Not a Genuine Windows 7?

[Yousuf Khan]

Earlier today I was having some problems with one of the hard disks in
my system so I was removing and changing them around to test it out. At
one point after a reboot, I got a message saying that this isn't a
Genuine copy of Windows! ¿WTF?! So I told it to ignore it, and
everything seems to work. I figured maybe it got confused by the
hardware changes.

Anyways, it hasn't really complained since then. When I look at the
properties of "Computer" it says it's "Activated". So am I okay? Or do I
need to call Microsoft?

Yousuf Khan

 

[housetrained]

could it be that you have installed it on more than one HDD? within your
system?

 

[Yousuf Khan]

could it be that you have installed it on more than one HDD? within your
system?

No, but there is a copy of Windows XP installed on an external drive
which I sometimes multi boot into.

Yousuf Khan

 

[a]

No, but there is a copy of Windows XP installed on an external drive
which I sometimes multi boot into.

Yousuf Khan

As long as it shows up as activated and windows update works, you have
nothing to worry about.

I personally wouldn't worry until windows update stops working.

 

[Mike S.]

Earlier today I was having some problems with one of the hard disks in
my system so I was removing and changing them around to test it out. At
one point after a reboot, I got a message saying that this isn't a
Genuine copy of Windows! ¿WTF?! So I told it to ignore it, and
everything seems to work. I figured maybe it got confused by the
hardware changes.

Anyways, it hasn't really complained since then. When I look at the
properties of "Computer" it says it's "Activated". So am I okay? Or do I
need to call Microsoft?

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine and let it do it's stuff

 

[Yousuf Khan]

As long as it shows up as activated and windows update works, you have
nothing to worry about.

I personally wouldn't worry until windows update stops working.

Thanks, sounds reasonable.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Yousuf Khan]

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine and let it do it's stuff

Okay, cool, looks like it validated properly. Phew!

Yousuf Khan

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Okay, cool, looks like it validated properly. Phew!

Yousuf Khan

Microsoft validation seems to be allergic to changes. Perhaps the
experimentation you were doing caused a sneeze or a rash.

OTOH, when I have had validation problems, they have always been resolved
either by following the online wizard, or when that failed, calling MS
support. Looks like you had good luck also.

I concur with the "Phew!"...

 

[Alex Clayton]

OTOH, when I have had validation problems, they have always been resolved
either by following the online wizard, or when that failed, calling MS
support. Looks like you had good luck also.

I concur with the "Phew!"...

I have been through this a couple times with one Gateway (Acer) laptop. Wife
managed to break off the little pin in the port for the power cord. I took
it to a shop, they said it was part of the Motherboard so repair would be
expensive. I sent it back to Acer to see what they would say and damned if
they did not fix it free and send it back. I thought wow that was lucky.
Then 30 days later Windows not genuine started. Apparently the license did
not recognize the the new Motherboard Acer had installed and was looking at
it as a 30 day trial. I tried the MS site and nothing, it would not work.
MS's only solution was to have me buy a new license from them for $100.00 or
call Gateway. Gateway had me reinstall Windows and all was fine, so I
thought. 30 days later here it goes again. This time I sent it back to Acer
again. It's only been back for a couple weeks so I am waiting to see if
after 30 days it starts that crap again.
If it does it again I will try the phone to MS I guess to see if they can
do something. I had never heard of this until Win. 7 though.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

I have been through this a couple times with one Gateway (Acer) laptop.
Wife managed to break off the little pin in the port for the power cord.
I took it to a shop, they said it was part of the Motherboard so repair
would be expensive. I sent it back to Acer to see what they would say
and damned if they did not fix it free and send it back. I thought wow
that was lucky. Then 30 days later Windows not genuine started.
Apparently the license did not recognize the the new Motherboard Acer
had installed and was looking at it as a 30 day trial. I tried the MS
site and nothing, it would not work. MS's only solution was to have me
buy a new license from them for $100.00 or call Gateway. Gateway had me
reinstall Windows and all was fine, so I thought. 30 days later here it
goes again. This time I sent it back to Acer again. It's only been back
for a couple weeks so I am waiting to see if after 30 days it starts
that crap again.
If it does it again I will try the phone to MS I guess to see if they
can do something. I had never heard of this until Win. 7 though.

Just run it through this website:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine

You won't have to wait 30 days.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Alex Clayton]

Just run it through this website:

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine

You won't have to wait 30 days.

Yousuf Khan

Thanks when I finish my coffee here I will fire it up and try it.

 

[Alex Clayton]

OK I just tried the site and it says I am fine, but I think this is the same
thing it did before unless I am missing something. The last couple times it
was working when I would do a update or when I would install the MS anti
virus and Malicious software tools it would first validate my copy of
Windows, and say it was good to go. Then 30 days later it would start the
not genuine crap. Is this site something different than the other times it
validates ??

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I have been through this a couple times with one Gateway (Acer) laptop. Wife
managed to break off the little pin in the port for the power cord. I took
it to a shop, they said it was part of the Motherboard so repair would be
expensive. I sent it back to Acer to see what they would say and damned if
they did not fix it free and send it back. I thought wow that was lucky.
Then 30 days later Windows not genuine started. Apparently the license did
not recognize the the new Motherboard Acer had installed and was looking at
it as a 30 day trial. I tried the MS site and nothing, it would not work.
MS's only solution was to have me buy a new license from them for $100.00 or
call Gateway. Gateway had me reinstall Windows and all was fine, so I
thought. 30 days later here it goes again. This time I sent it back to Acer
again. It's only been back for a couple weeks so I am waiting to see if
after 30 days it starts that crap again.
If it does it again I will try the phone to MS I guess to see if they can
do something. I had never heard of this until Win. 7 though.

I guess I was running on good luck & didn't realize it. Sorry.

I hope Yousuf Khan's advice ends up working for you...

 

[Alex Clayton]

I guess I was running on good luck & didn't realize it. Sorry.

I hope Yousuf Khan's advice ends up working for you...

I tried the site he listed and it shows that the license is good, but like I
said I am not sure that is any different than the other times MS checks to
make sure I have a valid copy. When I do an update or use the MS antivirus
it checks too. when I bought the problem child I bought 2 of them, one for
the wife and one for one of the kids, so I now have 3 of the same one. The
only problem is the one that the Motherboard was replaced in. I am no expert
but that seems to be what started all the trouble. I don't know if this is
some "thing" with Win.7 or if the people at Acer just screwed up when they
repaired the thing. I should find out about the 8th of next month when
another 30 days has gone by. I was impressed that Acer fixed for free, what
I thought they were going to say was not something warranty should cover,
but ever since it has been a lot of frustration. I have spent $30.00
sending it back to Acer so far so I guess if it starts again I may be money
ahead to just buy the damn license MS tried to sell me. <G>

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I tried the site he listed and it shows that the license is good, but like I
said I am not sure that is any different than the other times MS checks to
make sure I have a valid copy. When I do an update or use the MS antivirus
it checks too. when I bought the problem child I bought 2 of them, one for
the wife and one for one of the kids, so I now have 3 of the same one. The
only problem is the one that the Motherboard was replaced in. I am no expert
but that seems to be what started all the trouble. I don't know if this is
some "thing" with Win.7 or if the people at Acer just screwed up when they
repaired the thing. I should find out about the 8th of next month when
another 30 days has gone by. I was impressed that Acer fixed for free, what
I thought they were going to say was not something warranty should cover,
but ever since it has been a lot of frustration. I have spent $30.00
sending it back to Acer so far so I guess if it starts again I may be money
ahead to just buy the damn license MS tried to sell me. <G>

What I meant was that I hope it stays working when the 30 day grace
(graceless?) period ends...

As for your frustration: you seem calmer than I might be in your shoes

The money for a new license of Windows might also end up being cheaper than
an appropriate amount of tranquilizer.

Changing the motherboard definitely sets off an alarm for Windows - from
the outside it looks a lot like trying to install the same disk in a second
computer, but as I said, I have made significant hardware changes without a
problem. I have even removed Windows from one computer and reinstalled it
on another, but I *did* have to call home to do it.

WAIT! I just realized that I was not starting from an OEM copy of Windows,
but from a retail DVD or CD. To MS, an OEM edition can't be transferred to
a new computer. Now that isn't what you actually have. logically speaking,
but you need to find a tech support person that believes you, if the thing
fails in the next 30 days :-(

Or if you can, get a new license number from Acer. BTW, the treatment you
have reported here makes Acer look pretty good to me.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Now that isn't what you actually have. logically speaking,

"Now that isn't what you actually have, logically speaking,"

I.e., replace period by comma.

AKA, Bloch is a really picky guy...

 

[Alex Clayton]

What I meant was that I hope it stays working when the 30 day grace
(graceless?) period ends...

As for your frustration: you seem calmer than I might be in your shoes


The money for a new license of Windows might also end up being cheaper
than
an appropriate amount of tranquilizer.

Changing the motherboard definitely sets off an alarm for Windows - from
the outside it looks a lot like trying to install the same disk in a
second
computer, but as I said, I have made significant hardware changes without
a
problem. I have even removed Windows from one computer and reinstalled it
on another, but I *did* have to call home to do it.

WAIT! I just realized that I was not starting from an OEM copy of Windows,
but from a retail DVD or CD. To MS, an OEM edition can't be transferred to
a new computer. Now that isn't what you actually have. logically speaking,
but you need to find a tech support person that believes you, if the thing
fails in the next 30 days :-(

Or if you can, get a new license number from Acer. BTW, the treatment you
have reported here makes Acer look pretty good to me.

Yes that is why I am trying very hard to not get pissed at Acer. The Wife
broke that pin off being careless I am 99% sure. Of course by the time she
told me she had a "problem" it was too late. I figured it was a lost cause
when I found out there was no easy fix, just bought another one of the same
machines. Then sent it back fully expecting them to contact me and give a
price quote to fix it. They got it on a Friday and the following Monday I
got an e-mail showing the tracking that it was on it's way back. I guess if
next month it goes off again and I can not get MS to fix it the $100.00 fix
will be fine since I was expecting to have to pay at least twice that to
Acer to put the new Motherboard in it.
When I went down and bought the replacement for the Wife I did for the
first time ever buy the add on Warranty from Best Buy for that one. At least
if she manages to break that one they will replace it free. <G>

 

[Yousuf Khan]

OK I just tried the site and it says I am fine, but I think this is the
same thing it did before unless I am missing something. The last couple
times it was working when I would do a update or when I would install
the MS anti virus and Malicious software tools it would first validate
my copy of Windows, and say it was good to go. Then 30 days later it
would start the not genuine crap. Is this site something different than
the other times it validates ??

Well, if and when it happens again, run it through the site again. It
should then be revalidated at that point again. Then go through your
Event logs and see if anything is happening on your system that would
cause this. I would suspect it's some kind of hardware that disappears
and reappears sporadically. I think some of the hardware that Windows
uses to validate are hard disks, cpu, memory, etc. Others might add more
to the list.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Alex Clayton]

Well, if and when it happens again, run it through the site again. It
should then be revalidated at that point again. Then go through your Event
logs and see if anything is happening on your system that would cause
this. I would suspect it's some kind of hardware that disappears and
reappears sporadically. I think some of the hardware that Windows uses to
validate are hard disks, cpu, memory, etc. Others might add more to the
list.

Yousuf Khan

Can't hurt, I will give it a try in a couple weeks if it does it then.
The best I have been able to tell so far is it was/ is the new Motherboard
they put it at Acer when they repaired it. It made the machine think someone
had tried to use the license to install on a new machine and this was the
kind of license they sell to a manufacturer, not one I bought to install.
Like I said to Gene I was actually surprised they (Acer) even did the
repair free in the first place since I was expecting to have to pay for it.
If it does it again and I can not get someone at MS to fix it over the phone
I will probably just buy another license from them. The laptop is seldom
used right now since it's an extra, so if I have to spend another $100.00 to
make it work I guess it will be worth it. I bought it at a Black Friday sale
so it was pretty cheap at the time.