WinXP Home problem

[TedKord]

My friend has a Dell Dimension 4550, a couple of years old. Last week, out of nowhere it started popping up "This copy of Windows is not genuine" on boot. (He has no system restore points, so that route is shot)

He hasn't changed any hardware, and so far as he knows no one in his family installed anything. Over the phone, I told him to download viewxpkey, and compare the key to the license sticker on the side. If it's different, does anyone know where in the registry the key is stored, so we can put the correct one in?

If this is not the problem, what could it possibly be? The popup simply tells him to buy a genuine copy, doesn't give him a chance to re-activate (maybe he's lucky - I just went through the reactivation when I transferred my XP Pro from my old box to my new. A nearly indecipherable, heavy accent nightmare)

As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[nweaver]

check the versions, is he running pro, but the COA shows home?

 

[Slowlearner]

At work, I had the same problem with a store bought Compaq. It looks like a Windows update glitch. Ask him to Windows update manually - that took care of my problem.

 

[bruceb]

It's not really a Windows Update Gltich ... Microsoft has decided to ban a lot of the
Volume License Keys such as used by Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway ... they seem
to think a lot of them may be misused, even though that may not be the case.

I also have a Dell with a Legit installed by Dell copy of XP Home on it .. about 3-4 years old.
When that first WGA came out around late April / early May I let windows install it. It didin't
say my copy was illegal, but it did put an idiotic icon in the system tray that would not go away.
I did not leave it on the system long enough to see if it eventually would say illegal os or not.
This was a WGA that did not have a way to remove it .. had to use my Ghost Image to get rid
of it ... Now, I pick and choose which updates I let it install ... No WGA ... but you do need to
use the Validation Tool from time to time

 

[TedKord]

I'm pretty sure he's running XPHome, but I haven't seen the COA. At any rate, he's had it for 2+ years with no problems. He's pretty computer illiterate (didn't even know how to uninstall all the MSN games his kids put on it - TONS). I don't think he's ever even run Windows Update.

(While I'm on the subject, what's up with Dell selling a computer with XP installed and only 256mb of RAM?)

He brought the tower into work yesterday, and I cleaned the sypware, etc... out with Spybot and AdAware. (The not genuine message started a week prior). Somewhere between Spybot, Adaware, disabling some startups and cleaning the registry with JV16 (after uninstalling about 50 MSN game demos), something messed up IE, so that many websites won't display. *SIGH* I tried to troubleshoot it over the phone, but I'm no good at that. Looks like more time spent on it...

 

[TG2]

Does he have the OS CD from Dell ? If so, Id just reinstall, Dell CD's shouldnt need activating when installed on the correct Dell machines.

 

[TedKord]

Originally posted by: TG2
Does he have the OS CD from Dell ? If so, Id just reinstall, Dell CD's shouldnt need activating when installed on the correct Dell machines.

I asked him about the reinstall CDs. He said he'd look, but doubted he had them.

 

[John]

One reason people fail WGA is due to a VLK that major OEM's use during the imaging process. Run a keyfinder program and verify that the product key on the side of you case matches what is in your registry. If not use the 'change product key' option.

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

 

[Slowlearner]

Seriously, you all dont think that Dell Installs OSs individually on each PC. The two product keys will be different - I have 40 Dells at work and I had a problem with authentication to run the Defender beta many months back and discovered that Dell has volume licensing arrangement with many different product keys used, that never matched the COA on the case - and its not the same product key, varies by batch.

Please have your friend run Windows update manually, and if that does not fix the problem - call Microsoft. Your friend is using a legitimate copy and has every right to expect that he will not have to jump thru hoops due to some inept validation scheme.