Need computer (Windows) help

[kb4ns]

I bought a laptop a couple of years ago that had Vista preinstalled. I tried for well over a year to like it, but it just wasn't gonna happen. When Windows 7 came out, I decided to try it. I bought a license for it from a well-established eBayer for less than it was selling for retail. Got it installed, the key worked fine, everything was ok for 6 months or so. Now my wife, who uses the laptop much more than I do, is telling me that these annoying little windows pop up telling her that the copy of Windows isn't genuine and there is some text on the bottom right side of the wallpaper saying the same at all times. The well-established, good feedback-having eBayer is gone - no longer a registered user. What should I do? What can I do? Win 7 is "OK", but I sure as hell ain't paying for it twice.

[mikegideon]

Sounds like you got duped. Windows 7 is probably your only option. I completely skipped Vista, but was forced into Windows 7 on the last laptop. You need a good key, and will probably have to buy it.

[kb4ns]

Sounds like you got duped.

No doubt. I just figured that if I did, Microsoft would have advised soon enough to file for my payment to be reversed. Not 6 effin months later!

[DaveTN]

Now my wife, who uses the laptop much more than I do, is telling me that these annoying little windows pop up telling her that the copy of Windows isn't genuine and there is some text on the bottom right side of the wallpaper saying the same at all times.

Is it a real Microsoft message or is it a web scam? What does it want you to do?

What can I do? Win 7 is "OK", but I sure as hell ain't paying for it twice.

You are a cop and Uncle Bill wants paid; I assume you are going to set a god example and do the right thing.

[kb4ns]

Is it a real Microsoft message or is it a web scam? What does it want you to do?

It's real.

You are a cop and Uncle Bill wants paid; I assume you are going to set a god example and do the right thing.

Hell yeah, I'll do the right thing. I'll go to Linux.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

It may take a long time on the phone talking to a microsoft employee from India, and may cost a little money (or maybe not) but just call microsoft tech support and explain the situation.

They can sign onto your computer remote-control and look around and determine if your version is good but there are setup problems, or if your Win 7 version is bogus. It may turn out that your version is legit and just needs repair. In either case they can usually fix it on the spot. But if it is bogus it will cost you some money.

I don't know what kind of pirate OS policy MS has set up for Win 7, but for a long time they have had "discount" prices to legalize pirate installs, if the MS support person is convinced you are actually a victim of fraud and you are not actually trying to rip off MS. I went thru that mess for a friend's computer with XP a couple of years ago, and I think it cost $100 to get em to remotely fix the computer and they also sent a legit install CD by snail mail.

MS has to tread lightly and give a fair amount of slack to people with authorization problems, because if they get a lot of folks mad at em it could cause govt intervention in their silly copy-protection schemes. It is better to sound dumb when you call MS than to sound smart.

The MS authorization scheme is pretty fragile and easy to break and buggy IMO, though they keep trying to improve it.

For instance, dad's old desktop HD went belly-up a few months ago. I just bought him a new Win 7 puter but he wanted to put a new HD in the old puter and give it to a relative. He had lost the restore CD to the old puter. So I bought a new SATA hard drive and an XP-to-Win7 upgrade disk from Best Buy. Replaced the HD and installed Win7, then it wouldn't take the new serial number. After spending about $300 on a new HD and a new shrinkwrap legit copy of Win7, still had to spend an hour talking to India to get em to remotely poke around in the computer and authorize the new install. The reason that authorization failed, is because I was installing the UPGRADE edition of Win7 to a fresh HD with no previous OS, and the UPGRADE edition would only work if it could find an older OS on the puter. Even though I was doing something completely legal upgrading an old computer, their install program was screwed up and required intervention to fix.

MS has to control piracy I suppose, but dang it, it is really tiresome talking to india for a long long time every time the OS needs reinstall.

If you go to best buy and buy a new Win7 install CD, it may happen that you end up talking to India anyway to get it authorized, so it probably wouldn't hurt just to call India right off the bat.

[mikegideon]

No doubt. I just figured that if I did, Microsoft would have advised soon enough to file for my payment to be reversed. Not 6 effin months later!

The timeout is 6 months. Not sure why, other than the fact that it's gonna be some work changing your OS now. You're more likely to pony up after you're fully committed

[dralarms]

PM sent.

[DaveTN]

Do a Google search there are a bunch of threads and sites about your problem, complete with some fixes and things to try.

[kb4ns]

The timeout is 6 months. Not sure why, other than the fact that it's gonna be some work changing your OS now. You're more likely to pony up after you're fully committed

I got to looking around in my saved emails. It was actually 12/17/09 that I bought it. So over 10 months before Microsoft "noticed" and let me know. There really should be some kind of better safeguard built in... like, I dunno, telling me when I enter the frickin' product key the first time!

PM sent.

Replied!

Do a Google search there are a bunch of threads and sites about your problem, complete with some fixes and things to try.

Will do. Thanks.

And Lester, I may end up doing that soon enough. I cringe already just thinking about dealing with that lovely rep on the other end of the phone.

[McAllyn]

1-800-RU-LEGIT is Microsoft's EULA Verification number. It should be printed on your COA that came with your Windows 7. If it's not, then more than likely you got a shady copy.

Mac

[Westwindmike]

Jon,

Call this guy. I bet he can help!

[dralarms]

Jon,

Call this guy. I bet he can help!

LOL, that's about right.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

And Lester, I may end up doing that soon enough. I cringe already just thinking about dealing with that lovely rep on the other end of the phone.

To be fair the MS reps I've talked to have been friendly and courteous and have easier to understand Indian accents than some voice tech support lines. They try real hard to be helpful, and it isn't the tech support folks fault that they work for the third most evil empire in the galaxy (the second spot occupied by Apple, with Google easily owning the top Docktor Evil slot).

But I'm almost always in a foul mood by the time I have to call them, and I know full-well it will waste up to an hour, so it is just a serious challenge to be as cheerful as the tech support folk on the other end of the line.

I hate the voice response menu system. Every time I get a voice response menu system, I just keep pressing the zero key on the phone until a human picks up.

[Guest gw2and4]

[/size][/font]Hell yeah, I'll do the right thing. I'll go to Linux.

Freakin' hilarious. And dead-on balls accurate as well. Do it and don't look back.

[analog_kidd]

I think I just read in one of the many computer trade rags I get that MS just recently released an update to their piracy checking software. It came in the form of one of their monthly automatic updates. This could be why you are seeing the message after later than 6 months.