Repair shop installed non-genuine version

[Guest]

A repair shop cleaned off my hard drive and installed a new version of
Windows XP. Today when I installed the WGA, it indicated my version is
counterfiet. I have the "hp notebook Operating System CD (XP SP1)" and the
product key is still on the bottom of my laptop. Is there any way to change
my product key to the one my laptop came with without re-installing Windows?
Microsoft says my PID is invalid so they won't help me unless I pay $35.00

 

[GHalleck]

A repair shop cleaned off my hard drive and installed a new version of
Windows XP. Today when I installed the WGA, it indicated my version is
counterfiet. I have the "hp notebook Operating System CD (XP SP1)" and the
product key is still on the bottom of my laptop. Is there any way to change
my product key to the one my laptop came with without re-installing Windows?
Microsoft says my PID is invalid so they won't help me unless I pay $35.00

Just how much work is involved in re-installing Windows XP with
the recovery disc from HP and using the correct product key at
this stage since the HD was wiped anyway? If you don't want to
do it, then it's the repair shop's responsibility unless it told
you to bring in your original discs prior to starting the repair.
Trying to change the product key is an "iffy" proposition since
it must match the particular installation that is on the notebook
and there are several different versions and sub-sets of Windows
XP that the repair shop could have used.

 

[paulmd]

A repair shop cleaned off my hard drive and installed a new version of
Windows XP. Today when I installed the WGA, it indicated my version is
counterfiet. I have the "hp notebook Operating System CD (XP SP1)" and the
product key is still on the bottom of my laptop. Is there any way to change
my product key to the one my laptop came with without re-installing Windows?
Microsoft says my PID is invalid so they won't help me unless I pay $35.00

You DO have a valid licence, and a valid COA. Microsoft is smoking
something.

There are key changers, inculding one from mircosoft. YMMV on those,
though.

 

[Marian Gutu]

Hello,

Just change the product key: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874/
...and maybe it would be a good ideea to visit the antipiracy site:
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/Reporting.mspx

Best regards,
--
Marian Gutu

MCP, MCSAs, MCSEs
Be nice, society already sucks!

May the Force be with you!
http://www.google.com

 

[Charlie Tame]

A repair shop cleaned off my hard drive and installed a new version of
Windows XP. Today when I installed the WGA, it indicated my version is
counterfiet. I have the "hp notebook Operating System CD (XP SP1)" and
the
product key is still on the bottom of my laptop. Is there any way to
change
my product key to the one my laptop came with without re-installing
Windows?
Microsoft says my PID is invalid so they won't help me unless I pay $35.00

Take it back to the shop and have them figure out what key they used. It is
quite possible that the key on the machine was used and is being flagged as
fake due to errors made by the computer manufacturer. Basically none of this
is your fault and it's also possible it's not the repair shop's fault, but
in the interests of customer relations it would make sense for them to help
get it fixed. Microsoft have no interest in hurting genuine users and
manufacturers HAVE made errors which are showing up now because WGA is
finding them. No reputable repair shop will try to cheat you on this, by now
the problem is well understood, and they have a duty to make sure that their
work is not at fault. Besides that the information on that particular model
may save them time and problems in the future.

Before you start this by the way make sure the computer's real time clock is
set correctly, double click on the clock display and go to "Internet Time"
tab, apparently the clock can make a difference. If you can use
time.windows.com and get the time now it should be accurate enough.

Read through this article next and see if it's something you'd care to try
yourself. Remember though that if you do something yourself the repair shop
are off the hook.

http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=400582&SiteID=25

As for MS being unhelpful perhaps whoever you spoke to did not fully
understand the situation.

Hope this helps

Charlie