After 3 months trouble-free, why do I get this now?

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  Your MGA report shows a Windows 7 Professional product key that belongs exclusively to a not-for-resale MSDN Subscription.  It is now deemed non-genuine since it cannot be resold.  To fix your issue, purchase a genuine Windows 7 Professional license and then proceed to update the Windows product key.

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  Carey Frisch

  • Proposed as answer by Noel D PatonModerator Sunday, September 21, 2014 9:02 AM
  • Marked as answer by Noel D PatonModerator Saturday, October 11, 2014 10:04 AM

  Sunday, September 21, 2014 1:12 AM

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  Thank you, but this does not answer my question.  This has been working fine for 3 months, including getting regular updates, so how did it suddenly cease to be genuine?

  Sunday, September 21, 2014 6:28 PM
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   Here's my standard spiel on the time-delays involved in tagging abused keys....

  For MSDN Keys:- MS can only act once a key hits a threshold (and they won't tell an outsider what that threshold is, understandably). They then have to put it through internal systems to ensure that all relevant parties are informed, just in case it's an oversight - then it enters the queue for the next update to the system.

  I have no idea how often the WAT checking system is updated, but I would suspect that it's no more than weekly because of admin and timing issues. The internal MS processes could therefore take easily a couple of months. It therefore depends on how close to the end of a vendors sales list you are, and how quickly he's selling them.

  The cannier ones will sell just enough to stay under the threshold for each product (MSDN subs include a huge number of products), until they've maximised the profits, then try and flood the market before disappearing into the sunset, laden with your cash.

  This could take anything up to a year or more.

   For products sold using a loader:- The loader gets around online activation by fooling the computer into thinking that the OS is installed onto the correct machine, by modifying certain files.

  Because of a number of factors, it's impossible to stop this, so MS came up with the WAT update - which has the ability to scan the relevant files, and detect the use of a loader tool. If the user fully updates the machine, including recommended updates and optional updates, then the WAT update is installed and starts work, and within 3 days, a loader-installed machine will get a notification.

  However, the WAT update is a voluntary one, at least at the first update run, and can be uninstalled or refused. The other time the WAT update is installed is when you validate Windows for some reason - it is part of the validation process, rather than the activation process. This time, it does the scan immediately, and again this will show as non-genuine if a Loader is present. If a user never needs/wants to validate, then they need never install the WAT update, and may never see a non-genuine notification.

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi

  CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  No - I do not work for Microsoft, or any of its contractors.

  • Proposed as answer by Noel D PatonModerator Saturday, October 4, 2014 8:01 AM

  Sunday, September 21, 2014 6:41 PM

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  Because the seller of the product key likely sold it to several other unsuspecting buyers and the activation servers detected multiple activations on different hardware.  Hence, the product key was deemed misused and reclassified as non-genuine.  Words for the wise: Never purchase standalone product keys from individuals as they are likely stolen or pirated.

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  Carey Frisch

  Sunday, September 21, 2014 9:09 PM

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  I see your link directs me to a different company: newegg.com.  How do I know I can trust them, any more than the other company who originally soft me the bogus license?  Why can't I buy Win7Pro from MS?
  

  Monday, September 22, 2014 1:58 PM
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  Microsoft no longer sells Windows 7 - only Windows 8.  Newegg is a verified vendor that sell a LOT more than just software.  They have been in business for years and you can be certain that the copy you purchase there will be genuine.  Generally if a vendor has no way to reach them via phone or does not have a way to get a refund prominently displayed on their website, they are probably selling bogus product.  If I were you, I would immediately file for a refund from the place that sold you what you have now (if possible).  Do NOT accept any offer they make for a "replacement key" or any sob story as to why it is coming up fake.  Never EVER EVER buy Windows OS installs from EBay, Craigslist, or Amazon.  They will be fraudulent 99.999% of the time. 

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  Please do not read this sentence. Please ignore the previous sentence.

  Monday, September 22, 2014 2:06 PM
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  I wouldn't bother anyhow - Newegg don't operate in the UK.

  You can purchase safely in the UK from dabs.com or scan.co.uk - or any decent-sized retailer, but those are ones I know and trust.

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi

  CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  No - I do not work for Microsoft, or any of its contractors.

  
  

  • Edited by Noel D PatonModerator Monday, September 22, 2014 5:47 PM remove apparently abusive content

  Monday, September 22, 2014 2:06 PM

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  Firstly - thank you Noel and Carey - I appreciate the time you put into this. 

  I am in the UK, so I looked at dabs and scan and I remain puzzled.  Each of them is only offering the OEM version, whereas I bought a full retail version from www.mrhightech.com. (Or, at least, that's what they claimed to be selling me - was that a lie?)

  I don't see any clues that would guide me to know which of these sites to trust.  mrhightech.com does give full contact and registration details of their company, including phone numbers etc, so what's not to trust?

  Richard

  Tuesday, September 23, 2014 9:43 AM
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  Since Microsoft stopped producing and distributing retail versions of Windows 7 as of October 30, 2013, only the OEM versions are still available. 

  The problem I see with mrhightech.com is that they still show retail packaging for Windows 7 which is wrong.  You would need to telephone them and discuss this with them.

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  Carey Frisch

  Tuesday, September 23, 2014 11:41 AM

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  I am waiting to hear back from them.  
  
  Meanwhile, I have recieved calls, yesterday and today, from a US number (001 954 385774) and indian-sounding women saying they are calling from MS Windows technical dept because I have potential problem on my computer and they want me to switch it on so they can help me fix it.  Today I asked her to tell me my name and she was surprisingly close - and the address too, although with significant errors.
  
  I am assuming this is a phishing scam, but it seems a strange coincidence.  I wonder if these calls are in some way linked to the counterfeit software issue.  Surely no dept at MS would behave in such a way?

  Wednesday, September 24, 2014 10:29 AM
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  Microsoft will NEVER call you unless YOU arrange it with them in advance.  ALL such calls are scams and you should immediately hang up and NEVER follow any of their directions.  Seeing as how you were sold a counterfeit copy of Windows, it would not surprise me if they were using your information as a contact point themselves or selling it to those that do such scams.  And that number is NOT a US number.  There is no US area code of 001 and the number of digits is wrong - the phone number is being spoofed.

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  Please do not read this sentence. Please ignore the previous sentence.

  
  

  • Edited by Kamin of Ressik Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:25 PM

  Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:24 PM
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  Please review: Avoid tech support phone scams

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  Carey Frisch

  Thursday, September 25, 2014 1:11 AM

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  And that number is NOT a US number.  There is no US area code of 001 and the number of digits is wrong - the phone number is being spoofed.
  

  Just a 'For What It's Worth'...

  Not quite true - the 001 code is the International Dialling Code for the USA (at least from the UK), so the call could (just possibly!) have come from a mobile phone set to return the international number rather than the local one (although they would mostly return +01).

  However, in respect of the number of digits, it does appears to be different to what I'd expect.

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  Noel Paton | Nil Carborundum Illegitemi

  CrashFixPC | The Three-toed Sloth

  No - I do not work for Microsoft, or any of its contractors.

  Thursday, September 25, 2014 9:36 PM

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  Yes, I had assumed it was a forwarding number.  They are easy to buy online.
  

  Friday, September 26, 2014 7:09 AM