[Adebisi]

OK, friend of mine bought a computer from a now defunct company.

Win XP is reporting it is not a legal copy.

He runs his business and some proprietary software on this computer and we would like some way we can make Windows legal without a reinstall.

He is perfectly prepared to buy a legal copy. He did not pirate this software as he has an invoice stating his computer came with Windows XP Pro!!

Do we need to phone MS? Is there a way we can buy a copy from the store and do it without calling MS? He does not want to get the original seller in trouble even though the guy basically ripped him off.

Thanks much.

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Do we need to phone MS? Is there a way we can buy a copy from the store and do it without calling MS? He does not want to get the original seller in trouble even though the guy basically ripped him off.

yeah...that's pretty much your best bet...call MS and they can work out sollutions...they're going to want to get copies of the invoices to catch the punk who sold the stuff in the first place (even if your friend doesn't want to...this guy needs to get caught because he's probably still doing it...and people like him are why we have so many licensing problems in the first place) and they will probably allow your friend to buy a new license for his XP installation at a lower price than retail...as well as talking him through changing the COA without reinstalling windows

[dsenette]

Do we need to phone MS? Is there a way we can buy a copy from the store and do it without calling MS? He does not want to get the original seller in trouble even though the guy basically ripped him off.

yeah...that's pretty much your best bet...call MS and they can work out sollutions...they're going to want to get copies of the invoices to catch the punk who sold the stuff in the first place (even if your friend doesn't want to...this guy needs to get caught because he's probably still doing it...and people like him are why we have so many licensing problems in the first place) and they will probably allow your friend to buy a new license for his XP installation at a lower price than retail...as well as talking him through changing the COA without reinstalling windows

[Adebisi]

Well, I called M$ and its pretty easy and likely I would have figured out myself if his computer would have been here with me at the moment.

Click the warning balloon, have credit card ready, follow instructions, wait 24 hours for validation email that has legal key and link to software to redo his installed license, and thats it. The actual CD comes later by mail.

The WGA kit, as its called, for Win XP Pro is $199 Canadian in case anyone is wondering.

And I cannot convince the guy to report this company but I am going to ask to see the invoice and I will report him. I am with you on this, and I am sick of people getting ripped off by pirated software being passed off as the real thing.