Solved

Illegal OS

  • 1 January 2014
  • 7 replies
  • 65 views

Temporarily I am running my Windows 7 in my daughter's PC since her hard drive is shot and this allows me to rescue my genealogy from my disabled PC.    Mission accomplished.  But at first we thought the illegal message was a scam. Will running like this cause me problems?  I will replace my PC after taxes.
icon

Best answer by shorTcircuiT 1 January 2014, 21:47

View original

7 replies

Userlevel 7
Hello sharonlayton and welcome to the Webroot Community!
 
Can you please provide the exact wording of the message you are seeing that says your OS is illegal?
On startup:
This copy of Windows is not genuine
Windows is not geniune.
Your computer might be running a counterfeit copy of Windows.
Get genuine now.
These appear at various points of use.  My daughter's and my copies of Windows are genuine.
 
Userlevel 7
Yeah, that is completely normal.  After a re-install of the Windows OS, using the same legit CD on the exact same computer, with the exact same key code, that message is displayed.  It simply wants you to properly 'register' the device with Microsoft.  
 
As long as you have the original 'Certificate of Authenticity" (The sticker with the key code on it), you are quite legal.  
 
As for what happens if you do not complete that registration, I am not sure.  It has been a while since I did active PC repair. Some functions might be disabled, but you are not in any legal trouble or have anything to really worry about in terms of it being 'illegal'.
Userlevel 7
Note: your license to run Windows with a specific key code is for ONE machine, at a time that is.  Being that  YOUR PC is disabled you are quite legal to use that copy on a different computer (Your daughters).
Userlevel 7
Badge +36
I believe, however, if you do not activate it to become "Genuine" you will not be able to keep it updated,
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
I believe, however, if you do not activate it to become "Genuine" you will not be able to keep it updated,
That is correct to the best of my knowledge, after the first 30 days anyway.  But for a temporary solution as she described it should be OK in the short term 🙂
Thank you very much!

Reply