Hello Paul
From the Diagnostic Report and the description you provided, it does appear that you have, indeed, been a victim of Piracy.
On line 7, (Windows License Type: Volume) you can see that the version of Windows XP, that you have installed, is Volume License and not OEM, so the person/company you bought the software from misinformed you in that respect.
On line 2, it says "Invalid Product Key". I have check the Product Key Hash and Product ID (lines 3 & 4) in our Product Key tool here and the Key was created using an illegal key generating tool. These product keys are commonly referred to as a ‘keygen’ key. These type of applications can be found out on the internet and they are used to create Invalid Product Keys that look and act like a real keys, but were not, manufactured by Microsoft.
As a rule, VLk editions of XP should not be sold to individual consumers. Large corporations, Schools and Goverments have legal agreements with Microsoft, which assign them a unique Volume License Key (VLK). Using their assigned VLK to install software provides them with the flexibility of installing on a large number of computers. Also, Volume Licenses for Windows XP are Upgrade licenses ONLY and cannot be used as the original or base license for a new computer.
It is quite common for unscrupulous resellers to bundle a keygen VLK with software because they are aware that there is only a small chance that the purchaser will find out that they have received counterfeit Software and Product Key. If you go to http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/default.mspx , you can see that some counterfeits can be very sophisticated.
I can provide you with a couple options and I recommend that you follow up with both:
1) Contact the person/company that sold you the software and demand the Genuine Microsoft software, that you paid for. Or a Refund.
2) Click on the blue star in the System Tray and Submit a Piracy Report to Microsoft. If it is a High Quality counterfeit (go to http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/default.mspx for comparisons), you may be eligible for a free replacement.
3) Click on the blue star in the system tray and follow the directions to purchase a WGA
Thank you,
Darin Smith
WGA Forum Program Manager
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All Users: Please go to http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1255325&SiteID=25 before posting a question.
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