Why does windows tell me that i have an unregistered XP?

[MusickMaker]

This is driving me mad. The computer i have right now, is a branded computer - its a gateway. And it came with a XP cd. and it was pre-installed, so the first thing i saw when i switched it on was Windows XP home.

Ok, so i have microsoft antispyware. I downloaded the latest update, and the program says that i have an unregistered version of windows XP! what the heck? How am i supposed to know this and wat am i to do ? If gateway is not legal stuff, i dont know what is.

/rant.

 

[RebateMonger]

Please let us know what Gateway says about this. Thanks!

 

[corkyg]

When you first received it From Gateway, did you go through the registration and activation procedure? Preinstalled Windows XP usually starts with that step on new OEM versions.

Have you ever reinstalled using the Gateway OEM CD?

 

[mechBgon]

I thought Gateway was in fact hit with some Windows licensing/counterfeiting penalties a while back? Arrr, matey...

 

[MusickMaker]

When my computer started, i did everything it told me to. Thats all i remember. I neveer had to reinstall winblowss XP.

 

[pcgeek11]

Originally posted by: MusickMaker
When my computer started, i did everything it told me to. Thats all i remember. I neveer had to reinstall winblowss XP.

Call Microsoft at the number they give you... Explain to them your situation... Do what they tell you to do. They will help you get through this.

Why is everyone so afraid to call MS, when they know they are legal?

If you are in possession of an illegal copy MS will give you a legal copy, all you have to do is fill out a form telling them Who What Where When you purchased the PC OS.

pcgeek

 

[Decoy84]

hmm, funny, I heard something about you can only register one copy of windows five times (on any system) before it becomes useless. This apply to you?

 

[stash]

Originally posted by: Decoy84
hmm, funny, I heard something about you can only register one copy of windows five times (on any system) before it becomes useless. This apply to you?

This is false.

 

[Steelerz37]

do you have any limited user accounts? i did on XP Pro and I was getting the nag, this was weeks ago. I had to make everyone and admin. Yesterday I switched them back to limited and I dont get the nag, an update must have fixed it.

 

[rbV5]

MS doesn't require you to register XP at all, so why would you get a message about your copy being unregistered in the first place?

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: rbV5
MS doesn't require you to register XP at all, so why would you get a message about your copy being unregistered in the first place?

I think he means unactivated/illegal. Even though I do have a legal copy of XP, there was an incident where MS Update started refusing to let me DL certain updates because my computer would fail WGA validation. A reformat fixed that thoug. If it hadn't, I would have been on the phone with MS.

 

[stash]

Even though I do have a legal copy of XP, there was an incident where MS Update started refusing to let me DL certain updates because my computer would fail WGA validation. A reformat fixed that thoug. If it hadn't, I would have been on the phone with MS

Woudn't it have been better to be on the phone with Microsoft before formatting your box?

 

[imported_bearfx]

Sometimes it is easier just to reformat and be done with it. I have had some support incidents with MS that seemed to drag on forever :-( .

 

[rbV5]

Originally posted by: Bateluer

Originally posted by: rbV5
MS doesn't require you to register XP at all, so why would you get a message about your copy being unregistered in the first place?

I think he means unactivated/illegal. Even though I do have a legal copy of XP, there was an incident where MS Update started refusing to let me DL certain updates because my computer would fail WGA validation. A reformat fixed that thoug. If it hadn't, I would have been on the phone with MS.

It always seems odd when I see these kinds of Posts (OP) where the "rant/cry for help" is directed at "something close to what the error message says" rather than what it actually says, almost as if it is BS 😉.