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WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL VERIFICATION CHECKER

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moveit

Technical User
Sep 30, 2002
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I loaded W7 Pro onto a friends computer. They supplied the os which I looked at and as far as I could tell at the time checked out on the Microsoft site that showed what to look for. They have now come back and said that there is a message saying the software is not genuine.

I have looked on Microsoft's site for a serial number checker which I seem to remember they used to have for Windows 2000 & XP but could not find one. As I have heard that Microsoft have sent this message to people who do have genuine copies how can I know if my friend's copy is good?
 
Microsoft Genuine how to tell pages:


If the software appears genuine (Packaging, holograms on media, certificate of authenticity, reputable vendor etc.), installs as genuine, then later appears non-genuine, one of the Windows update/downloads Genuine Windows checks has found a change (software, hardware or registry) that does not fulfil Genuine status for that licensed product any longer.

Telephone Activation of Genuine Microsoft Products is the recommended approach if it cannot be achieved over the internet.

The software that checks the activation status is called MGADiag.exe, and is now freely available from Microsoft. Google MGADiag.exe for download.


 
I tried the phone activation but it still did not accept the serial number. I see that the error message says: Windows 7 build 7600 This copy of windows is not genuine.

At this stage I do not want to tell my friend to buy another copy if there is some flaw in Microsoft's verification system.
 
There's always the possibility the serial is genuine but had already been used before. Try getting a Human at microsoft's support number to explain the situation.

Thy should be able to tell you if there is something wrong with the serial number.

Also was the serial number on the disc itself, or on a label on the PC?

Usually if the serial number types don't match the install media types you could get issues even if the numbers are valid.


----------------------------------
Phil AKA Vacunita
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Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

Behind the Web, Tips and Tricks for Web Development.
 
One of the commonest reasons for Microsoft products failing MGA checks after being in use for some time without problems is that the product key may have been originally licensed for use in the developer channel, i.e. MSDN, it since has been leaked, found it's way into a very lifelike counterfeit product and after the key has surfaced "in the wild", Microsoft pulls the plug, and blocks the key.

In this way, Microsoft does get some return on intellectual property and end users become more aware of the problems of using software from potentially dodgy sources.

The slew of Microsoft hotfixes and security update releases, including the monthly "malicious software removal tool", Microsoft's Security Essentials anti-malware are not only aimed at the security of the user, but at the continuing validity of licenses of the non-free Microsoft products.

On the other hand, Microsoft releases trial software with the knowledge that there are people intent on cracking the limited licenses that come with these products, and actually use the experience gained with the exploitation attempts to harden up the security for later releases.

 
I have found a person phone line in the UK so will contact them tomorrow as they are off line at the moment. I will come back and tell you what has happened.
 
I spoke to Microsoft and it appears the software is genuine but it is for business use and not home.

My friend is now very concerned that if he bought another copy from a supplier that too may not work as he thought it was a genuine supplier in the first place. He is now worried that he might get another OS that is not going to work. He wonders if there is a way of checking the serial number before he loads another Windows 7 Professional.
 
the software is genuine but it is for business use and not home.

...meaning that it was probably volume licensed rather than an individually licensed retail product.

Microsoft has presumably blocked the leaked key. If the key to any Microsoft product can be found on the internet in a google search, there is the possibility that it will be blocked in future.

This may require a reactivation requiring that the means by which the product was obtained will need to be disclosed. This can be checked against entries in the BIOS Software LICensing (SLIC) Description Table, the Hardware hash key and Product key, as well as previous registry entries for Windows Activation, and other stored licensing records in your Windows system.

If I'd bought something in good faith, and I found out it was not kosher, I would be rather annoyed and would be doing everything I could to get my money back from the merchant who supplied it. I would probably report them to all and whichever agencies I could to stop them doing it again to other dupes. I would then go to a legitimate source and purchase the item I should have in the first place.

If on the other hand, I had knowingly bought something dodgy, on the cheap, I would now be feeling foolish for being conned, and thinking of going to a legitimate source to get the item I should have bought in the first place.

On the third hand, if I were incorrigibly dishonest, I would be scouring the internet for some site that offered a crack that would seemingly make my fake purchase seem genuine again. Only I would know the difference, until the day my computer again greeted me with "Your Windows is not Genuine..."

It seems strange to think that there is some sort of difficulty in finding an honest supplier of genuine Microsoft products in the UK. Major retailers from electrical goods suppliers through booksellers and supermarkets all sell the stuff, and have reputations to uphold.

There are reputable online retailers too, but on Ebay there are ephemeral traders that do not have a great reputation as far as genuine licensed software is concerned.


 
The software came in a sealed box with the sticker intact and I have checked the serial number label with a copy I have and they both look the same. My friend assures me that the seller was genuine but has now gone off EBay.

When you mean reactivation I am not up on the checking you mentioned. Could you please explain this and are you saying that the OS could still be legally activated.

I have known people buy from what you might call genuine outlets and still find that the software is not genuine. It is a pity Microsoft charge such a high price for their OS, it is about £220 for Pro in UK which is about $350.
 
actually found one for £106.00, real quick...


directly from Amazon, no other seller involved... but Microsoft will not give or honor support for it, other than rolling out the hotfixes and updates...


or this one for £162.21, also directly from Amazon...



or look across the channel, e.g. Germany, on Amazon for only €120 ( about 100 GBP), add shipping charges € 6, probably will still come to around 107 GBP total...


(German version is also in english...)

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"
 
Thanks BadBigBen for the sites. I will pass them on to my friend. Is it possible that when he gets a genuine version he can just change the serial number or will he have to re-format and start again?
 
Thanks BadBigBen. Friend activated software okay. Thanks also to those who helped with subject.
 
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