I bought a computer with Windows XP installed from a private business. Microsoft says it's counterfeit-Help!

You may have a genuine OS Microsoft has been having problems with their WGA reporting good software as illegal. It has gotten so bad that there are efforts afoot to begin legal action. Go online and look for WGA removal and you will find out how to get rid of that crap!

If you bought the computer from a small business, chances are they were using what Microsoft calls a Volume License Key. It's a special license that costs big bucks and allows companies or businesses to install XP on a certain number of computers. The more money paid, the more computers you can install XP on. A company like Dell or HP can buy an unlimited VLK and pay many thousands of dollars each year to renew the VLK.

Anyway, since your copy of XP isn't legit, you can go through Microsoft and they will sell you an electronic key to update and validate the XP. It costs $99 for the XP Home and $149. for the XP Pro.

Or, you can buy your own disk for a lot less. I had a bogus XP Home on my computer so I bought a full install XP Pro disk and ran a repair install. After about an hour, my computer was upgraded to XP Pro with a valid product key. I bought my disk from a company called edirectsoftware. I paid $125 and now they're $115.

http://www.edirectsoftware.com/

Check and see if there is a Multicolored Green Sticker somewhere on the computer. It will say something like Windows XP Home Edition..... and along the side it says Proof of License Certificate of Authenticity. As long as you have this sticker, you are not a victim of counterfeiting. Call them up and yell at them or something, and tell them that you even have that sitcker. DO NOT buy another copy, you DO NOT have to spend 200 bucks on a copy that you rightfully own. Also, there is no SP3 yet for Windows XP.

Try contacting MicroSoft, they will sometimes give you a good copy of XP if you inocently got a pirat copy. Also, MS has sometimes flaged a good copy of XP as bad...That could be what happened also. Did the Co. that you got the computer from give you the install disk. They should have the code you need to prove it is good. Contact the company if it is still around, they may be inocent and would want to help.

In my city, the local TV station and newspapers have people who investigate these things. They have more resources than you and usually make out pretty good. The person/company in error usually does not want bad publicity and will make a deal or take care of the situation. Have all your sales slips, records of phone calls, whatever at the ready and see if you can contact one of these investigators.

i see you have a big problem well if that is what is going on and microsoft have told you it is counterfeit then you have 1 thing to do remove the windows xp from the computer and buy a microsoft windows xp cd and install that then you will have 30days to Activate Windows XP you can call microsoft to have your new windows xp Activate .. may i remind you of one thing ... it is illegal my self and my staff at the admin office here at microsoft do not have anything illegal on there system it is the against law .also there are microsoft staff online And you cant make illegal copies of all microsoft products

ps from all at microsoft

thanks we know what windows your on and your Activate key

Report them or Just think ok they go one on you. But no one is gonna do it again. And go to the computer store and buy the real windows. Hey the new one might come with new features :)

Problem is all these small computer shops use pirated version

because they cant afford to buy volume licence

so go buy new one or dont download any patch from microsoft

I think that microsoft will give you win xp for free or sell it for very cheap if you tell them where you got the illegal copy

buy a genuine copy of xp and reinstall the os