counterfeit copy

G

Gordon J. Rattray

Hi there,

I've got a friend who has a counterfeit copy of XP Pro in his machine and
due to Microsoft's update and verification schemes, he is now being informed
that he maybe has a counterfeit copy installed of XP.

Is there a license and serial number he can buy to avoid re-installing the
whole thing?

Thanks,

Gordon
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

Tell your friend to visit this link: www.microsoft.com/genuine and click
Validate Windows, when validation fails it should give you a button that
says "Get Genuine" . If you click the button it should lead you to
where you can order a WGA kit.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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

:

| Hi there,
|
| I've got a friend who has a counterfeit copy of XP Pro in his machine and
| due to Microsoft's update and verification schemes, he is now being informed
| that he maybe has a counterfeit copy installed of XP.
|
| Is there a license and serial number he can buy to avoid re-installing the
| whole thing?
|
| Thanks,
|
| Gordon
 
A

antioch

Gordon J. Rattray said:
Hi there,

I've got a friend who has a counterfeit copy of XP Pro in his machine and
due to Microsoft's update and verification schemes, he is now being
informed that he maybe has a counterfeit copy installed of XP.

Is there a license and serial number he can buy to avoid re-installing the
whole thing?

Thanks,

Gordon
If your 'friend' is certain it is pirated and knows the thief/handler then
get them to DEMAND a free genuine XP from that source. If he fails or
succeeds, tell them to then grass the 'barsteward' to the authorities AND
give his name/address to MS.
Rgds
Antioch
 
R

Robin Walker [MVP]

Gordon J. Rattray said:
I've got a friend who has a counterfeit copy of XP Pro in his machine
and due to Microsoft's update and verification schemes, he is now
being informed that he maybe has a counterfeit copy installed of XP.

Is there a license and serial number he can buy to avoid
re-installing the whole thing?

Yes, all he has to do is follow the links that the notification offers.

However, he should do that only if he is sure that his XP Pro is
counterfeit. There are some cases of false positives at present, which can
be rectified, usually quite easily. If he holds a genuine XP Pro Product
Key on a genuine Certificate of Authenticity, then he can use a free tool to
update his Product Key to a genuine one without a re-installation.

If he needs to purchase a new key, then he *might* need to do a Repair
Installation to get the new key in: that leaves the rest of his applications
and data files as they stand.
 
R

Randella

Good posts!

Unfortunately, Microsoft will not persue a person who sold a conterfeit
copy of Windows. According the license agreement they will persue
someone who uses a counterfeit copy. Nice try though. Piracy is very
hard to prove and/or validate.

Maybe one day we will all grow-up. Until then stay away from the deals
that are too good to be true. Also you might want to stay away from
computers that come with recovery partitions too... Messing with the
recovery partition could mean loss of license for XP... Making us all
pirates.

-Randy
King of Microsoft
 
A

antioch

Observations spliced/intertwined/in-line etc

Randella said:
Good posts!

Unfortunately, Microsoft will not persue a person who sold a conterfeit
copy of Windows. According the license agreement they will persue someone
who uses a counterfeit copy. Nice try though. Piracy is very hard to
prove and/or validate.

Oh yes they will if they are a retailer/dealer etc - they did in the UK
recently. Some 1,000 counterfeit copies were found after a buyer shopped
the seller to MS and they involved the Police and Trading Standards. The
retailer/dealer got a few years in prison and MS want £10 mil from him.
Maybe one day we will all grow-up. Until then stay away from the deals
that are too good to be true. Also you might want to stay away from
computers that come with recovery partitions too... Messing with the
recovery partition could mean loss of license for XP...

To whom are these comments directed -
You are assuming the poster is the owner of the pirated XP - its a 'friend'
who is in trouble ;-) ;-)
Making us all pirates.

Perish the thought
Antioch
-Randy
King of Microsoft
 
G

Guest

Gordon J. Rattray said:
Hi there,

I've got a friend who has a counterfeit copy of XP Pro in his machine and
due to Microsoft's update and verification schemes, he is now being informed
that he maybe has a counterfeit copy installed of XP.

Is there a license and serial number he can buy to avoid re-installing the
whole thing?

Thanks,

Gordon
 
B

Bonkers

So, how did you (erm, I mean your friend) obtain this conterfeit copy? I'd
go after them, especially if it came with a system.
 
R

Randella

I understand in the UK the Laws are quite different...

I don't know the circumstances surrounding that bust but I am sure that
it hasn't been tried in court yet...

Micorsoft does not have their own police or solid laws in the US to go
directly after an individual. Yet. Look at how long it has taken us
to arrest the spammers, and how many of them get off with a slap on the
wrist... Which is illegal, there are laws against spamming in the US,
believe it or not.

-Randy
 
W

Wynand

Let him try to do Windows updates , that will tel him how to get a copy, and
by getting another "legal Copy" win xp pro he can run a repair that will
change the PID and he will be able to download updates and other software
from the MS website

Also if he runs a repair the legal copy must have SP2 with the cd other wise
he will get an error stating that the copy of windows that is on his
computer is newer than the one he is trying to install
 
M

Michael Stevens

--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

LFR said:

I need to change my XP Product KEY #18 on the FAQ list
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html#018
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 

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