"You May be a Victim of Software Counterfiting" ??

[KarenM]

Hi there,

When I came down to computer this morning, my computer had the black screen on and said "system failure boot", I thought ok, so shut everything off and started it up again.

After shutting it off I now have the following "you may be a victim of software counterfitting"  it also says "this copy of windows did not pass genuine windows validation"

I have had this computer with the same software for at least 4 years, is this some sort of virus, how do I find out if it's real, it says to click here for help, but I havn't, just in case it's a scam?

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Karen

[Nick29]

Close down the computer, and start it in "Safe Mode".  You can do this by repeatedly jabbing the F8 key whilst Windows is starting up.  When in Safe Mode, you can scan the computer for viruses using anti-virus software. 

[downside]

I don't think it is a virus.

If you can't find any other solution then try this:

http://safemode.gidblog.com/2007/04/29/windows-xp-you-may-be-a-victim-of-software-counterfeiting/

[Nick29]

On re-reading the original, it might just be the symptoms of a failing hard drive 

[Wul]

Did you buy the computer from new or second hand?

If it's not new it may be that it is a counterfeit Windows version.

[KarenM]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the information!

I did as instructed on the link downside put up and it seems to be gone.

I did phone our office to get a hold of the computer guy who looks after all the computers and told them what was happening and my mother in law says "oh geez I've had that darn thing on my computer for over a year".  The computer guy said nothing he can do to get rid of it and to just carry on   

So....I think might have to check into this a little bit further, but it seems to be gone from my computer for now.

Karen

[Calverley Lad]

Subject to confirmation - What Microsoft did was to download a program that checked the version of MS Windows was authentic. Originally the person had a limited time to correct (buy a legitimate version) or the program would not start.
This was later modified to allow MS Windows to be used but error message like yours would show.
I think ( hope I'm wrong) that your operating system has been registered by someone else, and requires the purchase of a valid license.
 Regretably yours Brian

[nuff]

If the computer is yours and you know the window installation on it is legal (In other words if it is a pc bought from new and not one put together by a 'friend' who said it didn't matter about a licence for windows) Microsoft are usually very good at sorting registration problems. There should be a label on the computer case with the microsoft logo and a 'product key'.
If you have these then microsoft will usually help very quickly. I have had to phone them several times for different pc's when I have changed the motherboard and put new drives in. They are after the people who pirate their software, not genuine users who happen to have old equipment that has been upgraded and fallen foul of their component checking system.

Another thing I have known happen is for a repair engineer to solve a problem by reformatting the hard drive and putting a copy of windows back on, but using a serial number they have lying around, instead of the proper one. That number can become "blacklisted" when it turns up on different machines. Or if you have had a hard drive put in that was from another pc and the copy of windows was left on, again the serial number may be registered to another machine.

If your licence is valid just phone microsoft.