I have a problem with windows

emzy · 27-05-2009, 14:27

Well, the problem that I have is that it appears that my copy of windows is not genuine (think somebody has changed the windows on this laptop since i bought it 2 yrs ago

) I have the genuine key thingie on a windows sticker on the bottom of my laptop (am guessing that this is what was on it when i bought it) Is there an easy way to put this key in so i stop getting this message and windows asking me to authenticate the version that I have?

I have backed up what i can think of onto a memory stick but dont really want to loose everything - programmes, microsoft office etc.

Any help would be appreciated, and please keep it simple

tia

accyman · 27-05-2009, 14:52

just google " latest wga fix" and follow the instructions

your xp will no be able to go back to how u like it

accyman · 27-05-2009, 14:55

click where it says WGA 1.9.9.1 Fix (960.9 KiB, 40,607 hits)

download and extract the file then runn as it says to in the instructions ( right clickselect extract)

Latest Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) 1.9.9.1 Fix Download | Be Techdated with Technize

entwisi · 27-05-2009, 14:58

Get IT Done: Change the product key on Windows XP

obviously needs you to be a little brave in editing teh registry or get one of teh local helpfuls with time to pop round to do it for you.

emzy · 27-05-2009, 15:11

Will i loose what I already have on my laptop? - Programmes, drivers etc

Sorry, am a bit simple when it comes to these kinds of things

And

Will i be able to use the key on the bottom of my laptop eventhough its been registered before (but was too my laptop) ?

Told you i'm pants lol

accyman · 27-05-2009, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

Get IT Done: Change the product key on Windows XP

obviously needs you to be a little brave in editing the registry or get one of teh local helpfuls with time to pop round to do it for you.

its more than likely the key on the laptop is for home and whats on now is professional so changing the key wont help much

on the key sticker it shoud say wether its for home or professional

if it says home and you have profesional installed dont bother messing with the registry it wont work

regardless if you use the wga fix you will get updates and its a lot easier to do yourself if your in a hurry

either way you wont loose drivers or data but if you screw teh registry up thats when you will start getting problems

emzy · 27-05-2009, 15:36

It says its windows XP media centre edition 2005 = Means absolutely nothing to me

cherokee · 27-05-2009, 15:59

Just hand the laptop over to the twins and I bet they have it sussed in no time. hahaha

emzy · 27-05-2009, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by cherokee

Just hand the laptop over to the twins and I bet they have it sussed in no time. hahaha

When they touch it theres keys popping off everywhere lol

It aint good

CASPER · 27-05-2009, 17:40

Hi Emzy

I'm having the same problem and windows XP was pre-installed onto my laptop when I bought it from Comet over 2 years ago.

I have tried to 'fix this problem' through the link that keeps popping up on my screen but the only option is to buy another version of windows for over £90.

It's driving me NUTS!

SamF · 27-05-2009, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by emzy

It says its windows XP media centre edition 2005 = Means absolutely nothing to me

Does the sticker say that or the computer say that ? If the sticker and computer don't match the only (legal) option is to uninstall the one you are using and installing the one you have paid for

CASPER · 27-05-2009, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamF

Does the sticker say that or the computer say that ? If the sticker and computer don't match the only (legal) option is to uninstall the one you are using and installing the one you have paid for

My sticker says windows XP media centre edition 2005 yet my computer says windows XP professional version 2002 service pack 2.

How can this happen?

entwisi · 27-05-2009, 19:04

yep, someones 'upgraded' you.

I'm pretty sure that to fix it 'correctly' you need to re-install windows using the correct recovery partition/disk. not particularly fun but TBH in most cases you will see a perf benefit as you will only re-install teh stuff you currently use rather than teh crap that you have accumulated over teh years. this will seem to make windows much quicker.

Such is teh joys of different levels of Windows with different features.

You see with Linux you get teh full fat, fully featured version irrespctive of what you install or what you install it on.

CASPER · 27-05-2009, 19:14

Who would have upgraded me and why would they 'upgrade' me to an older version?

Sometimes.... I really hate computers.

accyman · 27-05-2009, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by CASPER

Who would have upgraded me and why would they 'upgrade' me to an older version?

Sometimes.... I really hate computers.

if you bought it second hand its more than likely they put on a pirate copy which would have been totaly fine before they started with the wga authentication

just do as i said above and your set to go

ask emzy it takes 2 mins

some people get a warning and it turns their desktop to picture to plain black , once you have used teh wga fix you can put it back to how you like it

also teh majority of shops that pop up repairing computers use pirate copies especially those down blackburn road etc so if you bought one there then %90 chance your gonna need teh wga fix if they havnt put it on already

theres a guy on here suffering because he bought a laptop which went faulty and also had a pirate copy of vista on