be legal. They never ship anything without installing a legal
OS and some say (I don't believe this though) OEM branded OS cannot be
installed on any other systems.

hth

The whole idea of this exercise is to determine IF it's broke.

You have the right idea, if it ain't broke..., but you're not
applying it. NEVER, EVER let ANY program automatically update.
And NEVER, EVER manually update any program unless it's absolutely required
to do something that you can't do without and have no alternatives.

I'm convinced there's more crapware, spyware, adware, DMCAware,
homelandsecurityware
in updates than any actual updated functionality...but that's just me.

Oh, forgot about additional bugs. Surely you've had a system go south
and had no idea which change broke it...cause you have no idea what changed.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

WGA is not spyware. I gave you the correct procedure,
so please follow it or stop complaining.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

Visit: http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/diag/ and click on
"Start Diagnostics".

Thanks,
Been there, done that.
I don't want to change my browser settings to allow popups.
I don't want to install a WGA plugin to firefox.
I don't want M$ adding additional spyware to my system.
All I want to do is determine IF I have a genuine XP.
Why is this so hard?
M$ can determine If I'm valid in order to limit my use of MY computer.
Why the heck can't they just tell me if the numbers are valid?
-

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Thanks,
Been there, done that.
I don't want to change my browser settings to allow popups.
I don't want to install a WGA plugin to firefox.
I don't want M$ adding additional spyware to my system.
All I want to do is determine IF I have a genuine XP.
Why is this so hard?

Because you are arbitrarily refusing to follow the perfectly good
advice you've been given.




--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[David B.]

I think your a tad too paranoid.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

I think your a tad too paranoid.

Just a tad?
<grin>

If the computer originally came with XP installed there should be a
Microsoft sticker somewhere on the hardware itself.

Bill

 

[Daave]

Did you go to a shop and buy Windows and pay the $400 or so ????

If you did then it's legal. If not, you are a thief.

IMO, whoever charges "$400 or so" for Windows is a thief.