How to know if your windows 7 is pirated/illegal copy?

Lordbob75 · Feb 24, 2010

win7 said:
IMO having the physical media and a product key is the only sure way of telling. And the only time you could possibly be unsure is if you have brought a second hand machine and not recieved the Windows 7 DVD.

There is no reason why "a friend should be giving you a copy" etc etc...

Downloading it from TechNet (like me) or MSDNAA would also be legitimate.

On the other hand, we should still always assume it is legit, unless it is obviously not.

On the 'borrowing' part: borrowing a copy of the CD is fine to install, as long as they have their own key...

~Lordbob

gregrocker · Feb 24, 2010

Lordbob75 said:
assume it is legit, unless it is obviously not.

On the 'borrowing' part: borrowing a copy of the CD is fine to install, as long as they have their own key...

~Lordbob

Agree. Most tech enthusiasts need to find a clean-copy installer starting with Vista as maker's started refusing to provided them to enforce sponsor's bloatware which may provide their only profit margin.

As long as they are using their own Product Key from COA then we should be helpful since the goal is to have the cleanest possible install without bloatware corruption, and a clean reinstall is often the only way to achieve this.

win7 · Feb 24, 2010

Lordbob75 said:
win7 said:

IMO having the physical media and a product key is the only sure way of telling. And the only time you could possibly be unsure is if you have brought a second hand machine and not recieved the Windows 7 DVD.

There is no reason why "a friend should be giving you a copy" etc etc...

Click to expand...

Downloading it from TechNet (like me) or MSDNAA would also be legitimate.

On the other hand, we should still always assume it is legit, unless it is obviously not.

On the 'borrowing' part: borrowing a copy of the CD is fine to install, as long as they have their own key...

~Lordbob

True but if your downloading from TechNet, MSDAAA, etc.. you would know it was legit..... If borrowing a copy (cos your disc is scratched or whatever) and having your own key you would also know its legit.

But how could we tell truely if a copy was legit with no media/dvd/key on a second hand machine... if the copy was pirated, and the said copy appeared genuine in all the tests, how would we then tell?? :zip:

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

You can try and run MS update checker on the pc. It will test the system key that is currently installed and either check for updates or warn you that you are using an in-valid copy.

You can also use a 3rd party program to see what the key is on the computer. Its stored in the registry or something. and compare it to the sticker on the box. if they match and the update thing doesn't warn you then you should be good to go.

I don't think I am allowed to post the name of the key checker here and I don't know if it works with win7. there should be one already though.....

severedsolo · Feb 25, 2010

Thorsen said:
You can try and run MS update checker on the pc. It will test the system key that is currently installed and either check for updates or warn you that you are using an in-valid copy.

the current crop of "hacks" fool windows and MS update into thinking its genuine.... suffice to say i wont say how its done but its done at the very basic level and is coded in exactly the same way as an OEM "genuine" check is done, its (virtually) undetectable if preinstalled on a machine, it certainly fools WGA and MS update.... this has been around since vista and i know people who are still using it on 7, and it works....

Note

my copy IS genuine, just saying this on the grounds of discussion

gregrocker · Feb 25, 2010

So do you think the Update MS is pushing through this week will detect these clever activation exploits you describe?

I believe you are referring to Vista boot loader. As it is done at the BIOS level it makes it harder to "come clean" by inserting a retail key into such a hactivated OS. Even wiping the HD is not sufficient. I believe you must use the hacker's own removal tool to clean it up.

Perhaps the mods will allow discussion of exactly how to easily remove these hacks as there are regularly those who want to come clean with their hacktivations and it is hard to help them since changing to a retail key or even wiping the HD apparently isn't enough.

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

wow thanks for info serverdsolo I haven't used or needed these hacks either, but that is an excellent correction to my post. Thanks

I would say that the sticker on bottom is still a good way of telling. hmmm otherwise reinstall OS? lol

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

gregrocker said:
So do you think the Update MS is pushing through this week will detect these clever activation exploits you describe?

I believe you are referring to Vista boot loader. As it is done at the BIOS level it makes it harder to "come clean" by inserting a retail key into such a hactivated OS. Even wiping the HD is not sufficient. I believe you must use the hacker's own removal tool to clean it up.

Perhaps the mods will allow discussion of exactly how to easily remove these hacks as there are regularly those who want to come clean with their hacktivations and it is hard to help them since even wiping the HD apparently isn't enough.

Maybe flashing the BIOS would correct it.

severedsolo · Feb 25, 2010

@gregrocker i honestly dont know, i am not Microsoft, i cant believe they are unaware of the bootloader (its actually a slightly different variant with Win 7 but its the same basic principle) removing the "hacktivation" with this method (with the most well known one anyway) is as simple as hitting the "uninstall" button, i would almost be willing to lay money on the fact that people who have used at least one certain win7 loader will not be hit by this, as it slightly randomises it to make it "look" more genuine im guessing that MS will be looking for "clones"

out of interest (iv been out of the loop my broadband only came back today) is the update actually out yet?

gregrocker · Feb 25, 2010

Yes, arrived and installed on all of our computers here in the past two days:

I admire the fact that MS is so up-front and (overly?) sensitive to privacy advocates who claim this is spyware since it will run regularly every 90 days. They could take a much heavier hand with piracy.

It may also be because they are sorting out who is afraid of it and who isn't.

severedsolo · Feb 25, 2010

odd.... i dont seem to have it.... i assume its out on X86 and X64?

edit: well i decided to do me a test, i just did a dual boot of my Windows 7 retail disk (Win 7 +win 7) and "hacktivated" the 2nd copy with the most common loader (read first result on google) then installed the WAT update to see if WAT would pick it up then attempted to do the updates as normal.... guess what it didnt, as far as MS are concerned the OS was a genuine copy, conclusion? WAT= pointless until it can detect this very popular "hacktivation"

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

Are you gonna test how to unhacktivate next?

severedsolo · Feb 25, 2010

very easily... i just ran the loader again and clicked "uninstall" i got a "windows is not genuine" message for about 2 seconds then when it was done i had 30 days to activate windows, test complete, i have uninstalled it for now (as i dont have another license key) but will try again when new updates for WAT come out

Note

to any mods i apologise if i have crossed the line with this line of posting but i felt it was an interesting debate on whether its actually doing its job, clearly it isnt

FZ21Z · Feb 25, 2010

severedsolo said:
then installed the WAT update to see if WAT would pick it up then attempted to do the updates as normal.... guess what it didnt, as far as MS are concerned the OS was a genuine copy, conclusion? WAT= pointless until it can detect this very popular "hacktivation"

Did it actually scan your system? Run the online tool with it hacktivated and post the results, because MS claims it will counter over 70 cracks and hacks, so would imagine they'll have the most popular covered, and I've read the update runs the first scan 24 hours after installing it.

severedsolo · Feb 25, 2010

screen attached (luckily didnt uninstall the OS yet) as you can see.... once again Genuine Validation succeeded...... ill give it a day see what happens if it actually tries to scan... but it isnt looking good

Little Darwin · Feb 25, 2010

I run only legally licensed software. I even pay for shareware...

However, I chuckled when I read this:

gregrocker said:
They will even help you replace non-geniune Win7.

It sounds so kind and benevolent.
:thumbsup:

However, I suspect that the way they help you is:

Thank you for contacting Microsoft! To resolve this issue you have a choice, either pay us the full retail price immediately for an authorized copy or discuss it with our lawyers, which do you prefer?
:mad2:

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

wow:shock:

gregrocker · Feb 25, 2010

Little Darwin said:
However, I suspect that the way they help you is:

Thank you for contacting Microsoft! To resolve this issue you have a choice, either pay us the full retail price immediately for an authorized copy or discuss it with our lawyers, which do you prefer?
:mad2:

Actuallly they say that if you got stuck with bootleg Windows and can prove you bought it that way, MS will sometimes give you a free activation code.

Can anyone confirm this?

The Blessed One · Feb 25, 2010

One other thing to remember is that sometimes when someone comes to repair your computer the dodgy ones may steal our product key. This happened to me when I bought a new PC with Windows XP preinstalled (I never shared the product key and always had a security suite installed/WU updates set to auto).

After 8 months it had a hardware fault(cooling fan broke off) and I phoned the local shop who took it and repaired it. After about a week I got non-genuine warnings etc...

Nothing I could do about it.

Thorsen · Feb 25, 2010

The Blessed One said:
One other thing to remember is that sometimes when someone comes to repair your computer the dodgy ones may steal our product key. This happened to me when I bought a new PC with Windows XP preinstalled (I never shared the product key and always had a security suite installed/WU updates set to auto).

After 8 months it had a hardware fault(cooling fan broke off) and I phoned the local shop who took it and repaired it. After about a week I got non-genuine warnings etc... Nothing I could do about it.

This is people at the shop putting windows back on with one of their keys, because they dont ask you for the key so its your version. I have fixed computers that have had this done to them. I had a friend that had a computer at the shop for almost a week then they returned it "fixed" and then she called me because it was saying it was not genuine. I knew what happened before she told me......

How to know if your windows 7 is pirated/illegal copy?

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