Windows 7 Home Premium not genuine problem

[Nerph-]

Hey guys,

My friend (and therefore me as well) seem to have run into a problem. My friend bought a laptop a few years ago, with Windows 7 Home Premium x64 pre-installed on it in Dutch. A month or so ago, he got a virus (to be specific, the one pretending to be Police saying they've caught you doing illegal activities and you need to pay money bla bla). It ended up with me having to completely format his laptop and reinstall Windows. Now I downloaded a legal ISO of Windows 7 Home Premium x64 (from Digital River or whatever the site was called, chaud linked to it ages ago in another thread) but there was only English, Spanish and French or something, so I had to install English on his laptop. On the bottom of the laptop was his genuine Windows 7 Home Premium Key, which I used during the installation and everything was fine. But this evening he just called me to tell me his Windows is now claiming it is not genuine.

Does anyone have any idea how this could be? The key is obviously valid, it came with the laptop, I installed the same version of Windows on it that was on before, bar the different interface language. Why would his windows all of a sudden say it's not genuine anymore?

Also I was under the impression that if your windows is not genuine, that it reboots constantly after a certain amount of time (like every 2 hours or something?). I could be wrong though, but either way, my friend claims he's been on the laptop all day without having to reboot.

Anyway, anyone know what the problem could be?

---------- Post added 2012-04-29 at 02:18 AM ----------

Hmm, after some googling I might have found out what the problem could be:

"Computers, which are built by large manufactures that come with Windows Pre-Installed, come with two (2) Product Keys:

A)OEM SLP: This key comes pre-installed in Windows, when it comes from the Factory. This key is geared to work with the OEM Bios Flag found only on that Manufacturer's computer hardware. So when Windows was installed using the OEM SLP key (at the factory) Windows looks at the motherboard and sees the proper OEM Bios Flag (for that Manufacturer and that version of Windows) and Self-Activates. (that's why you did not need to Activate your computer after you brought it home)

B) COA SLP: This is the Product key that you see on the sticker on the side (or bottom or sometimes in a laptop's battery compartment) of your computer. It is a valid product key, but should only be used in limited situations (such as this case when the OEM SLP key stops self-activating for whatever reason). The key must be activated by Phone.

(Note: All manufacturers that use the OEM SLP system are required by contract to include a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker, that has a COA SLP key, on the computer."

[Sandraudiga]

I'd suggest calling the store he bought it from. A similar problem happened to a completely computer illiterate mate of mine, totally stuffed his registry up and needed a full reinstall. I did this and despite using the key on the side, it kept saying it was an non genuine copy, even though I used his original disc and product key.

Ended up ringing the company who he bought it from and explained the problem. After 5 minutes on hold the tech said to connect to the internet and try it again because the computer must simply not have been connected when it tried to register itself. Of course this was total bullshit because I was googling the problem using the computer and was connected multiple times, but lo and behold the next time it tried to register it was working. Fairly sure the tech simply reactivated the code somehow, and that they hadn't provided the proper code to begin with.

This was after only 6 months though, not a couple years. Could try it anyway, and if that fails call Microsoft support. They have in the past provided me with a new key over the phone after I explained my motherboard got fried after a bowl of two minute noodles found its way into the case, sans bowl of course.

[Sluimerstand]

I've had the same problem. I got my key through school some time ago and when I had to reinstall it it seemed to work just fine.
Then not even a week in the not genuine messages came. Since I no longer go to that school they'd refused to give me any assistance.

As far as I've experienced so far, all it does is give annoying pop-ups every time you open a Windows pre-installed program like the Calculator, Paint or Notepad.
There's no real risk to it, besides from the obvious one of being driven insane by the mad whispers of the Old God, Windows. ;_;

[Pejo]

The reason why it is stating that it is not genuine is due to the fact that the product key he used is for an oem version. A couple things:

He can try restoring his laptop using his onboard partition versus using the Windows 7 cd. This is usually done by pushing f11 when the computer starts up (changes depending on the brand, if toshiba - hold 0 as you turn on the computer).

Microsoft may support him but I dot thinks so as they will tell him to order the restore cd from te company.

If you message back with his brand / model of laptop, we may be able to help you with instructions on reinstall using
Partition.

[glo]

OEM keys on the bottom of notebooks need to be called in to be properly activated again. The reason it lasted a month was because that's how long the evaluation period is when not entering a key, or entering a bad one.