Hello there, first time on this forum as i've not generally needed Windows based help but this one has me stumped.
I reinstalled a laptop that had a partially missing key, Windows Vista Premium, the key on bottom of laptop and had worn away in parts. Most was readable but just to double check i installed PC Wizard 2010 to get the product key. The PC Wizard recovered
product key was entirely different to the semi legable key on the base of the laptop but i wrote both down, double checked and finally took a screen dump of it to be sure.
Windows was re-installed, updated and was fine but two weeks later Windows now informs me that it's not a genuine copy and has more or less shut itself down and i'm a bit stuck as what to do next. The laptop was bought new from manufacturer and certainly
had a genuine version of Windows. I did use the PC Wizard recovered product key to install as it was in 100% plain text rather than the worn product key label as there were a few letters or numbers that I couldn't be 100% sure of getting right.
I've done this same task with Windows XP a few times and have never encountered this problem, either with PC wizard displaying a different product key or having windows later report that it's not genuine, even in the case of a missing product key label.
BTW, i've read through the forum as much as I can but see no similar thread with the license key being different on the sticker attached to the laptop to the one recovered.
Many thanks for reading and I hope to find a solution without purchasing a new key.
