Windows not Genuine

franby64

Hello

I have a PC which was repaired by Kn*whow a couple of months ago. It had a new motherboard.

About a week after I got it back it suddenly started showing that my genuine (came with the PC) Windows was not genuine. Now it keeps requesting an activation key but it does give me the option to 'activate later' so I can still use it. The things I actually miss are my backgrounds and the indicator that tell me which printer ink is running low!

Please could someone tell me how I can go about getting my proper Windows back. I've found a number for Microsoft but I'm wondering if ringing them works? If it does what information would they want from me about the PC?

Many thanks

HereToday

Brand name and full number of PC?

Sending you a PM.

danthemoneysavingman

your activation key should be on a sticker on the back?

bluesnake

windows registers the controller, so often when moving the drive (new motherboard in your case) to another PC, no longer works and so the software often needs to be reinstalled.

Similar if your old MB had AGP440 graphics card.

A p i t a!

HereToday

bluesnake wrote: »

windows registers the controller, so often when moving the drive (new motherboard in your case) to another PC, no longer works and so the software often needs to be reinstalled.

Similar if your old MB had AGP440 graphics card.

A p i t a!

Whilst the state of pre-activation may be lost, it doesn't mean that you need to re-install the software in order to re-activate.
Graphics card would have nothing to do with it in a brand name pre-activated machine..

bluesnake

HereToday wrote: »

Whilst the state of pre-activation may be lost, it doesn't mean that you need to re-install the software in order to re-activate.
Graphics card would have nothing to do with it in a brand name pre-activated machine..

You can get BSOD from the disk controller, so they may have had to reinstall over again, loosing some of the non-windows system files, which sounds like what had happened.

MS has a workaround for the controller and graphics, but these have to be applied prior to migration.
Here is the xp disk controller fix but there is apparently a fix for up to windows7. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314082
xp video fix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764

At work when we do moves, we change the graphics to vga before the move, and copy off the "new disk drivers" from an similar existing setup

HereToday

bluesnake wrote: »

You can get BSOD from the disk controller, so they may have had to reinstall over again, loosing some of the non-windows system files, which sounds like what had happened.

MS has a workaround for the controller and graphics, but these have to be applied prior to migration.
Here is the xp disk controller fix but there is apparently a fix for up to windows7. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314082
xp video fix http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324764

At work when we do moves, we change the graphics to vga before the move, and copy off the "new disk drivers" from an similar existing setup

No mention of the BSOD in in the original post.
This particular problem has nothing to do with system files, controllers and graphics cards and everything to do with a missing component of activation usually registered on the Motherboard.

I'll reserve judgement on the quality of work until I have more details from the OP.
But this is something that should have been fixed before it left the workshop or at least communicated to the owner that a manual activation might be necessary.

danthemoneysavingman

I think ringing Microsoft would be worth it if none of the above makes anything clear for you ;-)

AshleyPomeroy

franby64 wrote: »

I have a PC which was repaired by Kn*whow a couple of months ago. It had a new motherboard.

About a week after I got it back it suddenly started showing that my genuine (came with the PC) Windows was not genuine.

The new motherboard is the problem. Your copy of Windows is presumably an OEM installation that will have been activated by the original manufacturer of the PC. OEM installations of Windows are locked to the original computer so that you can't clone them onto a different machine. Windows uses the motherboard as its "key". If you replace the motherboard, Windows thinks that it has been moved to a different PC, and throws a wobbly.

In this case the machine probably has the exact same model of motherboard, it's just that the serial number will have changed, and Microsoft will probably be nice to you. My hunch therefore is that you'll just have to call Microsoft's automated phone line, follow the prompts, enter two long strings of digits, and Windows will reactivate itself.

You might need the original COA key, which should be on a sticker somewhere on the case. In this picture (for XP, but they look very similar) the product key is the string of characters that begin MQCBG-etc.

It's a surprisingly common problem. This chap at answers.microsoft solved it with the above method, you might well have done the same by the time you read this.

HereToday

AshleyPomeroy wrote: »

The new motherboard is the problem. Your copy of Windows is presumably an OEM installation that will have been activated by the original manufacturer of the PC. OEM installations of Windows are locked to the original computer so that you can't clone them onto a different machine. Windows uses the motherboard as its "key". If you replace the motherboard, Windows thinks that it has been moved to a different PC, and throws a wobbly.

In this case the machine probably has the exact same model of motherboard, it's just that the serial number will have changed, and Microsoft will probably be nice to you. My hunch therefore is that you'll just have to call Microsoft's automated phone line, follow the prompts, enter two long strings of digits, and Windows will reactivate itself.

You might need the original COA key, which should be on a sticker somewhere on the case. In this picture (for XP, but they look very similar) the product key is the string of characters that begin MQCBG-etc.

It's a surprisingly common problem. This chap at answers.microsoft solved it with the above method, you might well have done the same by the time you read this.

Nowt to do with the Motherboard serial number. It's more likely that some of the elements for pre-activation are simply missing and the 'Techs' at KnowHow either could not be bothered to replace them, did not know how to replace them or simply do not have the resources at their disposal.
Notwithstanding, if the key on the COA sticker matched the installed OS they had the option of the phone activation as above or at the very least, passing the relevant information on to the customer.