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Thread ID: 93514	2008-09-20 21:47:00	I've upset Microsoft	Thomas01 (317)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
706525	2008-09-20 21:47:00	Yesterday my ancient steam driven tatty old desktop told me via a note not only on my desktop but during boot up that I may be a victim of software piracy and my version of XP has failed some authorization test. Is it right?. Years since I bought the thing. It has been modified by at least two firms that no longer exist. I "think" it may have come from PCUnlimited in the first place. But we have also moved addresses when a large part of our software went missing. In addition two burglaries took computers and digital cameras - plus I think some more software. I do have some disks of umpteen DOS and early windows OS somewhere. Last week MS supplied me with a replacement Disk for one of my laptops as the original disk had been lost but I had the id numbers. They charged what I reckon was a reasonable fee. The beast is not what it was, at least 3 hard drives have been in its guts, the motherboard has been changed - memory increased and I have lost count of the CD/DVD burners installed. Even so it's not worth much to anybody else, I'm too old and tatty myself to undergo a huge amount of stress and the cost of a replacement XP disk is too high. What is the usual thing to happen in these cases. I have no objection to a reasonable fee to clarify things. Just wonder if somebody else out there is using a disk which should have been left in my study. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
706526	2008-09-20 21:59:00	Perhaps one of the firms who did work on the system re-installed XP? If so, they may have used a non-genuine serial key. Anyway, check your private messages.	Deane F (8204)
706527	2008-09-20 22:32:00	The CD's are unimportant - its the COA / Product key thats important. With XP home you can generally use any XP CD to install as long as you have the key. Just wonder if somebody else out there is using a disk which should have been left in my study. Even if they were it wouldn't matter, If they stole the product key then they can use it. Legally when a system builder builds a PC (that previous business you mentioned) according to the license agreement you have to have the product key stuck to the case someplace.	wainuitech (129)
706528	2008-09-20 22:41:00	The CD's are unimportant - its the COA / Product key thats important. With XP home you can generally use any XP CD to install as long as you have the key. Even if they were it wouldn't matter, If they stole the product key then they can use it. Legally when a system builder builds a PC (that previous business you mentioned) according to the license agreement you have to have the product key stuck to the case someplace. Yes - some hideous time in the past I found the number and actually stuck a fresh sticky label on the case with this number on it. Rather to my amazement I have just found the sticky label. Blowed if I know why I did it or what happened to the original MS label - if in fact it ever had one. I have the number in front of me now - so what do I do next? Tom	Thomas01 (317)
706529	2008-09-20 22:50:00	Google "change XP key without re-installing" or something similar and try some of the suggestions...	Deane F (8204)
706530	2008-09-21 03:10:00	Google "change XP key without re-installing" or something similar and try some of the suggestions... Spent an interesting hour doing as you suggested. But nothing that made me really happy. I don't honestly know if my XP Prof is legal or not - I always thought it was. But having run XP HOME on other computers would be more than contented with that. Trying the MS site for validation I see I am up against a cost of $257 - seeing that I have been quoted XP home for $190 locally I would prefer that. But even so I am a bit brassed off about it. I have spent an enormous amount over the years for MS OS and feel that I should be able to get XP home cheaper than that if neccessary. Actually the MS device simply puts a constant notice on the bottom of my desktop and turns the backgound black. As all my computers have run with a black background for years that doesn't bother me (don't tell Bill). I just wish I knew why I may be running an illegal copy. Somebody obviously did something I didn't know about. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
706531	2008-09-21 03:16:00	Try downloading a key viewer app (Magic jellybean is good), run it and check the XP key it picks up against the key on your case. If they are different, google the first 5 characters of the one the program picked up. If you get any results that contain the entire key, it was most likely an illegal copy of XP that the company installed - ie not using the key on the case. Hope this helps...	jwil1 (65)
706532	2008-09-21 05:03:00	Try downloading a key viewer app (Magic jellybean is good), run it and check the XP key it picks up against the key on your case. If they are different, google the first 5 characters of the one the program picked up. If you get any results that contain the entire key, it was most likely an illegal copy of XP that the company installed - ie not using the key on the case. Hope this helps... Did as you suggested and yes it is the entire number - so I guess somewhere along the line I have got myself an illegal copy. I suppose my disk (if I ever owned one) was amongst the stuff stolen from my study on one of the two occasions I had burglars. It's all a bit confusing. Somewhere I might have the old disks from the stolen laptops. If I had them, I suppose I can use them - but the original verification would have been done by me. MS could then ask who this character is trying to use the same OS disks on two computers. Now I am fed up. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
706533	2008-09-21 05:41:00	Also as jwil1 said - download Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder - then look at This page (www.shivaranjan.com) and put in the legit key - it should change and away you go. The other way is to follow these instructions here (support.microsoft.com) - if it still wont change, as long as you have the legit COA you select telephone support, 0800 676 334 Option 2 (as you may guess done this a few times :) ) Do what the instruction in the site above say numbers 7 & 8, enter the 42 digit key - work through the messages on the phone - and finally get to speak to a real person at MS - simply tell them that you got the message you may be a victim of software piracy - tried to install a legal key, following the procedure from their site ( above) - and as long as you have the legal key ( which they may ask for the letters/numbers, and ask where you got it) they will simply give you new 42 digit numbers to enter and thats it.	wainuitech (129)
706534	2008-09-21 06:31:00	If you can never remember having an XP license sticker on your computer & you never bought it separate from a shop, you probably don't have a legit copy.	Greven (91)
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