Tried to post a reply to your question but for some reason could not.

It would seem that the shop that built your computer installed a pirated (unlicensed) version of Windows XP. When you try and auto update on the MS site it runs a quick check to see if the serial number of your OS is valid.

There is no (legal) way around it so if you paid for a legit version you need to get onto the shop if you never its time for a bit of Googleing.

Tried to post a reply to your question but for some reason could not.

It would seem that the shop that built your computer installed a pirated (unlicensed) version of Windows XP. When you try and auto update on the MS site it runs a quick check to see if the serial number of your OS is valid.

There is no (legal) way around it so if you paid for a legit version you need to get onto the shop if you never its time for a bit of Googleing.

Odd. Exactly the same thing happened to me yesterday. Tried to get my daughter's PC back up to current spec and Windows Update spat at me that I may have a pirated version. It's an HP PC which was bought from HP here in Thailand with XP pre-installed. Also still have the original CD with hologram etc, so find it extremely suspect that I've managed to get shafted with a copy. Perhaps that's naivety on my part, but it's not like I picked it up from a dodgy guy in Pantip.

Other odd thing. I thought, what the heck, and tried to revalidate XP to a proper version (Microsoft gives you a prompt offering to let you pay $238 to "upgrade" your version to a "proper" one online). That failed as well because it wouldn't let me change my country from Australia. Australia? I've got nothing to do with Australia.

Firstly check that you are still running the original Windows sw installed by HP.

Download the free version of SiSandra.

The Windows Information icon will show you the key for the windows installed and you

can check that against the label on the bottom of the machine.

Provided you are still on the original version, then contact HP and aske them to resolve the matter for you

Sorry.

Double post.

Reason you couldn't reply was that the moderator closed the thread. We're really not supposed to talk about illegal stuff here.

Anyways, for all versions of XP, legit or not, you can use the automatic updates feature (turned on in the automatic updates pane). This is the one where the updates are downloaded in the background without your starting it. You should choose the "download and let me install" option, since there are some updates which you don't want (the windows legit check is one... it will nag you about getting a legit copy). Only the critical security updates will be installed, but that's usually enough.