Options for 'Fixing' A Pirated Copy of Windows

PunkOfLinux writes "My parents are running a pirated copy of windows that my mom received from a teacher at school. My parents want to go legit, and buy a copy of Windows, but they are afraid of deleting everything and having to reinstall all their programs. Seeing as I know you guys will have an answer, I'm going to ask you: What would you do in this situation?"

Comments

First of all...

[Anonymous Coward]

I would post as anonymous coward...

Call microsoft

[Data Link Layer]

Call their help support line and you can buy a copy from them. They will tell you how to replace the cd-key, if they can't you can download a cd-key changer from the internet.

Re:Call microsoft

[phoebus1553]

Microsoft actually makes a key change tool, although I'm sure it obeys some restrictions while the ones from don't. If you've ever had to deal with the volume licensing support folks, they can occasionally be real people and give you all sorts of tricks and such to make your life easier when dealing with license compliance.

Re:Call microsoft

[Aeomer]

Be very careful when downloading key changes - Most if not all contain some kind of malware. Even ones you think you can trust (and there were a few) are loaded up with malware, spyware, viri, trojans etc etc and then re-released. Go with the MS one. In-fact it can be run from the command line and is already built into Windows XP since before even SP1 was available. It's msoobe - and oh yes, there are malware apps that pretend to be msoobe ;-(

Re:Call microsoft

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, the Microsoft 'KeyChangeTool' is quite leaps and bounds ahead of any ... third-party ... key changing tools. The Microsoft tool has the ability to transform a Corporate install into a Professional Non-Corporate install. No key changers can do this.

If you try any of the registry tricks to 'update' your product key, Windows XP Professional Corporate's Activation Wizard will not accept a non-corporate key. The non-Microsoft key changers I ever saw couldn't get around this because there are very specific differences (file based) between corporate and non-corporate versions of Windows.

In any case, my recommendation to poster is to do what I did: Run the WGA tool, click the link to buy a license online, buy the license, and use the MS keychanger. Takes about 5-10 minutes overall, and you get the creamy goodness of running your very own legit copy of Windows XP.

Change your product key

[complete loony]

You can change your product key.

Re:Change your product key

[NixLuver]

From the article you linked to, on Microsoft's KB (Do they still call it technet?):

"Warning The steps in the article are effective only on Volume License media. If you try these steps on OEM media or on retail media, you will not change the product key."

AFAIK, this will only work with another volume licensed key. I occasionally have to install windows to test something for one of my moonlighting clients, and no, I don't buy a discrete license for a machine that's only going to have my copy of XP on it for two hours; I've been around the particular treadmill described here. (I own a "legit" XP license for my virtual PC instance; and I rarely start it up, so usually I'm not in violation anyway - one license, one running instance. *shrug*).

But if the author of the parent post buys his parents a licensed copy of XP from a vendor, it won't be volume licensed, and this trick may not work.

Buy a copy of windows

[Anonymous Coward]

and just use this tool

http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/9/c/e9c73 b60-bff1-4f03-b06f-d3cbe8f8d9f4/KeyUpdateTool.exe

enter in your new key, reboot and you are legit

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it just me, or does that application SERIOUSLY lack nice MIDI music?

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[rivetgeek]

You've obviously not pirated much. Most program cracks and keygens are, for some inexplicable reason, created with obnoxious midi loops that auto play when you run them.

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a "tradition" dating back to late '80s / early '90s, when crackers (back then mostly on Amiga and to lesser extent, Atari) routinely added colourful "crack intros" to every game they released, complete with simple demo effects, text scroller and catchy music.

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[kennygraham]

Do such programs normally have a soundtrack?

CD key generators by several popular groups tend to have midi files that repeat over and over again. Some are supprisingly nice.

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[Spokehedz]

They are not MIDI loops, they are MOD/C64 Music--as a nod to the demo programmers of decades past.

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[StikyPad]

I think he meant MODs or C64 music. The "C64 music," was SID files, cleverly named after the SID chip. IIRC, the later SID players supported lyrics complete with a little bouncing ball, and I vaguely remember downloading these files from Q-Link back in my early double digits.

Anyway, MODs came out in 1987, which is the same decade as 1982 -- the year the C64 was released.

Re:Buy a copy of windows

[ameoba]

It predates this and goes back to 8-bit machines, such as the Commodore 64. The sound hardware of the C=64, the SID chip, with both it's limitations and unheard of features (it was only 3 voices and could only do a few basic digital waveforms but it also had analog filters and flexible voice arpegiation), is the basis of the "chip tune" style of music that is still very much popular in the Demo Scene.

TweakXP

[Tinfoil]

TweakXP should do that for ya. Buy a new copy and key the serial number you get over the old one. Unless, of course, your parents have a volume license copy right now, and they buy a home version. Then you have to do a repair install.

http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakutility/

Why bother?

[DbZeroOne]

Are they losing sleep at night feeling like they're taking food out of the mouths of those in Redmond? Do they think their system will run better? Perhaps they feel it's a sin because technically it's stealing? My advice... don't even bother with it. Buy Vista if and when it's released or wait until you get a new computer.

Re:Why bother?

[kripkenstein]

More specifically: why now? Is it just because the WGA notice started popping up? I'm curious.

Re:Why bother?

[pilkul]

It's not *technically* stealing - it IS stealing, and it makes you a criminal. The law is not at all ambiguous in regards to this.

Oh is it? Show me a passage in any lawbook that equates copyright infringement with theft.

Also, in many jurisdictions copyright infringement is a tort, not a crime.

Re:Why bother?

[neo8750]

Do they think their system will run better?

I think that it makes a difference. My friend had a AMD 2200 and had a gig of ram. His system ran fine and dandy till the wga started popping up. Once it started showing up his system slowed to a slow crawl. (Once he applied a wga fix it was up and running just like before the wga ever showed its face) My copy is legit so i couldn't compare results on my system. Did any one else have a problems like this just out of curiosity?

Re:Why bother?

[cliffski]

I see, so as microsoft have made a lot of money, that means its ok to pirate their software? Google have made lots of cash too, is it ok if i use click fraud to screw up adwords?
These people are obviously happy with their OS, as they want to stick with it, I dont understand why you think they shouldnt pay for a product they clearly use probably every day, or is this just normal slashdot microsoft bashing?
What is it about products that can be encoded digitally that some people think that their creators dont need to eat?

Re:Why bother?

[cliffski]

interesting idea. So is it just you and your friends who get to take the product for free under this system, whilst laughing at the poor schmucks who paid for it and made your actions possible?
You seem to be arguing in favour of a change in copyright terms, or higher corporate taxes. But rather than lobby for change, you've decided just to take stuff without paying.
Interesting.

Re:Why bother?

[Dausha]

"Oh is it? Show me a passage in any lawbook that equates copyright infringement with theft."

17 U.S.C.A. 506(a) - Criminal infringement of copyright - Any person who willfully infringes a copyright shall be punished as provided under section 2319 of title 18, if the infringement was committed for commercial gain, of copyrighted works up to $1000, OR making available a work in production (including movies, music and software) on a computer network against the copyright holder's wishes. There are a total of four criminal offenses under this section.

18 U.S.C.A. 2319 - Criminal infringement of a copyright - Sets out that you can be imprisoned for up to ten years, depending on the natureof the infrignement.

So, while there are civil remedies to copyright infringement, there is also the bite of criminal penalties.

"Also, in many jurisdictions copyright infringement is a tort, not a crime."

Except in the United States, where there is really only one jurisdiction that matters. The Federal copyright law preempts all state laws by virtue of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.

Re:Why bother?

[Yahweh Doesn't Exist]

you showed copyright infringement is a crime, but where did you show it was *theft*?

nowhere.

because it isn't.

gg.

Re:Why bother?

[Mr. Hankey]

I wouldn't - copyright controls copying, not removing property such that the original owner will no longer have. It involves potential profits as opposed to physical objects. They're completely different things.

Re:Why bother?

[bzipitidoo]

I'm in favor of changes to intellectual property law. You talk as if the law is holy or something. But we all know very well there are many bad laws on the books thanks to selfish interests who got rich off the masses and then used that wealth to buy laws. They're the ones laughing at the poor schmucks who waste time lobbying. Can't lobby effectively without a lot of money. The ultimate message that the whole idea of "intellectual property" is seriously broken has yet to sink in. How to get that message across? Don't buy or license their "property" and make sure they understand why! Whether that means pirating, boycotting, or finding alternatives is up to the individuals.

It'd be a poor world where everything, tangible or not, has to be owned, where it's considered treason against Capitalism to not play the game and haggle, scratch and claw, and account for every penny. I know what such a world is like because I was in one in miniature. I was once in a private school attractive to wealthy and powerful people. I wonder if you know how those people think? Think of the movies Titanic and Dead Poets' Society. Everything has a price. Save a lady from drowning herself? Worth at least a $20 and a dinner invitation, thank you and go away when dinner is over, you've been paid. No, that was not typical Hollywood bashing of the rich, that's really how those people are. One of the crazier things at the school was the system the students had going for software piracy. You had to have a stake. At that school, these children of the wealthy were not going to give away a copy of some computer game, it had to be "paid" for with a copy of something the "owner" didn't have. A copy for a copy. Strange how fussy those students were about "something for something" all while blissfully ignoring the copyrights of the game makers. But they were always two-faced like that. They were as much and probably more into piracy as everyone else. Intellectual property rights are for little people to obey?

So tell us, where's your righteous outrage on behalf of those people who got screwed into paying for Windows twice, thanks to WGA? To compensate, maybe it's okay for them to pirate Vista when it comes out? Yes, yes, it'd be a lot of fun to drag MS into court and win a lawsuit over this, but it's a lot quicker to just pirate, or pay for Windows again. Saves time, and time is money. Saves on court costs too. 2 wrongs don't make a right, but often a wrong for a wrong is a lot more efficient and cost effective. Admit it, lobbying isn't in the same league as piracy for time, effort, and effectiveness.

Re:Why bother?

[Lothar]

Yup. For a while I could not start up my computer proberly. It kept crashing inside one of the windows dll's - can't remember right now which one. After running windows update again it updated the wga again and my computer worked fine.

Re:Why bother?

[stonecypher]

Show me a passage in any lawbook that equates copyright infringement with theft.

That's a bit like saying that home invasion isn't assault, and then demanding to see a law book that equates home invasion with assault, with one exception: using unlicensed software isn't copyright infringement. Just because there's a more specific version that uses a name involving different words doesn't mean that it's anything different.

Now, as to why using unlicensed software isn't copyright infringement, let's review, shall we? Copyright is the body of law which governs who is allowed to publish or distribute materials. Copyright infringement of software is the source side of piracy, not the destination side: the people who print illegal copies of a CD and sell them for $5 are infringing copyright. If these parents have not redistributed what they were given, they are not infringing copyright.

As far as what they actually are doing, well, it's theft, plain and simple. What Microsoft sells are licenses to use its software. The user agreement is used to enforce that someone may not use the software without having purchased a license from Microsoft, a retailer or partner. In this sense, US law quite plainly interprets sold licenses as equivalent to currency, in that they can be transferred, sold, bought, and have a value as representative of another item - in the case of dollars it's the gold standard (or at least once was,) and in the case of software licenses it's the right to use the product.

In that one may transfer one's right to use software by selling one's license, to duplicate said license - which is prerequisite in the case of using a license one has not paid for - is parallel to counterfitting. You are by using cracked software counterfitting a license. And, if you'll take the time to look, counterfitting in the United States is considered theft from the government.

That said, nobody was trying to be legalistic. The issue is simple and obvious from the moral standpoint: Company A offers a product it cost $5 to make for $10. You use said product without paying for it. That's boldly obviously theft, your attempts at legal semantics notwithstanding.

Re:Why bother?

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Ooooh, but mocking self-righteousness and ignorance is baaaad!

Re:Why bother?

[bit01]

What is it about products that can be encoded digitally that some people think that their creators dont need to eat?

Grow up, child.

---

It's wrong that an intellectual property creator should not be rewarded for their work.
It's equally wrong that an IP creator should be rewarded too many times for the one piece of work, for exactly the same reasons.
Reform IP law and stop the M$/RIAA abuse.

Re:Why bother?

[FractalZone]

"interesting idea. So is it just you and your friends who get to take the product for free under this system, whilst laughing at the poor schmucks who paid for it and made your actions possible?"

Exactly what has been taken? It isn't like a tangible thing (made of matter/energy) which, when you take it, means someone else is deprived of it. It is information that is expressed as a bit pattern.

Having had my own software pirated, I had to confront this question years ago. I can't say that I know how the IP issues ought to be addressed, but it is safe to say that grabbing a copy of a program from someone else is very different than stealing or even borrowing their car.

The worst that software companies can claim as true damages is lost revenues -- that a software pirate would have paid somewhere close to the going rate for the program if he didn't get a free copy somehow. It would be nice if they had to prove that claim in each and every case of software piracy they prosecute. Given that most people who pirate software would not (and could not afford to) pay anywhere close to the advertised prices for it, that would be hard to do.

It might be quite appropriate if software companies could only demand that they be compensated (at most) for some realistic minimum value they actually put on their software, say the amount they can be held liable for under their own contractual licensing agreement(s). In Microsoft's case, the value of their major software packages is really what, $5, according to the MS EULA? It isn't as if Microsoft is claiming its software will do much in particular...read the whole EULA if you haven't done so already.

They are as much as admitting that it isn't worth what they ask for it. :-) How long do you think MS would remain solvent if it had to compensate the users of its buggy bloatware when it fails to operate correctly because of a serious design flaw or programming error, the way automakers have to do when their products fail miserably? Can GM limit its liability to $5 in cases where its cars blow up or exhibit sudden brake failure?

I'm unsure as to how commercial software should be priced, but I think it would be best if the government was not put in the position of penalizing people who haven't done any real harm. That would be very difficult in cases where those who use copied software for other than commercial purposes are concerned. It would be fairly easy in cases where a firm sells product created with commercial compilers, word processors, or editors, or services that depend on commercial DBMS packages. Little Timmy doesn't cost the vendor of Grand Theft Starship: The Revenge of Mario a dime if he snags a copy from his pal Suzi. At worst, if they can show he was clearly able to purchase a copy and did play the pirated one a lot, they ought to get compensated for the street value of the program and Timmy ought to get a citation or something for being a Bad Boy(tm).

Now, if Little Timmy goes into business selling copies of GTS-RM to all his friends at school for ten bucks a pop, then the penalties ought to be fairly harsh, because he is selling (for profit) what isn't his. Cases where Timmy sells it for just enough to cover his cost of distribution are still questionable, but one could argue that he still profits by gaining goodwill (something accountants think they can actually quantify).

Re:Why bother?

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

Haha.

The guy was an idiot and your were congratulating him on it.

He did the equivalent of saying that only druggies complain about drug laws, or only speeders think speed enforcement laws are often abusive, or only gun-nuts dislike gun-restriction laws, etc, etc.

In his self-righteousness, he couldn't even conceive of the possibility that one might make a rational argument criticisizing the state of copyright law without himself being a copyright violator. That's worse than attacking the messenger and ignoring the message, its making up strawmen to impune the integrity of someone you disagree with but can't otherwise justify your disagreement.

And you thought that was just great. Hoo-rah! Just the kind of behaviour we need more of online.

Re:Why bother?

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

All property is protected artificially.

He said artificial scarcity. Not "protected artificially."

The difference is that real property is naturally scarce, or more technically it is rivalrous, and thus inherently "protectable" since there is only one instance to keep track of, either you have it or you don't.

that recognition works just fine as long as everyone plays by the same rules.

However, it is both many orders of magnitude more difficult to enforce the rules for information than it is for real property, and it is in conflict with human nature (the natural urge to share knowledge that is probably a key, if not the key to the development of civilization). So, its much harder to enforce and because it conflicts with human nature, people naturally violate it many more times than they do similar rules for real property.

All that enforcement eventually results in a higher cost - the more society tries to enforce those rules, the more it costs us. Many people believe that the additional costs involved for protecting ownership of ideas are now high enough that they make the model infeasible, that it is a net drain on society that retards progress rather than encourages it.

People like cliffski, with their heads stuck in the box that hollywood has selfishly crammed it into, can't see that the model is breaking, if not already broken. And what's worse, they can't see that alternative models can, and probably must, take its place. Models that harness human nature rather than oppose it. Instead all you get are ironic comments like "Try thinking through the implications to changing the business model," because his own lack of imagination prevents him from thinking things through enough to come up with a business model that can work given the new parameters of modern digital distribution.

Re:Why bother?

[Mr2001]

your example of one scientist making one copy is a little questionable if you really want to say something like "not at your expense" and still have this story have any relation to the state of copyright in the world today. More people making copies or perhaps a mad scientist making alot more than one copy? Might make you rethink your expense when it comes time to trade in your car or just use your car in what now is a highway thick with copied cars and virtually no value associated with them.

No economic value, perhaps, but there is still utility value associated with them.

Frankly, not being able to get anything in exchange for trading in a car, and having to endure longer waits in traffic, would be a small price to pay for living in a world where it's possible. That would be a friggin' utopia! No hunger, because anyone can copy whatever food they want; no deaths during heat waves, because anyone can get an air conditioner, a generator, and all the fuel they need to run it, just by pressing a button; and so on. Of course, we'd have to deal with all that pollution, heat, etc.. but as soon as someone finds a solution to those or any other problems, it can spread across the globe in an instant.

Similarly, I believe that making it a little harder for certain folks to earn a living by rearranging bits is a small price to pay for living in a world where those bits are freely accessible to anyone with the right tools. (I said harder, not impossible: you'd just have to charge directly for your labor, and expend some effort to find an audience who can pool their money together to pay you. If a political candidate can raise millions of dollars from lots of small individual donations, just by putting a thermometer graph and DONATE NOW button on his site, then it should be easy for artists to do the same.)

Re: Why bother?

[OldManAndTheC]

Go find one of those stories about a big warezer bust. Follow it through to the indictment; they're all freely available online in the US since 1998..2001, depending on what state you're in. Then, look at what crime the warezers are being convicted of.

I Googled "warez indictment" and found a number of press releases from the federal government. This one, about the RISCISO bust, is typical:

All 19 defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit copyright
infringement, and 15 of the 19 were charged with one additional count each of copyright
infringement.

Doesn't say anything about theft. True, I didn't look up the actual indictment, so if you want to prove me wrong, knock yourself out.

Which is not to say that the Feds don't use the word "theft" in their public statements - they do it all the time. But I don't think anyone is being charged with that particular crime. Not when they can put someone in prison for 46 months for "conspiracy to commit copyright infringment."

Buy an OEM copy

[(H)elix1]

From a *trusted* on-line vendor. XP home will go for ~80-90 USD, Pro ~140. http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductList.jsp?Thir dCategoryCode=071002 for example. You see it offered for much less, odds are it is a "student" version or "replacement media". OEM it typically what system builders use, so if you use that version in theory it is tied to that system. The $300 retail version can be moved from system to system, but costs a boatload more.

Re:Buy an OEM copy

[(H)elix1]

The legit vendors meet the letter of the law by shipping a cable or some other trinket that qualifies the media as OEM. That part is not a grey area. Yup, the transfer issue is why I mentioned the retail version - but you would have to transfer from three machines to break even. If you have more than three machines, odds are the volume pricing is for you...

Re:Buy an OEM copy

[technothrasher]

OEM copies can be sold with things like computer mice or ethernet cards

Judging from Microsoft's 'System Builder' documentation, I don't think you even need to bother doing that. Buying and installing an OEM version of Windows onto your PC is perfectly fine and legal. But by doing so, you've now created a 'new PC' in Microsoft's eyes and so you no longer have access to any support from them, as support for OEM software is to be obtained from your system builder (namely, you, in this case). So you're legal but completely on your own. At least this is the way I read it.

Re:Buy an OEM copy

[qaz2]

As an individual, how much less on your own are you if you have a retail version?

I do think one should buy the software one uses (I know I do), but I don't expect
any personal support from Microsoft; I'm already glad if they fix known (security)
bugs in a decent time frame.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[LoonyMike]

Yes, it's easy to google for it, provided you already know that the solution relies in a key changer.

Over-under

[mj01nir]

Over-under on the number of "install Linux over it" posts: 36.

Do NOT fear the Windows Reinstall.

[mikelieman]

IF your folks are worried about a reinstall, they're NOT ready to survive a catastropic harddrive crash.

Much less full reload to clear an infection.

Re:Reinstall

[SpzToid]

Not true! You've got the OEM installer that can ONLY wipe out anything pre-existing, and the much more expensive RETAIL installer, which is also capable of upgrading an existing instllation. I learned this the hard way. Everyone in town had an OEM copy of XP home, for about 110 euros a licence. But only 1 or 2 had a RETAIL version, and the price was about 290 euros, which I begrudgingly paid to satisfy a client urgent requirement's, (and then became a more vocal Debian & SuSE advocate). From a business model perspective, what brilliance in making the OEM widely available at such low-cost, while not making it terribly obvious as the this hidden (or not obvious) upgrade 'feature' of RETAIL.

Re:Reinstall

[TheNetAvenger]

If the dealers are selling the OEM version without any hardware, this would still be an illegal copy. The OEM pricing is set to be lower for computer makers, and is not to be sold without hardware.

However the 290euros is also a bit high. You should be able to buy a 'upgrade' version instead of a 'full' version. They are the same, but one requires the machine to have had a version of Windows installed on it before or the CD to prove you own it. (There are two types of 'retail' versions in other words, and most people only need the upgrade version which is about the same price as the OEM version give or take 10-15 Euro.)

Stay way from people selling OEM copies of any company's software unless they are also keeping to the licensing rules and selling it with a new computer or qualifying hardware. The Windows OEM license used to allow it to be purchased if the end user was buying a new hard drive etc.

If they are just selling the OEM software, with most companies this is illegal and would not help in getting your copy to be legitimate. This is also why OEM software often requires a clean install and will not 'upgrade' as it is not ever to be sold in a circumstance to upgrade anything.

Microsoft does not know the alphabet.

[students]

In a VB (eww!) script in parent's link:

Wscript.echo "Correct usage: Cscript ChangeVLKey.vbs ABCDE-FGHIJ-KLMNO-PRSTU-WYQZX"

Back to kindergarten, Microsoft.

Careful before you buy

[insecuritiez]

For all the people saying just buy Windows and change the key - there is a good chance this *wont* work. In principle changing the key does work - the trick is getting a legal key for the version installed.

Your parents probably installed a Corporate copy of XP. This doesn't take the same keys as Home so they can't just walk down to Best Buy and get a key that is going to work.

In fact, there are a number of different key types including:

* XP Home
* XP Home OEM
* XP Pro
* XP Pro OEM
* XP Corporate
(and more)

Assuming your parents installed Corporate, they still need to buy a legal copy of Windows, yes, but they won't be able to pop the key in and go on their merry way. They will need to do what is knows an a "In place install". This isn't the cleanest way to do things but will make sure all their files are left intact (all settings including the entire registry are lost). Boot off the new disk:

The first menu is going to ask you to install, go to the recovery console, or quit. Choose install by hitting enter.

The second menu is a license agreement, hit F8.

The third menu is going to show the existing Windows installation, choose to install on top of it. You will be warned about an existing Windows install there and be given the option of deleting the existing %systemroot% folder and continuing.

Choosing this option will not delete anything on the drive other that what is in the windows folder. All of their files will still be available by navigating to the "Documents and Settings" folder.

I know it is a dirty mess but it is the only way to go from one version of Windows to another while still retaining the contents of the hard drive.

Re:Careful before you buy

[insecuritiez]

A "repair" will often fail when repairing between different versions of Windows (Home/Pro, Media Center/Pro, etc). I agree that a repair is a lot cleaner than what I suggested but it is less likely to get the job done. Between the different versions, (home, pro, media center) and the different sub versions (upgrade, full, OEM, corp) the number of Windows CDs needed for people who do this daily is ridiculous.

Re:Careful before you buy

[gte910h]

I've done this sort of install before

CAVEAT: Make *sure* you copy all data out of user directories before doing this. You will *not* be able to access them sometimes.

                                --Michael

Re:Reinstall

[kgruscho]

Depends on which OEM... the OEM disks are occasionally quite restrictive, in other cases they are close to the retail version..

Using a program called nlite to redo your disc still solve many problems

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[Ned_Network]

http://www.google.com/search?q=Windows+XP+Key+Ch anger

This was the first thing I tried when a customer approached me with this problem. And it didn't work. Repeatedly.

I guess that "+5 informative" needs some "-1 overrated" side-salad, huh?

I'm pretty sure the reason it doesn't work is that the version of Windows supplied under the genuine advantage program is different from the version that my customer's nephew installed. I believe it was Windows XP Professional Corporate Edition that was installed, and I'd guess that the CD supplied by Microsoft when she clicked on the "Get Genuine" link was either OEM or retail (it was certainly Windows XP Professional, and was a hologrammed CD).

The way I fixed this was to do a "repair install" of Windows XP. This worked perfectly & retained all the user's settings and documents, although I was pretty nervous about doing it and a number of drivers did require reinstall. Honestly, if you're undertaking this, be prepared to back everything up with a Knoppix CD & a portable hard-drive and to do a format-reinstall if necessary.

Ned.

If it's a pirated version of XP

[Khyber]

Turn that pirated version in to Microsoft and give them some info on how you obtained it, and they'll get you a legit copy of Windows in return, plus a small nominal charge, of course.

Vista

[jdbartlett]

Upgrading XP? Why not just wait for Vista?

See you in a few years.

Re:Reinstall

[SpzToid]

Yes, this is also true. Thank you for the additional clarification. Still, I was struck by how common, practically unavoidable it was, to buy OEM versions on my local-dealer-research/purchase day (as I described earlier), and how difficult and expensive it was to buy a retail (full) version. And what buying the inexpensive version *really* meant, (i.e. it would wipe any existing installation, and probably cause difficulty in getting it exchanged for a more capable, expensive version later). M$ certainly doesn't put much effort in clarifying the situation for the consumer's, here in Amsterdam, the nation's capitol. It's like M$ assumes (and to a certain extent dictates) that everyone purchases an OEM version aspart of a PC upgrade, acting just like it was a business model or something.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[Jekler]

I'm absolutely amazed. When you already know the answer and derive keywords from the answer you already know, searching for the solution is trivial!

Windows Genuine Advantage Talkback

[tsvk]

Now that Windows Update and certain Windows downloads require you to validate your copy of Windows before accessing the services (the Windows Genuine program), people have of course started having troubles with invalid product keys, etc.

To help people sort out their Windows license problems, Microsoft have put online the Windows Genuine Advantage Talkback bulletin board, where Microsoft offers advice for people with license troubles.

An interesting utility that I found mentioned there on the bulletin board is Microsoft Genuine Advantage Diagnostic Tool, that shows lots of information about the license / product key of the current Windows installation.

XP Pro Corp to Home = No Repair

[Eddy Da KillaBee]

There's one small problem I've run into at my job when we sell customers an XP Home license to get them off of Corp: you can't do a repair installation from Windows XP Pro to Home. That's a problem because most of the customers we deal with want to save money and don't want the Pro license, although the Pro license gives us the option to Repair, and therefore keep their files, settings, etc.

Anyone know of a possible way to get around this, other than having to reinstall Windows XP Home from scratch?

Re:XP Pro Corp to Home = No Repair

[Tekzel]

Only way I can think of is using "Aloha Bob PC Relocator". You clone the pro drive to another system, and do a repair install on it to get that one up and running and use that one as the "old pc" in the relocation, then install the new windows on the customer's system and use that as the new pc, then do a network relocation. Pain in the ass, but it would work.

Re:XP Pro Corp to Home = No Repair

[Ned_Network]

There's one small problem I've run into at my job when we sell customers an XP Home license to get them off of Corp: you can't do a repair installation from Windows XP Pro to Home. That's a problem because most of the customers we deal with want to save money and don't want the Pro license, although the Pro license gives us the option to Repair, and therefore keep their files, settings, etc.

If I caught this in time, I'd just tell 'em to buy the Pro version. Here in the UK XP OEM Home is about £60 and OEM Professional about £80 or £90. Provided I was happy & confident (not a given) that repairing with the OEM Professional version of XP would work then I'd tell 'em to buy the Pro and that extra expense would be covered by time saved paying me to muck about with it.

But in situations like this, I think there's a lot to be said for a format & reinstall. Don't get me wrong - I think this can be a massive cop-out on many occasions, and I believe that lots of people do it too easily because it's easier than analysing and learning about a problem - but in a situation where I'm not sure how Windows will behave (am I sure that Pro will repair the particular pirate version of XP that they have?) then format-and-reinstall is a very proven solution.

On a system that's otherwise working fine, and has been for some time, then I'd rather spend an hour or 90 minutes removing malware or a virus, or fixing an "inexplicable" browser problem than doing a format-and-reinstall. But when I have to do a format-and-reinstall then it's a VERY straight-forward process - I back up everything on the hard-drive with a knoppix CD to my portable drive, copy the back-up to another machine, dd the drive with a few zeros so that the Windows install starts on a blank sheet, and let it get on with things. I charge this at three hours of my time, but I'd guess that I probably only spend two or two-and-a-half actually sitting at or waiting on the machine because I base this fixed price on being able to take it away and leave it running in the corner of my study for a couple of days. Thus the customer gets a "brand new" machine with all a fresh operating system, all the Windows updates, I reinstall any software disks they give me, drag & drop My Documents back into place (and explain how to search the "Old Stuff" folder I've copied back to their hard-drive from my portable disk), reimport their address book & emails; when I take the machine back I check their printer and broadband works and the customer is usually like "Wow! It's never been this fast before!!"

I'll say again that this isn't always the best way to resolve problems, but many users don't have innumerable programs installed on their machine, nor such a customised desktop or set of preferences that it'll take them long to get things back to a way they're comfortable with. Often there is so much crap installed by the OEM at the factory that users have never experienced a truly fresh install of XP before!!

Ned.

Clean reinstall without loss of data

[QuantumFTL]

Digg had an article recently about how to perform a windows re-install without loss of information. This may be of use to you.

It's simple...

[yakhan451]

... all you have to aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all.

Re:Simple...

[AngryUndead]

Microsoft will be dropping retail support for XP in December 2007 or January 2008, and corporate support in December 2008

You are dead wrong. Stop spreading the FUD. What I think you meant to say is that you won't be able to buy a copy a year after the release date of Vista. According to Microsoft, mainstream support for Windows XP will end two years after Vista has been generally available. So, we're looking at the end of 2008 or beginning of 2009 at the very least (depending on how bad Vista slips), followed by extended support for quite a few years, 3-5 from looking at the information they have.

Take Windows 98, for example. They've supported that for eight (8) years now. Windows XP will probably not enjoy that level of support, but it still bodes well for the future of that system. Windows XP is in no way "soon to be dead". Especially with the huge amount of government use it gets. The government certainly won't be switching to Vista as fast as it comes out, I'd expect that to take at least one year. Until then, Microsoft can't piss off one of the biggest buyers.

Anyway, I tend to ramble, but I think I've made my point about that.

So why not take a small portion of the money that you'd spend on a soon-to-be-dead WinXP disk, and buy a nice big shiney 250 gig hd ($100) and load ubuntu, suse, or another real OS on it?

Because most users just want ease of use and familiarity. I love gentoo myself, but every Linux install that I've done so far has been tweaky, finicky, and just plain difficult at times. I like to play with it and learn, as it relates to my profession, but most users just don't want to put up with that. Windows, for the majority of users, just plain works.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[Tim C]

a number of drivers did require reinstall

It's actually alluded to on the page that you linked to, but it bears spelling out explicitly:

The repair install option returns Windows to the state it is in when freshly installed from the CD used

In other words, while you keep all your settings, files, etc, it wipes out any drivers, service packs or other updates that you have installed since installing from the CD. An XP SP1 install CD used to repair an up-to-date XP install is going to wipe out SP2, and a whole host of other updates.

That's why you had to reinstall the drivers - they weren't on the CD so they were nuked.

XP's No-Reformat, Nondestructive Total-Rebuild...

[Browzer]

"...how to completely rebuild, repair, or refresh an existing XP installation without losing data, and without having to reinstall user software, reformat, or otherwise destructively alter the setup."

http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml;j sessionid=STKGFAI0KVUKAQSNDLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN?article ID=189400897&queryText=nondestructive+

Obvious: Sysprep

[Anonymous Coward]

Use sysprep(found on the xp cd in tools/reskit/deploy.cab or just search the cd for deploy.cab)
extract sysprep.exe and run sysprep.exe -reseal.

when the machine reboots you can enter the COA from your legit copy of XP. no fuss, no muss. and your installed apps will still be there.

The only reliable way to reinstall

[Thor Ablestar]

The only reliable way to reinstall anything is to buy a second HDD, replace the HDD, make a new install, copy your valuable data to the new HDD and put your old HDD into the fireproof armoured container placed in a cool deep place far enough from the Middle East. I had a lot of trouble assuming that "c:\Program Files" contains the program files and no application data, while there was an application holding it's data in Program Files. I was lucky enough to have written beforehand a duly registered report "I need a spare HDD for reinstalls" and to have received the written instruction "You don't need a spare HDD for reinstalls, you only save the files the operator explicitly asks for". It costed operator an additional week to reenter data.

For the love of god....it's TOO EASY

[gx5000]

I love all these Pseudo Tech offering advice, it always boggles my mind... 0- Buy a Copy of Windows (whatever version you have installed)or buy a key from M$ 1- Reboot in safe mode 2- Do a search for WPA.* (WPA.DBL, WPA.BAK)They're in C:\windows\system32 3- Delete these file 4- Reboot into normal mode, you will warned that you have blabla time to activate 5- Click to activate, select by phone, select change key (bottom of form) 6- Enter new legit key 7- You are returned to activation screen, click Activate online 8- Do a search and backup the wpa files for future needs 9- Done

Re:Simple...

[tomhudson]

"According to Microsoft" .... yeah, tell that to all the banks whe were GUARANTEED support for NT2K, and Microsoft cut it off prematurely because "it wasn't worth it to fix the security issues so close to the end of the products' lifetime" - 2 months.

The same policy will be applied, much more aggresively, with Vista, because of economics.

1. their first decline in revenue
2. continue to bleed money from the XBox
3. just gone through their biggest hiring expansion - more salaries to put more pressure on the bottom line
4. stock buyback is also putting a crimp on the cash horde
5. vista aka longhorn aka blackcomb is now 5 years late, and what's worse, they don't have a clue as to what will cme after Vista
6. credible threat to their biggest cash cow - ms-office - from openoffice
7. most people don't need to upgrade, they're more-or-less happy with what they have, they just want it to work better
8. macs are cool again
9. continued security exploits == zero credibility
10. the continual erosion of browser share indicates a growing acceptance of 3rd-party software as "just being better"
11. removal of almost all the significant features that set vista apart from xp
12. linux desktops are now more useable, as well as much more secure, than windows, and trying one out is as simple as sticking a live cd in the tray
13. cash and resources diverted to trying to get zune off the ground
14. the PIPE Fairy deal with SCO may very well end up leading back to Redmond HQ next fall

There's a lot of speculation that Microsoft will have to orphan the Xbox - the 360 will be the end-of-the-line. This would have been unthinkable a year ago, but the financial situation has changed a lot, and a recession would pretty much seal its fate.

If you need/want to do a full reinstall

[ralf1]

This may be of value http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArt icle.jhtml?articleID=189400897

Re:"What would you do in this situation?"

[MSFanBoi2]

Buy a Mac? YOu honestly advocate going out and spending at least 600 bucks (of couse that would require at least another 512 MB of ram, a keyboard and a mouse and possibly a new monitor0, not to mention the costs of replacing software as well as the loss of all the data on the Windows based PC? Lets not even get into the costs of getting them familiar with the Mac over the PC.

Linux? Once again, they loose most, if not all their software, and probably the same with the data.

Sorry when a person asks for help getting a copy of Windows LEGIT, they are not asking to move to another OS.

What your post is, is nothing more than rabid fanboism at it's best.

What to do..

[CFBMoo1]

1> Backup data. Thats the first thing I'd do. Documents, pictures, etc.. Burn them to a CD or copy them to external media like an external USB hard drive.

2> Wipe the system completely with a full reformat.

3> Install the legit copy of windows.

4> Restore the backup data after installing new legit anti-virus software and make sure it's fully updated and scanned the backups.

5> Profit!

call microsoft

[Planesdragon]

No, really, call Microsoft. They will give you all of the legit, legal options. I've seen them sell media-less CD-keys for Windows for as low as $50.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[TheSpoom]

Contact Microsoft.

Seriously, it's pretty easy for them to change the product key / product ID of an installation, and you won't have to reinstall anything. Plus, I doubt they'll care that much that you pirated in the first place if you say you want to purchase a legal version now.

It probably doesn't apply to you, but if your mom didn't know she received an illegal copy, she could actually get a complimentary Windows license. However, she'd have to rat out said teacher, would have to have bought the counterfeit Windows (and have a proof of purchase), and the counterfeit itself would have to be "high quality".

Otherwise, the prices are still quite cheap by Windows standards. See Microsoft's Genuine Windows XP FAQ for more details.

To get the kit, go through Windows Genuine Validation, either by attempting to download something that requires validation or by installing the Windows Genuine Notifications update and subsequently getting the nag screens (which link to a more info page which should allow you to get the kit).

Re:Obligatory Linux Plug

[doodleboy]

Excuse me for a second. So, Ubuntu doesn't cost a dime. Does it: Play DVDs out of the box? Play MP3s out of the box? Work with Microsoft / Apple DRM music files out of the box? No. It doesn't. For something to be even considered useful, it needs to be able to do the above three things. Or else it's WORTHLESS IMO. Sure, you can bring up Ubuntu, find some site, download XMMS with the MP3 plugins.

http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org./ Takes a couple minutes to run, installs pretty much every codec out there along with apps to use them with. It's crushingly difficult. And so hard to find too--it took almost a whole minute to find the link on the Ubuntulinux wiki.

While I understand how much better Linux is because of security, usability is FAR less than what people are willing to admit. Linux has a LOOOOONG way to go before it's ready for prime time on the desktop.

Which linux distributions have you tried? How much have you used them? Because I'm sensing a lack of familiarity. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Stick with Windows if you're more comfortable. Just don't assume that what's right for you is right for everyone.

Re:Reinstall MOD DOWN

[SexyJesus]

The MS OEM restrictions TheNetAvenger describes are no longer part of the license.

I just bought the OEM version of Win XP a few weeks ago and was surprised to find the restrictions a thing of the past. The real difference between the retail and OEM version licenses is that the OEM license is non-transferable and tied to a single system, while the retail version can be uninstalled from one computer and installed on another.

Regarding activation and hardware modifications, MS allows some flexability, but the intent of the OEM license is to tie the software to the system on which it is orignally installed.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[denebian devil]

No, but I find it interesting that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has a Windows XP key uploaded in plain text onto a freely accessible ftp server. The government supports piracy!

Microsoft provides a tool

[lcreech]

It's call Sysprep. It allows you to delete the the licence key and install a legit one for the system. I make image copies of my drives, and use linux to dd them, with Sysprep you can remain legal.

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[NickFitz]

The directory containing that file also has an Office 2003 key :-)

check your PID / CD label / Channel ID

[bushwhacker2000]

If you have the original install CD that was used, put in the your CD drive and look at the label that shows in My Computer. Write it down.

Then head over to http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=342 and find out which exact version of XP it is. If it is not SP2 click the other links for SP1 and SP0, etc, until you find it.

Once you have a volume label you'll know what was installed and it will help you find the right solution, legal or not (your choice).

If you don't have the CD, things are a bit trickier:

1. Right click my computer > properties > general and you should see something like the following:

System:

Microsoft Windows XP

Professional or Home or Media Center, etc

Version 2002 or something

Service Pack 2 or something

Registered to:

Name

Company

XXXXX-YYY-ZZZZZZZ-AAAAA (This is your Product ID, not to be confused with product key)

2. Find out which version you are running using the channel ID (YYY above):

# 000 : Other (includes some retail, upgrade and evaluation versions)
# 007 : FIXME : Retail
# 009 : Not for resale - bundle
# 011 : Upgrade (XP Home?)
# OEM : OEM (This does not specify royalty or normal OEM)
# 270 : Volume License
# 296 : MSDN
# 308/347 : Microsoft Action Pack subscription
# 335 : Retail
# 640 through 648, 652 : Volume License (usually generated via 270 CID in setupp.ini)
# 699 : Volume Windows XP Tablet Edition
# 071 : FIXME : Unknown.

Source: http://wiki.djlizard.net/Product_IDs

Good luck!

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[RemovableBait]

And if you know you don't qualify for their free offer, you don't even have to contact Microsoft to get your key changed.

They actually make a little tool for updating your product key, so you can avoid googling for key changers (which may lead you to potentially dodgy websites).

If you go and buy a boxed/retail copy of the Windows version you are currently running (eg, Home or Pro), you can update the product key by following these instructions. Or, instead of buying a retail version, you can buy the WGA kit or licence code direct from Microsoft by following the parent poster's advice.

Re:Reinstall

[musther]

Hmm, you can't just go and buy the upgrade because it's cheaper! The upgrade is for people who have earlier versions of windows, legally. There are limits on the versions which qualify, maybe 95, 98, ME, 2000 etc. If you don't own a legal version of one of these OS's you can't just buy the upgrade of XP as you won't satisfy the license and it will still be illegal, there's no point then.

I'm often asked to do things to PC's which turn out to be running a pirated XP. When I tell the owners they usually say something like 'so what'. If I tell them I won't work on an illegal version they think about buying, see the price and make odd noises.

Come on people, if you can't stand the price, use FLOSS for god's sake.

do the dirty work...

[spiritraveller]

What would you do in this situation?

Whenever I have to reinstall windows (or more often, linux since my main computer runs a different distro about every week), I do an audit of all my data.

First, write down what you need to keep: emails? accounting data from Quicken? config info from other applications? bookmarks? Get it all down and back up everything to an external drive or a CDR.

Second, reinstall the OS and all applications. If you went through the whole harddrive, directory by directory, you should have saved all the config files and data files that you needed. If you didn't, then you should have gone more slowly and carefully.

It is best to do a reinstall anyway, because if they've been running Windows for a long time, they probably have a lot of cruft... left-over services and other junk from programs they don't run anymore that are slowing down their machine... and there's always the possibility of malware lurking in the shadows.

A reinstall takes care of all those things. Tell them not to be afraid, just patient and careful.

I fear the re-install

[RebornData]

Sorry to go on an off-topic rant here, but...

I'm a consultant who helps small business and home users. I can't tell you how many times I have talked to customers who (in the past) have had another tech come along and do a re-install without understanding all of the implications.

There is value in a machine's configuration! The customizations, tweaks, and even icon arrangements people create to make their systems work and lives easier are time-consuming to recreate, and there can be a major loss of productivity if they have to re-do it all from scratch. I'm a professional, and it's not uncommon for it to take me 3-5 hours to do a good job of getting all of the software, utilities, and configuration changes done for a typical business machine. Just because you can rebuild your own gaming rig from scratch in two hours (because you do it once a month) doesn't meant that this is a course of action that makes sense for everyone.

This is why I always recommend *full* backups of the entire system... not just "important" documents. And it's why I do a full re-install as an absolute last resort. I can count the number of re-installs I've been forced into in the last *year* on one hand.

The good news is that if you know what you're doing (unfortunately many techs don't) VERY few problems require a rebuild. It's very possible to clean off even the "worst" infections fairly quickly, with high confidence that everything is gone. I charge a two-hour flat rate for *any* infection cleanup (including kernel rootkits), and that usually works out to my advantage. Hard drives often have only failed in a few sectors... I commonly am able to image the failed drive to a new one, and repair the windows install using a combination of sfc, system restore, misc subsystem fixes, and (in the worst cases) a repair re-install.

The benefit to the user is that they get their machine back *exactly the way it was*, the same day, without a large repair bill. The benefit to me is that the customer is happy and calls me back the next time they have a problem... instead of cursing me the whole time they are trying to rebuild their system the way they had it.

If you are a tech and haven't learned this stuff, you are doing your customers and yourself a disservice.

-R

Re:I fear the re-install

[Baricom]

I'm a professional, and it's not uncommon for it to take me 3-5 hours to do a good job of getting all of the software, utilities, and configuration changes done for a typical business machine.

But a typical business machine is precisely the kind of machine that you should be able to re-image. The advantages of roaming profiles are enormous, and machines should be set up to use them. If they are, then repairing a virus or spyware infection would be a simple matter of rebooting with the image CD in the drive.

The good news is that if you know what you're doing (unfortunately many techs don't) VERY few problems require a rebuild.

True, but in many cases, a reimage can be faster. Even if configuration isn't saved, it might be worth the tradeoff to reimage the machine than to spend the time poking through the registry, tracking down media, and so forth.

It's very possible to clean off even the "worst" infections fairly quickly, with high confidence that everything is gone.

The worst infections tend to change system files to install hooks that a typical cleaner can't find.

If you are a tech and haven't learned this stuff, you are doing your customers and yourself a disservice.

I know this stuff, and having done it both ways, I'm pretty comfortable saying that a reimage on a properly managed machine is faster and more likely to rid the problem than a manual repair.

Re:Simple...

[tomhudson]

Revenue will increase in the next year with new releases."

Not certain, and definitely not equating to profits, which are down.

2. Xbox will eventually kill PS3

Wii is the one to watch.

3. More workers = more products = more profits.

Total bullshit. What's happened was predicted a decade ago. Microsoft has already picked all the "low-hanging fruit", and now needs more bodies to squeeze more revenue out of marginal products.

4. Higher stock value

The current prediction is a flat stock value, because of the buyback. Its been estimated that without the buyback, the stock would have lost about 20%. This buyback is confverting an asset with actual value (cash) into an asset with no intrinsic value(stock). But it was either do the buyback or lose even more, as the assets that are held as stock would have lost even more value.

5. Next Generation OS already in alpha.

No its not, and it won't be within the foreseable future. http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/06/28/HNwinsuc cessor_1.html They haven't even got a clue as to where they want it to go, except for some vague mumblings about "better multiprocessor support".

Heck, even a year after they "deliver" Vista, they still won't have delivered what was slated to go into it originally under the name "blackcomb".

6. New office features and lower price point will = rapid adoption.

Nope. They're in a bind on Office pricing. Lower the price, cannibalize revenues from existing customers. Maintain the price, lose existing customers. Besides, there are no "must haves" for the vast majority of users in the current version, never mind a hypothetical future upgrade. Their only option at this point is to continue to bleed slowly.

7. Lower upgrade prices = rapid adoption.

Same problem as #6 above. They simply can't afford to lower the price - it will mean less $$$, without increasing sales. That's the problem with being a near-monopoly - you're your own worst competitor. Even Microsofts' own employees are saying there's no real reason to upgrade.

8. You should have said "Macs are hot again" after the fan problems.

And yet they've doubled their laptop sales, then doubled them again. They're now 12% of all laptops sold. Microsoft is going to miss the "back-to-school" surge next month, so expect to see mac laptops rise to between 15 and 20% by year-end, as Microsoft also misses the pre-Christmas sales. Expect desktops to follow, as users begin to demand seamless compatibility between their mac laptops and their home desktops.

9. First MacOS worm to wipe out 50% of all connected Macs by 2008.

... as compared to the current crop of viruses and trojans, which have, on a statistical basis, either wiped out, or caused their owners to wipe out, Windows several 100%? Dream on

10. IE 7.5 wipes out Mozilla.

IE is bleeding market share every month. The people who have changed will never go back, because the trust is gone. Microsoft has actually already lost the browser wars - its just taking tie for the news to spread from the head (early adopters) to the rest of the body.

11. Additional features will set Vista apart from XP.

People don't care any more. They don't buy an OS for its features - they just want to use it to do their work, play games, surf the net, etc. Windows95 was the last "gee whiz" release. Those days are gone. They'll never be back. Even the features that wer yanked from vista are not "must-haves" any more - and there will be free 3rd-party replacements for anyone who doesn't wan

Depends on legislation, Germany at least differs

[Lonewolf666]

A few years ago, a dealer in germany did exactly that - sold OEM copies of Windows separately from hardware. Microsoft sued him and the lawsuit went all the way to the Bundesgerichtshof (Germany's highest court for non-constitutional issues). In that court, Microsoft lost.
The court found that the EULA was not binding, and Microsoft did not have a separate contract with that dealer that explicitly barred him from selling the OEM versions without hardware (that way, they could have made their OEM rules binding even in Germany).

Since that time, Microsoft has given up selling "OEM" software in Germany. What you can buy instead are "System Builder" versions. Those come without documentation and support, but Microsoft does not try to legally bind them to a certain hardware.

just change the key

[crashelite]

first get a legit key for ur OS that u are running
then
here is how to change the key
1.
Click Start, and then click Run.
2.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3.
In the left pane, locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrent Version\WPAEvents
4.
In the right pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
5.
Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.
6.
Click Start, and then click Run.
7.
In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.
%systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
8.
Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
9.
Click Change Product key.
10.
Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.

If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.

Do Complete Backups *First*

[billstewart]

If they're running a new enough version of Windows to care about the problem, but are afraid of reinstalling all their software, they probably aren't the type of people to do good backups, but their system should support external USB drives. So they should go spend $100-150 to get an external hard drive, drag&drop all their data onto it, and see if there's a good backup program that'll do something useful with installed programs (any recommendations?).

*Then* they can think about doing a Windows key update or if necessary reinstalling.

Re:Reinstall

[cbiltcliffe]

If you have the "name brand disk image compressed into .zip files" OEM CD, then yes, you're right. But you only get that if you have one of a few specific name brands to begin with, which probably means you've got a legit copy of Windows. Hence, it wouldn't apply to this situation.

If you've got the OEM from Microsoft version, which is what any Mom & Pop store gets, and is also included with Acer, some Dells, and I'm sure a couple of others, then you can do a repair install, upgrade install, or just reinstall overtop. The repair install is what you'd need to do for this situation.

Re:So tell me...

[CaptainAvatar]

What is this a crack for? :-)

My sanity.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Reinstall

[Propaganda13]

They don't want to reinstall because they're don't want to reinstall their pirated copy of Office.

Product Key Update Tool

[dtfinch]

I think if you own a valid product key the exact same edition that you pirated, you can download a product key changer from MS that'll let you substitute your valid product key in place of the pirated one. They offer it in the WGA support forums to people who's systems came with XP, but later reinstalled the same exact edition with a pirated key. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid =0x409

Mod parent up.

[Anonymous Freak]

This is the answer. I have also seen that if you install the new 'check if my copy is legal' tool that MS wants to auto-download through Windows Update, if it detects a pirated version, it will offer to let you buy a legal key for a decent price. ($150 for my [legal] full copy of XP Pro that it incorrectly thought was pirated.)

Also, if you need to go through re-activation, and it doesn't like your key, it will offer to sell you one.

And, if they bought the computer from a store and the store sold them a pirated copy, MS will even (under certain circumstances) let them convert to a legal key for free. (You must be willing to rat out the place you bought it from, though, providing detailed information.)

Re:Let's get the answer out of the way

[Slackwise]

7/31/2006,0:18:32 [WARNING] Contains signature of the dropper DR/PSW.RAS.A!
C:\Documents and Settings\Lance\Desktop\RockXP.exe
[INFO] The file will be moved to quarantine.

Dipshit.

Nearly every post above me is wrong.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, reading through all these posts makes me really question Slashdot members.

Really, really, really.

(1) You can't just change the product key. Corp uses volume licensing keys, and will not accept a XP home, home oem, pro, pro oem, or mce key.

(2) You do not need to do a reinstallation, or an "in place install", as neither will keep your existing configuration. You could do an in place install and copy over the registry hives, but there are easier ways.

(3) To buy MS OEM software you no longer need to purchase hardware alongside. This has been the case for at least a year. Check NewEgg for proof.

Now, as some people have mentioned before, a REPAIR installation is the easiest answer.

You must buy a copy of XP Professional for this to work. XP Home won't repair corporate editions, as corporate editions are XP pro.

OEM or retail. It doesn't matter.

Slide in CD, boot to CD, install SATA driver via F6 if applicable.

Blah, google for screen shots and detailed directions. Its really quite simple, you act like you're going to do a fresh install and the install program finds the existing OS. But, I digress, I don't want anyone attempting this on those lame directions alone.

After the repair install you will need to

(1) Active Windows

(2) Install drivers

(3) Download all updates

(4) Sit back, caus everything else is the same.

WHALLA, legit Windows.

You should look before you leap...

[RebornData]

Actually, I really do know what I'm talking about. The theory is simple: all malware has to get launched. There are a limited number of places in windows something can stick itself to get launched at boot time. This is what tools like HijackThis and autoruns allow you to look at. If you use them frequently enough, it's pretty easy to pick out what doesn't below.

Kernel rootkits made this a bit more challenging, since you can't trust what Windows is telling you about what you see through these tools. The answer to that is to boot to trusted media (like a BartPE disk) and check out the potential autostart locations from that. Since the malware isn't loaded, it can't make the system lie to you.

Thanks to the newer kernel rootkits that hide files in NTFS alternate data streams, you have to scan for those as well from trusted media. But that's doable- there are tools which work from BartPE which will enumate files with ADS streams, and you can also check for ADS paths in the list of drivers which load a boot-time. Then when you think you've got it clean, throw a sniffer on the machine's LAN connection and see if anything unexpected happens.

Thus, it's really quite possible to manually discover and "kill" most infections with a reasonably high degree of confidence, if you have enough practice and experience. The level of assurance isn't high enough for a corporate server, but it's usually sufficient for home users and in small businesses, considering the cost of a from-scratch rebuild.

I do admit I'm a bit more qualified than most techs who do this... I've got a computer science degree, and have been doing IT stuff professionally for 14 years. You've got to have a pretty solid grasp of windows internals to do this well.

-R

Re:Copyright is a useful compromise

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Sorry, typo: that should obviously have read "such a system could never work without Big Brother-scale surveillance of any use of copyright materials".