Windows Xp

[Kwasaki]

Had the computer a couple of years put it in to the local computer shop when it crashed one time and had a new modem fitted.

It's been fine up until windows wanted to put updates and what is coming up on start up now is a blue star bottom right with the skype etc and the screen all black saying " You may be a victim of software couterfeiting " and says this not a genuine windows validation. Anyone what's up please ??

[p_brownstone]

Looks as though the local shop installed a counterfeit copy of Windows when they repaired your Computer after the crash.

Patrick

[BB1950]

You are a victim with a counterfeit copy of Windows XP. There is a way to fix it, but it can't be discussed on the Thai Visa forums. It's against the forum rules. Many of the shops turn off updates for this reason.

Do you have a legal copy of Windows XP on a CD?

Windows XP is not officially sold any longer. You may have to purchase and install Genuine Windows 7.version. Stay away from copies of Windows 7, or you may have this problem again after a few months.

[lazygourmet]

As it cannot be discussed on this forum, may I suggest you to google the whole text of the message shown... and you will find the remedy.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

The problem can be fixed without recourse to dodgy methods. But I would only do so from a clean install from a properly vetted disc. Will also need to collate the necessary Drivers.

If the OP comes back to the thread, we can run through the necessary steps.

[ignis]

Kwasaki ..... MS is a pain and for no reason that message will suddenly appear..

The option I have used time and time again is phone MS, they will ask you for your key/name/and Laptop model... then you follow what they say = enter a load of numbers > last part is enter the 'key' they give you.... all works fine again until the next time... They do stay on the phone until you are up and running..

54 updates a few days ago and this laptop after re-booting now also says 'not a genuine windows validation'. = another waste of time as will have to phone them yet again soon

my other laptop also the same. both laptops on genuine XP with the correct license key sticker on the bottom of laptop, this is the 3d tine on this laptop this year !!! What the laptops are used for XP is the only option, as 7 will not run some program, have tried on my PC = Customers cannot open.. 80% of customers still run XP

My PC was on Vista, about 2 years ago upgraded to Win 7, has never had this problem...

[rayinkrabi]

I've had exactly the same issue, as have a couple of friends. It's easily remedied tho and as someone else says, make sure u disable auto updates, esp from MS.

On another note, as someone prev mentioned the latest MS operating system, has anyone else noticed how much flippin' memory they use! and thats just starting and running the pc before opening any other software.

[Supernova]

I've had exactly the same issue, as have a couple of friends. It's easily remedied tho and as someone else says, make sure u disable auto updates, esp from MS.

You don't need to turn off Automatic Updates. What you should do is configure it to

"Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them".

This way you can easily spot the WGA Notifications update (KB905474) and deselect it in the process.

[wolf5370]

You never did updates for 2 years? Or its only a problem since you had the moderm replaced? If the latter, a lot of laptops (if OEM software came with it - especially if bought in ther west) have a hidden partition containing the OS disks and all necessary drivers - this is for a full rebuild. However, if you have this, then you can stripe the partition - i.e. build a Windows XP Install disk from the partition - this will allow you to reinstall/repair etc. If it was a legitimate XP copy originally, and you fear that the shop replaced it with a hooky one (why?) then you could rebuild from the hidden partition (assuming there is one) and just go through the updates again. Or call M$ as above and read out the serial number etc from the bottom of the machine.

Of course, you can usually back out to an earlier recovery point and take out the updates trhat casued the issue - or even uninstall them via control panel manually.

If it is a hooky copy all along, then either get a legit copy or use a better method that accepts windows update (can't discuss this openly as it is illegal and against forum rules, but one can do their own research Googling Windows Loaders etc and take their own risks). Check if you laptop is Vista or Win7 compatible - many even quite old m(in laptop terms) machines can still support Win7 (minus Auero perhaps) - I have an 8 year old laptop running as a DSN server with Windows 2008R2 on it sitting in my home office!

[Phil Conners]

Most likely it was always an unlicensed version of Windows on the PC but updates were never installed until the shop installed the updates, including the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) update that checks the validity of the license.

[jybkk]

I've had exactly the same issue, as have a couple of friends. It's easily remedied tho and as someone else says, make sure u disable auto updates, esp from MS.

And this is exactly why there are still so many viruses going around on Windows.

Isn't this ironic? The same people who always complain that Windows is so crappy are actually one of the main source of said crap.