Non Genuine Windows XP - After Computer Repair!!

[Guest]

Hi...........I have a genuine blue boxed Windows XP Professional Version 2002
operating system. Lately, my PC has undergone several expensive repairs, one
of which required a motherboard replacement. Now I find I have a non genuine
XP OS!!
My question is: Is there a way to enter my genuine Prduct Key and "legalise"
the OS? (Please note: one of the repairs cost $850.00! to discover that the
SP2 I had downloaded from MS was corrupt)! I should add that since the
repairs and replacement motherboard the computer has been oparating AOK! I
would appreciate any help that I can get...thanks.........

 

[DL]

from another post
------------------------------------

Go to www.microsoft.com/genuine and revalidate. Reboot your computer after
this is done.
Let us know us if this fixes the issue.
Sometimes revalidating and rebooting correctly syncs the Windows library
files.

If not try this:

Please click start, then run, then type in "wgatray.exe /b" then press
enter.
After that, log off and log back on.

If still no resolution, then:

Please follow this simple troubleshooting procedure:

1. Download and install the MGA Diagnostic Tool:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=56062

2. After running the WGA Diagnostic Tool, click
on the "Validation" tab and then click on "Copy to Clipboard".

3. Next, visit the following website and create a post in the
"WGA Validation Problems" forum and paste the
results of the WGA Diagnostic Data in a detailed post.
http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/default.aspx?SiteID=25

4. A WGA troubleshooting specialist will analyze the data and
recommend an appropriate solution.

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

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

:

| I am running XPSP2. Last night I got an live update from MS. Today when
I
| boot up I get an error message that says I have an illegal copy of XP.
What
| gives?
|
| W. Wolfe

 

[Guest]

Thanks for taking the trouble to reply Carey....However, I musn't have
explained my predicament properly! I believe that one of the recent repairers
of my PC have installed or overloaded a non genuine version of Windows XP, or
SP2...either when the motherboard was replaced or when SP2 was found to be
corrupt (perhaps)??
I do own a genuine Windows XP OS...
I tried the revalidation - I assume the way to do that was to try to
download from microsoft.com/genuine??? If so, that didn't work - it just
tells me my version of windows is non-genuine!
I also tried the: run wgatray.exe/b - logged off & then back on - still the
same non genuine messages comming up!!
I'm not sure if I'm doing this correctly - especially the revalidating
process as there was no specific option to revalidate on
www.microsoft.com/genuine?!!?
Thanks again for your trouble....

 

[TaurArian [MS-MVP]]

You could try the Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is for valid users
attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key to a genuine COA
sticker or genuine Product Key (without a reinstall)
see for instructions
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx


--

===========================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2006
===========================
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
"Need more help? http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;6527
(Links to web pages and MSKB Articles are posted for the purposes of keeping the
information current)


| Hi...........I have a genuine blue boxed Windows XP Professional Version 2002
| operating system. Lately, my PC has undergone several expensive repairs, one
| of which required a motherboard replacement. Now I find I have a non genuine
| XP OS!!
| My question is: Is there a way to enter my genuine Prduct Key and "legalise"
| the OS? (Please note: one of the repairs cost $850.00! to discover that the
| SP2 I had downloaded from MS was corrupt)! I should add that since the
| repairs and replacement motherboard the computer has been oparating AOK! I
| would appreciate any help that I can get...thanks.........

 

[Michael A. Covington]

I think you are right -- the repairer installed Windows from something not
up to date.

Here's what I'd do: First, contact the repairer and explain the problem.
If you get no help, then back up valuable data on the machine (just in case)
and install Windows from the blue box. When you install Windows over
itself, you normally do not lose data or settings.

 

[Robert Moir]

Hi...........I have a genuine blue boxed Windows XP Professional
Version 2002 operating system. Lately, my PC has undergone several
expensive repairs, one of which required a motherboard replacement.
Now I find I have a non genuine XP OS!!
My question is: Is there a way to enter my genuine Prduct Key and
"legalise" the OS? (Please note: one of the repairs cost $850.00! to
discover that the SP2 I had downloaded from MS was corrupt)! I should
add that since the repairs and replacement motherboard the computer
has been oparating AOK! I would appreciate any help that I can
get...thanks.........

Based on the information given, I'd agree with Michael Covington's
diagnosis. The people who repaired your computer installed a non genuine
version of Windows.

If they'll do that and not bother to warn you, it makes me wonder what else
they might have done with your windows installation, so I'd suggest
performing a clean install of Windows from your own disks yourself. It's
tedious, I know, but once it is done you will know exactly where you are at!


--
--
Rob Moir, Microsoft MVP
Blog Site - http://www.robertmoir.com
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
I'm always surprised at "professionals" who STILL have to be asked "Have you
checked (event viewer / syslog)".

 

[news.microsoft.com]

There used to be a time when Microsoft would try to pretend that any upgrade
to any system by changing any of the hardware constituted some need to 'buy'
a new licence but I had read years ago that this attempt to screw money out
of present customers wasn't working (and convinced the whole municipality of
Hamburg to go over to Linux, - as the first of many which did this) and
then was changed to only apply to a change in the amount of memory.
Possibly something in your setup didn't reflect that change or it thinks
that a change of mobo is a change of memory?

I should say that I have had exactly your problem running (I think it was
sfc) on a genuine installation from a repair CD and now have this 'invalid
copy of XP' problem but I found that you can go to a Microsoft site where
you can tell them you don't want notifications of this any more at all
whatsoever whenever.

Surely the thing to do is to do a repair install from your genuine XP disc
over their 'installation'? You boot off the CD, go to install, click yes I
want to install XP as if you really do, then it looks for a current install
and gives you an option to repair that installation with your genuine CD and
you can use your install key?

There used to be an alternative validation method I once came across which
might then assist but I wouldn't know where to look for it again.

Does anyone else know where this is?

You could try the Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is for valid
users
attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key to a genuine
COA
sticker or genuine Product Key (without a reinstall)
see for instructions
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx


--

===========================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2006
===========================
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
"Need more help? http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;6527
(Links to web pages and MSKB Articles are posted for the purposes of
keeping the
information current)


| Hi...........I have a genuine blue boxed Windows XP Professional Version
2002
| operating system. Lately, my PC has undergone several expensive repairs,
one
| of which required a motherboard replacement. Now I find I have a non
genuine
| XP OS!!
| My question is: Is there a way to enter my genuine Prduct Key and
"legalise"
| the OS? (Please note: one of the repairs cost $850.00! to discover that
the
| SP2 I had downloaded from MS was corrupt)! I should add that since the
| repairs and replacement motherboard the computer has been oparating AOK!
I
| would appreciate any help that I can get...thanks.........

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

There used to be a time when Microsoft would try to pretend that any
upgrade to any system by changing any of the hardware constituted some
need to 'buy' a new licence but I had read years ago that this attempt to
screw money out of present customers wasn't working (and convinced the
whole municipality of Hamburg to go over to Linux, - as the first of many
which did this) and then was changed to only apply to a change in the
amount of memory. Possibly something in your setup didn't reflect that
change or it thinks that a change of mobo is a change of memory?

I should say that I have had exactly your problem running (I think it was
sfc) on a genuine installation from a repair CD and now have this 'invalid
copy of XP' problem but I found that you can go to a Microsoft site where
you can tell them you don't want notifications of this any more at all
whatsoever whenever.

Surely the thing to do is to do a repair install from your genuine XP disc
over their 'installation'? You boot off the CD, go to install, click yes I
want to install XP as if you really do, then it looks for a current
install and gives you an option to repair that installation with your
genuine CD and you can use your install key?

There used to be an alternative validation method I once came across which
might then assist but I wouldn't know where to look for it again.

Does anyone else know where this is?

WOW, your knowledge of how WPA works is really lacking. Go read the
following article to refresh your memory.

Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP
by Alex Nichol, MS-MVP
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

 

[Guest]

Well.....Thank you to everone who replied..I appreciate your time and trouble!!
I had devoted heaps of hours during the week and all of Saturday to this
problem as well as reading lots of the questions and answers on the forums.
I wanted to avoid formatting the HD and reinstalling XP + all the downloads
and updates & tweaks etc.. I am convinced that XP was operating in all other
respects (other than the non genuine nag message) AOK.
As you advised, the process at:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/purchase/UpdateInstructions.aspx
cured the problem by simply allowing me to insert MY legitimate Product Key!!
Once again thanks very much and I hope other people in my predicament will
also benefit from everyone here's help!!!
Best regards,
Erp

 

[news.microsoft.com]

Sorry, you are right and I was wrong: I had lost interest in this subject
and moved on when it was first suggested that they were cutting down on
these pretences.

They DO still have a complicated system for making everyone continuously
call in to their activation centre and need 50 digit codes every time they
change much on their computer; and Hamburg was only doing what they
thought they needed to do however many times Steve Ballmer flew over to try
to reassure all those municipalities that what is set out on that page isn't
necessarily the case! If I was administering a huge network, I would
probably go over to Linux myself based on the convoluted instructions on
that page! And to prove it, the page suggests that they have also
activated a system whereby corporate network admins DO have to go through
these convoluted procedures when too many copies of XP are activated at once
(or if some users on a network have special needs) just because they were
purchased with a corp. code: They DO pretend that the software must be
being pirated!! I am amazed, though I would suspect (hope) that they must
have SOME way of knowing when a corporate key is being used properly as
opposed to just being activated too many times by different users, possibly
on the same network?

And your page also suggests why there are suddenly so many distros of Linux
out there being continuously updated, with lots of users saying that Open
Office really IS now compatible with MS Office.

Anyway the OP did find a way of getting around these silly pretences!!

 

[news.microsoft.com]

WOW, your knowledge of how WPA works is really lacking. Go read the
following article to refresh your memory.

Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP
by Alex Nichol, MS-MVP
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP

Interesting that you sent me this reply just a few days BEFORE my genuine
copy of windows started demanding immediate activation for no apparent
reason (by that I mean it had already started three times that day and i was
having trouble with a network card). So I had to call WPA myself getting my
product activated againand spend 20 minutes on the phone with them while
they checked everything out and activated it for me.

Immediately on re-boot, I was given a message telling me that my copy of
windows which came with the computer, was a genuine Dell one and had just
been activated by Microsoft themselves isn't genuine! I see they REALLY
know what they are doing.

So I called their help number again and was sent on some new wild goose
chase to some diag site where I was told that my date and time which are
correct to the second arent correct and that they cant validate me for this
reason. And that some activeX control which IS installed isnt working so
they cant validate.