Re: Product counterfeiting - Not Genuine

Shenan - Thank you very very much. I was able to change the XP key and it is
now validating. Office is now validating, as well. I guess maybe office
couldn't validate without having a valid operating system??? Anyways - Thank
you so much. I was about to go buy new programs. You saved me a lot of money!

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

nerdocalypse wrote:
I'd also like to know this. there's a product key on a sticker
right ON my PC, and i KNOW its not counterfeit, so it'd be great
to get rid of these annoyances. please dont just direct me to
another forum for help!

Shenan Stanley wrote:
You are right. Stickers are so hard to counterfeit. *grin*

Also - have you verified the product key on the sticker is even
the same one that is on your computer *in use* yet?

Use Belarc Advisor and/or Magic Jellybean KeyFinder to do so - let
us know if the product key of your installed system matches the
product key on the sticker. Sometimes users can be surprised to
find they are very different.

Zilbandy wrote:
Mine is very different, and totally legitimate. The sticker on the
bottom of my laptop is for the Operating System dvd that was
supplied with my laptop at the time of purchase. The Magic
Jellybean Finder returns the number of the factory image that
Compaq used when they installed the original software. The two
numbers are different. My wife has an identical machine as mine,
purchased at the same time, and her sticker is different than
mine, but Magic Jellybean returns the same number on hers as it
does mine... both are the number of the image used to install the
software.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
Yes - I know that - but many times these installs that were put on
by the OEM at the factory are now coming up as counterfeit -
because said number got leaked out, etc. At that time - there are
work-arounds and just because *you* know that your keys are
different and have done the research to understand why does not
mean the OP has.

BTW - just because a number was used to install it - doesn't mean
it is or possibly ever was legitimate. I can easily find a hacked
volume license number on the Internet right now - install using it
- maybe - just maybe - even activate it and then I could change it
using the Microsoft toll to a legitimate product key in all
likelyhood. In your case - and maybe even the OPs - it is likely
they *are/were* legitimate. It's better that people learn this,
however, in my opinion.
<snip>

jordyn0323 wrote:
I purchased a used computer for my daughter and when we got it we
went on Microsoft to validate the XP professional and the Microsoft
Office keys. Both failed validation. The key (at least for the XP
professional) that failed and is loaded on the computer is
different than the one on the sticker on the bottom. You had asked
in this post if someone elses keys matched. What does it mean if
the keys don't match and do you have any suggestions?

It's described pretty well in what you quoted from ther older post in yours.
It means the manufacturer (or whomever) used a different (in the case of the
original equipment manufacturer's - perhaps their volume license for easy
mass installation) license type/product key.

Change your product key (for Windows) to the one stuck on your laptop...
(If they are even the same version - Home, Professional - as you did say
this was a used laptop.)

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

Know that - as for myself and many others - of I were to receive a used
computer of any kind, I would use the supplied installation media (if there
was no media supplied - I would not buy it - well, unless I had some already
that I could use) to wipe and install cleanly. Even if I knew that person
*very well* - I doubt I want their stuff hanging out - who knows what
baggage might be left on there?

As for Office - if it is not working and you do not have the installation
media and proper product key - you are probably out of luck. Hopefully you
just paid for the laptop and not the stuff on it.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



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