Windows 7 no registration problem

I bought a new motherboard, CPU, etc. from a local computer superstore 2 years ago and struck up a conversation with the service tech - when I mentioned that I was still using Win XP he kindly burnt me a copy of Win 7 Home Premium that he said was meant for multi computer use and needed no registration - I loaded it and it worked as claimed and I've been using it ever since without it ever asking for registration. Unfortunately, my hard drive became bogged down with 2 viruses that I couldn't get rid of so I re-loaded the copy and now it is bugging me constantly for registration and will not maintain the screen saver I use - it reverts back to a black background within a few minutes - anyone have any thoughts on this? Thanking you all in advance!

There are no free multi-use copies of Win7, which must be activated with a legally-purchased Product Key after Clean Reinstall Windows 7.

I would contact the "tech" to ask how it was activated in the first place. When Win7 is installed in a shop, it is legally required to affix a COA sticker with Product key to resell the OS. Any other way of providing the OS without a Product Key is illegal and technically a theft if you were charged for it.

If the tech won't provide a legal copy then your choices now are to buy Win7 via trusted online seller like Tiger Direct (which often has it on sale for $89) or New Egg, do a Clean Reinstall Windows 7 to avoid using the installer provided earlier which might be tampered with. The steps in the blue link will assure you get and keep a perfect install for as long as you stick with them.

If you can show proof you paid for a bogus copy of Win7 you can report it to MS Customer Service which has a program to reward victims of counterfeiting with a free copy if they cooperate with an investigation.

There is one other option to consider: Sometime next year MS will be releasing a worthy successor to Win7 in Windows 10 which is now in preview release. I've been using this OS for two months without going back to Win7 because it is amazingly stable for pre-beta, although there is the customary warning about not using previews for your production machine. But you could try a Clean Install Windows 10 Technical Preview to see how you like it in addition to or in lieu of XP which you own, then if you like it stick with it through various beta updates until it is released. Those of us who were beta testers for Win7 were offered reduced price copies for friends and family, and a free copy for ourselves. In fact the experience was so satisfying it provided a home for many of us here.

Thanks for the info, though I don't understand why it never asked for registration the first time I installed it - BTW, the tech gave me the copy of 7 for free as a solid since I spent a good chunk of change on my purchases that day.

There are no legal self-activating copies of Win7. You would have had to activate it at Computer>Properties. What does the activation link there say now?

Ask the company involved to help you reactivate the OS they gave you.

If there was no Product Key provided then he may have involved you in piracy.

The key words in this thread is activation, it is not to be confused with registration. Registration usually is not required unless expecting technical support from the publisher although some third-party software publishers do require some form of 'call home' for their programs.