G
Guest
This morning, my Sony Vaio, which I had left riunning all night had a message
on the screen saying "The product key you typed was invalid" It then gave me
three choices.
Use it with reduced functionality (I can browse the web)
Buy a new product key (this just takes me to a web page with a U.S. phone
number, which is really helpful, as I am in Australia
Contact Sony Corporation for help.
This is a genuine Vaio, bought from a Sony retailer three months ago with
pre-installed OEM Vista Business. I have been using it solid for the last
three months, and have never typed in a product key.
I called Sony support, who told me that this is a known problem with Vista,
and that I had to call Microsoft.
I called Microsoft support who told me that there is no such problem, and
that if my Vaio doesn't have a "genuine windows" sticker with a product key
on it (it doesn't) then I have an illegal couterfeit copy and should take it
back to the shop. From that point on they refused to help any further.
I borrowed a computer from my client today to get some work done, and when I
got back to my office this evening, I called Sony back. Yes, there is a known
problem that Microsoft are meant to help me with, and they gave me the
reference to the KB article: 931573, and told me to install the fix.
So I went to the article and tried to install the fix, but half way through
installing, I get a message to say I may be the victim of counterfeiting and
it takes me to a windows validation web page wghich is broken, and then pops
up a message to say that I am not allowed to install the fix on my system.
So, before I go back to the Sony shop tomorrow and dump it on their counter
and ask for something running a relatively sane operating system (2003, or
XP?), does anyone have any idea how to get out of this trap?
on the screen saying "The product key you typed was invalid" It then gave me
three choices.
Use it with reduced functionality (I can browse the web)
Buy a new product key (this just takes me to a web page with a U.S. phone
number, which is really helpful, as I am in Australia
Contact Sony Corporation for help.
This is a genuine Vaio, bought from a Sony retailer three months ago with
pre-installed OEM Vista Business. I have been using it solid for the last
three months, and have never typed in a product key.
I called Sony support, who told me that this is a known problem with Vista,
and that I had to call Microsoft.
I called Microsoft support who told me that there is no such problem, and
that if my Vaio doesn't have a "genuine windows" sticker with a product key
on it (it doesn't) then I have an illegal couterfeit copy and should take it
back to the shop. From that point on they refused to help any further.
I borrowed a computer from my client today to get some work done, and when I
got back to my office this evening, I called Sony back. Yes, there is a known
problem that Microsoft are meant to help me with, and they gave me the
reference to the KB article: 931573, and told me to install the fix.
So I went to the article and tried to install the fix, but half way through
installing, I get a message to say I may be the victim of counterfeiting and
it takes me to a windows validation web page wghich is broken, and then pops
up a message to say that I am not allowed to install the fix on my system.
So, before I go back to the Sony shop tomorrow and dump it on their counter
and ask for something running a relatively sane operating system (2003, or
XP?), does anyone have any idea how to get out of this trap?