Illegal Win 7

[tteedd]

Hi

 

After years of using a Philips Iqon PC running XP I finally got fed up with its exentricities and seizures.

As I have a laptop (offline) running Win 7 for some voluntary work I do I decided to by an old 2nd hand machine with win7 loaded.

Did this in Dec last (EBAY - asm direct - Fujitsu Dual Core). Great for 4 montths - did not know how I had put up with my wonkey machine all those years.

However suddenly - a message from Microsoft saying my software is illegal ( I had been getting upgrades and had loaded security essentials previously with no problems Dec - April). - asm have now stopped trading.

 

Any advice on this mess would be welcome also:

 

If I buy cheap OEM software can I just use the Cert No? or load and use the already installed drivers?

 

I don't really care what operating system I use - could I retrieve XP from my old machine?

 

Help

 

Ted

[Jelly Bean]

Hello and welcome.

 

I think you got ripped off there.

 

What happens with updates you will be sent them and every so often Microsoft will send out an update to test for genuine and counterfiet software so it can take a few months.Usally these con artists take the same OS install disk and put it on multiple machines but turn off windows update so the machine runs fine for some time.Then the buyer of said machine turns on the windows update.

 

Hence your computer has shut down.

 

What does it say on your COA sticker?

 

Windows XP?

Windows 7 or another?

 

If you have a legal COA key for windows 7 then your in with a chance.

 

If the sticker has been removed then I am afraid to say it is purchase Windows 7 and delete the partition,create a new one and reinstall with a legal copy.

 

Check under your battery for the COA key.

 

JB.

[tteedd]

Thanks for the comments.

 

What does it say on your COA sticker?

 

The 2nd hand machine I bought is a desk top. The sticker on it refers to Vista which was presumably installed when new.

 

Windows XP?

Windows 7 or another?

It is running Win 7 but (except for it being nice to look the same as the laptop alongside of it) I do not really care what operating system is running.

The machine it replaced I still have but do not intend to use. It has a legal copy of XP on it.

 

If you have a legal COA key for windows 7 then your in with a chance.

 

I do have a legal COA key on the nearly new laptop alongside. This never goes online so, if I had not registered it when I first got it, I could presumably have used the key from that.Amazingly the supplier of the machine has replied to one of my many emails saying he no longer has record of Key and offering my money back. I like the machine as it performs much better than the one it replaced so I will exhaust all my options first, but failing that will send it back.

 

T

[Ray1000]

Hi Ted,

 

Having recently done it ... on a laptop ... it is possible to download Vista from the Internetand use the proper license number from the machine ... whether it is a good idea compared to sending it back, I'm not sure.

 

Ray

[Synapse]

I do have a legal COA key on the nearly new laptop alongside. This never goes online so, if I had not registered it when I first got it, I could presumably have used the key from that.

 

Bear in mind your copy of Windows 7 on the Fujitsu will have been 'tinkered with' to allow it to run illegally for the time you have owned it. The tinkering normally comes in the form of a program that plays havoc with the registry, and at this point using a legit key from another machine may cause more problems. In the long run you may find Windows just will not run. It's not a good idea.

 

If you want to keep the machine, you will have to reinstall Windows to ensure the installation is correct and reliable. In that case your best bet is to buy a copy of Windows 7 unfortunately.

 

Of course, you could take the refund offered and buy a machine with a legit licence.

[KenB]

the supplier of the machine has replied to one of my many emails saying he no longer has record of Key and offering my money back.

They have done this because they know full well that the machine they supplied had an illegal OS !!

They also know that they could get kicked off E-Bay.

In addition Microsoft take a very dim view of commercial suppliers selling systems with an illegal OS.

They invariably prosecute.

The supplier has far more to lose than you.

 

If you send it back make sure that you remove everything off the hard drive that is personal to you.

 

You should send it back and get your hard-earned cash back.

After you get your cash I would inform E-Bay.

These guys will continue selling illegal software if somebody doesn't stop them.