Upgrade non-authentic copy of XP Professional

[Kent Tylman]

I have a client who has a non-authentic copy of XP. They have purchased a
legimate copy and want to know the best way to apply it. Do they need to
format and start over or is there an easier way?
--
Kent

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Assuming your client has a confirmed non-genuine version of
Windows XP Professional, and purchased a "Full Version"
and not an "Upgrade Version" of Windows XP Professional,
the new Windows Product Update Tool should make the conversion.
For instructions, please visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/pkuinstructions.aspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Â*---------------------------------

"Kent Tylman" wrote:

| I have a client who has a non-authentic copy of XP. They have purchased a
| legimate copy and want to know the best way to apply it. Do they need to
| format and start over or is there an easier way?
| --
| Kent

[Albo]

Geez, I'd be curious about something similar here: my neighbor asked me
to deal with a Gateway on which XP/SP2 is installed. The OS came
pre-installed, CDs are genuine (according to all MS online "guesses"),
license code is still printed on CD case.

But, perhaps due to a recent power spike (?), system is now booting
with message like "your copy of Windows is not genuine, you may be
running counterfeit software, get Real, you must deal with this problem
NOW!!!"

And when one goes to the MS website in response, one gets a screen on
which the MS purchase screen is not available to current licensees! How
may one deal with such a problem without re-purchasing or
re-installing?

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Assuming your client has a confirmed non-genuine version of
> Windows XP Professional, and purchased a "Full Version"
> and not an "Upgrade Version" of Windows XP Professional,
> the new Windows Product Update Tool should make the conversion.
> For instructions, please visit:
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/pkuinstructions.aspx
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows - Shell/User
>
> Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------*---------------------------------
>
> "Kent Tylman" wrote:
>
> | I have a client who has a non-authentic copy of XP. They have purchased a
> | legimate copy and want to know the best way to apply it. Do they need to
> | format and start over or is there an easier way?
> | --
> | Kent

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Try the following:

1. Reboot the computer into "Safe Mode".
2. Go to Start > Run and type: %systemroot%\system32 , then press the Enter key.
3. Locate these two files: wpa.dbl and wpa.bak
4. Rename the wpa.dbl file to wpaold.dbl and wpa.bak to wpaold.bak
5. Reboot the computer into Normal mode. This will force activation on the following boot.
Sometimes if these files get corrupted, they can cause this type of problem.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*---------------------------------

"Albo" wrote:

Geez, I'd be curious about something similar here: my neighbor asked me
to deal with a Gateway on which XP/SP2 is installed. The OS came
pre-installed, CDs are genuine (according to all MS online "guesses"),
license code is still printed on CD case.

But, perhaps due to a recent power spike (?), system is now booting
with message like "your copy of Windows is not genuine, you may be
running counterfeit software, get Real, you must deal with this problem
NOW!!!"

And when one goes to the MS website in response, one gets a screen on
which the MS purchase screen is not available to current licensees! How
may one deal with such a problem without re-purchasing or
re-installing?

[Badger]

Albo wrote:
> Geez, I'd be curious about something similar here: my neighbor asked me
> to deal with a Gateway on which XP/SP2 is installed. The OS came
> pre-installed, CDs are genuine (according to all MS online "guesses"),
> license code is still printed on CD case.
>
> But, perhaps due to a recent power spike (?), system is now booting
> with message like "your copy of Windows is not genuine, you may be
> running counterfeit software, get Real, you must deal with this problem
> NOW!!!"
>
> And when one goes to the MS website in response, one gets a screen on
> which the MS purchase screen is not available to current licensees! How
> may one deal with such a problem without re-purchasing or
> re-installing?
>
> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>> Assuming your client has a confirmed non-genuine version of
>> Windows XP Professional, and purchased a "Full Version"
>> and not an "Upgrade Version" of Windows XP Professional,
>> the new Windows Product Update Tool should make the conversion.
>> For instructions, please visit:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/selfhelp/pkuinstructions.aspx
>>
>> --
>> Carey Frisch
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows - Shell/User
>>
>> Enjoy all the benefits of genuine Microsoft software:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/default.mspx
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------*---------------------------------
>>
>> "Kent Tylman" wrote:
>>
>> | I have a client who has a non-authentic copy of XP. They have purchased a
>> | legimate copy and want to know the best way to apply it. Do they need to
>> | format and start over or is there an easier way?
>> | --
>> | Kent
>
Hi Albo

You could use the Sysinternals app Autoruns
www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/Autoruns.html and in the Winlogon tab
remove the checkmark on the WGA entry.

--
Badger,

The one who says it cannot be done
should never interrupt the one who is doing it.