[RESOLVED] Windows 7 Build 7601 is not genuine

[buf]

Now I am puzzled. I cleaned wife's Compaq 2+ months ago, downloaded win 7 from Digital River( I think) and she has been using the PC without any problems(that she told me about). Today I turned it on and was greeted with 'not genuine' in the lower right corner of the window. TIA, as usual.

[fink]

There are many possibilities on why that happened but in most cases it's best to go to Microsoft directly to solve them. There's a lot of proprietary information that they have and can glean from the procedures they ask that we don't have access to here including lists of all legal and compromised licenses.

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/e...enuinewindows7

Do read this before posting ...

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/e...enuinewindows7

[buf]

Your reply makes sense. However, I have now checked and I find that I used an ISO file I had burned to disk--X17-58997 from Microsoft to install Win 7 SP1. Perhaps I will try to install the ISO tomorrow and report back.

[fink]

X17-58997 is Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit. Is that the same version that's currently installed on the computer? And is that the version you/she has the the license for? Where did you buy the license?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...w7itproinstall

[buf]

Thanks for your continued help. We have two Compaq computers that are identically alike. The OS in each machine came with each of the PCs and I have never bought any additional license.

[fink]

If you download and install Windows 7 or any Windows OS onto those machines the existing license would not be recognized. You would have had the default trial period and then gotten the message that you saw. If that's what has happened then you should see if there is a way to reinstall the original OEM operating system that came with the computer whether it was supplied on a repair/Windows DVD or is still on a separate partition on the computer.

What is the model of the computer?

[Welshjim]

buf--
When you installed the Digital River Win 7 what product key did you use? Could you have used the one for the other Compaq PC?

On the Start|Right click Computer|Properties screen near the bottom what info is in the Activation section?

At the bottom of this link you can test whether your Win 7 is genuine
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/genuine

Now, armed with the answers to those questions, you should probably do as fink has suggested--contact MS.

[buf]

'Sounds' like I may have to restore the computer to the day I bought it. What a waste of time this project has been or will be. Had I known, or even suspected this may occur; I would have never cleaned the hard drive. The troubling PC is a: Compaq Presario CQ 5210F. Thanks for the help fink.
What would or may the circumstances be if I did nothing and ignored MS message? Hate to ask what appears to be a stupid response.

[fink]

'Sounds' like I may have to restore the computer to the day I bought it.

At this point, unless you want to buy a license from Microsoft there would be no other option.

If you do nothing you'll continue to get warnings and will not be able to download many OS updates. Not worth it if you ask me.

Edited to change answer re updates: security updates will still be available.

More on recovery options for Presario CQ5210F

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...roduct=4005896

[Welshjim]

buf--
You have not answered my earlier questions. Have you telephoned Microsoft?

At the bottom of this reference are Methods A and B which may give you a little more time to solve the problem
http://blog.getspool.com/194/fix-win...genuine-error/

"What would or may the circumstances be if I did nothing "
A long winded answer
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/this-c...is-not-genuine

"I would have never cleaned the hard drive"
If you used a Registry Cleaner, such as CCleaner, you may have deleted or corrupted necessary system files. If that is the case you can run a Repair Install using the .iso DVD you made from the Win 7 files you downloaded from Digital River.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...r-install.html

[Welshjim]

buf--I forgot to add this reference on how to activate Win 7 by phoning MS
http://www.kodyaz.com/articles/how-t...-by-phone.aspx

[buf]

I haven't been ignoring your replies Jim and with the info I gathered; info gathered from you and fink's input, I was to form good questions to Microsoft. Spent about an hour+ with their support and it all came down to paying them $99. Had a most helpful lady from the Philippines. In my readings I did find a way to turn off the not genuine message but I hardly think that would do any good. Had I known these things, I would have never wiped the hard drive. Oh well, live and learn--maybe.

[Welshjim]

buf--Thanks for telling us the outcome. I am sorry to hear you had to pay.
Did you and/or MS define why you were getting that message?

[buf]

Didn't mean to imply I paid the $99 but rather that was to be their charge [B]if[B] if I wanted them to fix the problem. I was never sure that the problem would be fixed in such a way that I would not have to reinstall my files. I turned MS down on the offering because I would just buy the win 7 install CD and I would then always have an install CD. Got to looking around and found that I had a System Recovery disk. I burned this after I had fresh installed win 7. I don't really know what good these will do if I tried using them. Any ideas; anyone?
BTW, I allowed the lady access to my machine and she revealed my OS project #---and I wrote it down!!

[fink]

If you made a system recovery disk you will still need a licensed copy of Windows 7 to re-install. The one you downloaded will not work unless you pay 99 dollars for it's license which is different than the license you have/had for the original operating system that came with the computer.

If you still have the original operating system image on a DVD or on a (hidden) partition on the computer's hard drive then you could use the recovery disk to go back to a factory state on the computer at no cost.

If you want to keep the operating system that's now on the computer it will cost you 99 dollars to keep that one. The licenses are not interchangeable.