Windows 7: NOT genuine copy

When I built my last computer, it came with Windows 7 Ultimate as part of the kit. It is an unattended version and does NOT require entering a Product Code.

After installing it is activated. I installed Microsoft Security Essentials as the antivirus. After about 4 or 5 days it comes up and tells me it is NOT a genuine copy of Windows 7.

It is only installed on one pc. It was bought from a reliable company that I have been dealing with for years and they say that the install disk is genuine. The disk is the gold disk with all the holograms just as all Microsoft install disk are.

Is there a way to fix this?

activate windows again using your product key!

Activation and Validation are two seperate things. Even though it activated, your computer failed a validation check for Genuine Windows Software. I haven't heard of kits without keys. This sounds fishy to me, but I dont know what "reliable" company you bought it from. I would contact the company and request a key or info and contact MS to enter key.

Hmm.. me neither

if you cant manage to make it validate, take it to the company and ask them to activate!

"Unattended" install disks have a very shady connotation because these are typically pirated copies with preinserted loaders. They install, then activate without user intervention but would show up as non-genuine when validated.

OEM Restore disks (like the ones Dell provides) are also in a sense Unattended disks but they depend on a particular type of OEM bios marker which comes with preinstalled, preactivated OEM computers.

Now since you have built the PC, it is obviously not an OEM computer. The only way of activating Windows 7 on such a computer is to use a Retail/ Upgrade/ OEM System Builder disk (we are not talking about volume licenses here), all of which require the user to enter the key to activate.

Most likely, your disk is counterfeit. So contact the company or call MS.

MS can also give you validation for your copy if you have proof of your purchase from a licensed retailer. I dont know if they will do this though if you dont have a key. you can also use third party software to get the key off of the computer, but I dont know if its ok to post here or if it is compatible with Windows 7.

What company did you purchase this from?

I believe MS gives you a discount if you go to them with a counterfeit windows experience along with proof of purchase. The reason is it helps MS take action against rogue resellers. Of course, since you say the vendor is reliable, you may be able to extract a deal from them.

As Thorsen said you can retrieve your product key using a tool like Magical Jellybean keyfinder. But even without that, you should be able to manage. No way an end user consumer can have an install that didnt require a key (unless its OEM or an evaluation copy).

You can get the product key from the cd
assuming your cd drive is the E: drive,

E:/i386/unattend.txt

the key is on the bottom of the file!

I got the Product Code by using Magic Jelly Bean.

At first I thought the problem might be the clock, so I checked and reset the time zone and time to make sure it was correct. Momentarily, the NOT Genuine notice went away, but as soon as I rebooted, it came right back.

I have called and talked to the people I got it from and they say it is a Genuine Windows 7.

I guess I need to get hold of Microsoft and see what they have to say.

Have you tried to reenter the key to re-activate?