Windows 7: Have a pirate on firends machine

Have a friend / work colleague who I have just been speaking to and from what she describes it certainly sounds like her son bought a pirated version of 7 Ult 64bit over the net. This "download" was installed over the original XP and the machine sounds like it is in quite a mess.

I have got the key number and what I would like to know is should I or my friend report this to Microsoft as it is coming up as a non genuine. The OS is also missing SP1 which straight away made me think she has fallen prey to some scummer.


Does anybody think that Microsoft may be open to assist this friend as I know she is currently on casual work and is not that flush with funds?

If it comes to it I will get an 64bit 7 Home Premium OEM and just refurbish the machine and stick that in.

The machine is well worth salvaging and has all the necessary specs to take a 7 install.

I've read of a "Get Genuine Online Kit", but finding specifics about it seems to be difficult.

I believe that the cost of a System Builder (generic OEM) license is lower than what'd you'd pay for the above license. I'm not sure that the Get Genuine license has any fewer restrictions than the OEM one.

In short, your friend can contact Microsoft, but I doubt that they'll do much for her.

I'd be pleased to be wrong about that. Let us know, if you like.

Thanks Bob I sort of reckoned that would be the case I think to save some time and effort I'll just clean the machine up and stick in a different HDD perhaps and an OEM.

I guess it would be a really hard call for Microsoft when they probably hundreds of such calls every day eh?

I'll treat her to an early November birthday pressie everyone needs to wander through the end of a rainbow sometimes eh?

I believe you may be right bobkn, looks like the get genuine kit is only for a pro license,

The Get Genuine Kit

Microsoft Authorized OEM Distributors

Thanks Derekimo thats useful info. Now they only list about five places here in Australia and I get mine from my usual IT site along with the usual hardware stuff of course - does that make any difference? There is is only 7 Pro on their lists and I was thinking to keep the cost down a but I would go Home Premium.

You're probably better off getting it from your source anyway, pricewise and you can get the Home Premium instead of their Pro only route.

Yeah am going to do just that then Derekimo I reckon the Home premium pretty ok anyway.

Thanks to all - so appreciated the help out

I got a Genuine XP kit once because my OEM license just would not activate, I had done several reinstalls within a month or so. For $139 MS sent me an install CD which happily was a full retail version.

Yeah mate I think I will just get the OEM and have done with it - mind you I'd like to tell the scummer (him / her) what I think of them. I hope he/she enjoyed their ill gotten gains - the ratbag.