Copy of Windows declared not genuine

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I purchased my computer (Dell Inspiron) with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit preinstalled. I have used it for a little over a year, today a message appeared on my desktop that said: This copy of Windows is not genuine. 😡

What do I do about getting this corrected? :confused:

Gloria

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This link might help?:http://thecustomizewindows.com/2010/11/fix-this-copy-of-windows-is-not-genuine-in-genuine-windows-7/

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This link might help?:http://thecustomizewindows.com/2010/11/fix-this-copy-of-windows-is-not-genuine-in-genuine-windows-7/

Thank you chowur. I printed the article but have held off using it because the notice is intermittent. Sometimes it’s there and sometimes not. I installed Windows Updates yesterday, thank goodness the notice has not appeared as yet. I’m not sure if I should take it seriously, would WU’s install if my copy wasn’t genuine?

Gloria

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I purchased my computer (Dell Inspiron) with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit preinstalled. I have used it for a little over a year, today a message appeared on my desktop that said: This copy of Windows is not genuine. 😡

Did chowur’s suggestions work?

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Did chowur’s suggestions work?

See my posted reply to chowur. If I have to register and that solves the issue, I’ll be sure to return and let everyone know. Now that I think about it, would a clean,repair install of Windows 7 be the cause of the notice? That was done over a month ago by a friend using remote control.

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Now that I think about it, would a clean,repair install of Windows 7 be the cause of the notice? That was done over a month ago by a friend using remote control.

Quite possibly. It depends on how he installed it, such as the Windows 7 DVD he used, product key etc.

As I mentioned earlier, “OEM royalty” machines have a BIOS based preactivation method using brand specific OEM product keys.

Typically when I work on an OEM machine for the first time I use a system info app to gather and record that machines OEM product key in case it’s every needed down the road. I do remember Microsoft publishing some product keys for people with preactivated OEM machines to use in the event they need to do a clean install and haven’t recorded the machine’s key. But I think that was for XP.

Perhaps he used the key on your machines Windows 7 sticker and did a phone activation.

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The Problem has been solved and this is the way it was done.

I ran SuperAntiSpyware Pro last night while the computer was on overnight. This morning I found this notice from them: Optional updatedelivery is not working. You may be a victim of software coujnterfeiting. Updates from Windows Updates, to get the lates updates and receive product support, your copy of Windows must be vali as genuine.” Go online and resolve it now (was provided as a link).

The link took me to ‘Download required Windows Validation Components’.
A message appeared at the bottom of the webpage that said: This webpage wants to run the following add-on “Windows Activation Technologies” from Microsoft. I let it run the Windows validation process. After it finshed I was glad to see this notice: Welcome to Windows. Because Windows installed on your PC is genuine, enjoy the security, reliability and protection it provides.

The notice that my copy of Windows is not genuine has disappeared. I do believe that this thread is solved and considered closed. Thank heaven for my having SuperAntiSpyware Pro installed. I also want to thank everyone who tried to help me solve this issue.

Gloria

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You may be a victim of software coujnterfeiting. Updates from Windows Updates, to get the lates updates and receive product support, your copy of Windows must be vali as genuine.” Go online and resolve it now (was provided as a link).

The link took me to ‘Download required Windows Validation Components’.
A message appeared at the bottom of the webpage that said: This webpage wants to run the following add-on “Windows Activation Technologies” from Microsoft. I let it run the Windows validation process. After it finshed I was glad to see this notice: Welcome to Windows. Because Windows installed on your PC is genuine, enjoy the security, reliability and protection it provides.

Gloria,
Hello… Just my 2¢… This whole thing sounds very suspicious to me… Never heard of anything like this before.. On my 764 at times i get the “Not Genuine” message …but only after i do some Imaging when i re-boot …I just “X” out the boot message and all is welll ..If i were you i would do a Recovery to a previous Image and if i encountered the message …a call to MS would be in order… Just to be safe i would run a Malwarebytes scan , and any other that i could find if i didn’t have an old Image ….:cheers: Regards Fred

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Don’t panic, Fred. I’m certain that I have not been infected. The message was embedded in the screen and could not be X’d out. There was no way to do anything to remove or close it.

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Don’t panic, Fred. I’m certain that I have not been infected. The message was embedded in the screen and could not be X’d out. There was no way to do anything to remove or close it.

Hi Gloria,
OK …I’ll take a couple of deep breaths …When i see that message ..it appears in the lower right side of my desktop … Then when i re-boot i get a screen ( not genuine Blah, Blah) that has a few options …I “X” that out …and all is well again until i recover or Image one of my OS’s ( Not every time) Hope your OK …got my doubts…Regards Fred

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As I explained, nothing like that appeared on my screen except the location. There were no options included, just the invalid statement and that was all.

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I purchased my computer (Dell Inspiron) with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit preinstalled. I have used it for a little over a year, today a message appeared on my desktop that said: This copy of Windows is not genuine. 😡

What do I do about getting this corrected? :confused:

Gloria

I would be inclined to give Dell a call and see what they have to say. After all, they’re responsible for ensuring that the copy of Windows 7 which has been installed by them is genuine.

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I would be inclined to give Dell a call and see what they have to say. After all, they’re responsible for ensuring that the copy of Windows 7 which has been installed by them is genuine.

The copy Dell installed is definitely genuine.

In fact, Dell is MS “OEM royalty”: Windows licenses are automatically pre-activated. Activation is accomplished by a product key specific to the brand and edition of the OS in conjunction with brand & edition specific information in the BIOS (SLIC key).

NOTE: the OEM product key being used in your machine is NOT the one on the Windows label (COA product key) on the machine.

I’ve heard of retail license Windows wrongly being flagged as non-geniune but this is the first time I’ve heard of it happening on a OEM-royalty machine. I suspect the fixes in the link chowur posted might work. Something’s gone quite wrong within Windows unless something happened to the BIOS.

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Fred,

I’ve run in to this in the past, downloaded the validation components (making sure the link was to Microsoft beforehand) and run them; can’t remember doing this since XP days, tho.

Zig

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Fred,

I’ve run in to this in the past, downloaded the validation components (making sure the link was to Microsoft beforehand) and run them; can’t remember doing this since XP days, tho.

Zig

Just goes to show that all the problems we had with XP aren’t dead and gone to computer heaven.

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Like Zig, I have came across this in the past and I’m pretty sure I was running Windows 7 at the time.

If I’m not mistaken, the Windows Validation Components also get downloaded (if not already installed through WU) when you attempt to download software from the Microsoft Download Centre that requires a genuine installation (for example MSE)

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Like Zig, I have came across this in the past and I’m pretty sure I was running Windows 7 at the time.

If I’m not mistaken, the Windows Validation Components also get downloaded (if not already installed through WU) when you attempt to download software from the Microsoft Download Centre that requires a genuine installation (for example MSE)

Browni, are you saying that without Validation Componets I won’t be able to download files from the download centre if they require validation? I found the VC in my add-ons list in IE9 and disabled it. If I read you right, let me know and I’ll enable it right away.

Gloria

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After upgrade to an SSD in an HP Pavilion desktop machine, we reinstalled Windows 7 from a retail DVD. The product key on the external sticker was different from that which Magical Jelly Bean found. We flipped a coin and went with the sticker. Brought everything up to date. Everything went fine for a few days, but then the “not valid” message started to pop up. We’re going to try MJB’s key next, but I’d love to know why HP doesn’t put the correct key on their sticker.

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After upgrade to an SSD in an HP Pavilion desktop machine, we reinstalled Windows 7 from a retail DVD. The product key on the external sticker was different from that which Magical Jelly Bean found. We flipped a coin and went with the sticker. Brought everything up to date. Everything went fine for a few days, but then the “not valid” message started to pop up. We’re going to try MJB’s key next, but I’d love to know why HP doesn’t put the correct key on their sticker.

The product key found by Magical Jelly Bean is the OEM product key specific to your brand & model of machine for the OS originally installed on it.

It allows for preactivation based on a brand & model code embedded in the BIOS by the manufacturer.

However, most people would be able to find out what the OEM product key is on their machines if they need to reinstall, so there the key on the sticker which often called the COA key. Automatic activation of it is disabled.

Most OEM machines never use their COA keys and if they were disabled then people could just give them to friends to use on other machines. So, activation of them requires a phone call to Microsoft where they will ask you some questions to make sure you are actually looking at the sticker.

I recall reading of utilities that will allow you to change the product key of your Windows installation, but I don’t have any link handy.

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