Need advice/answers on Windows 7 upgrade.

[Arctucas]

My neighbor had a local company do an 'upgrade' on an OEM (Dell) PC, from Windows XP to Windows 7 Home Premium several months ago.

Now the Activation window keeps popping up.

I talked to the gentleman at the place she had the 'upgrade' done and he said the license key would have been downloaded from Microsoft and stored in the My Documents folder.

I personally have never done an upgrade, so I would ask if that was true, because I cannot find the file he is referring to.

I found a license key using AIDA64, but it would not activate, and after doing some searching, the key comes up as the Windows 7 Home Premium Deployment key, and it also comes up as an Anytime Upgrade key.

Is there any reason this key is found, and not the actual key?

The gentleman from the store that did the 'upgrade' says spyware must have deleted the key.

I am trying to help my neighbor (I am doing this for free) because she really cannot afford to buy a new copy of Windows.

Any insight anyone could offer would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[TheLaughingMan]

My neighbor had a local company do an 'upgrade' on an OEM (Dell) PC, from Windows XP to Windows 7 Home Premium several months ago.

Now the Activation window keeps popping up.

I talked to the gentleman at the place she had the 'upgrade' done and he said the license key would have been downloaded from Microsoft and stored in the My Documents folder.

I personally have never done an upgrade, so I would ask if that was true, because I cannot find the file he is referring to.

I found a license key using AIDA64, but it would not activate, and after doing some searching, the key comes up as the Windows 7 Home Premium Deployment key, and it also comes up as an Anytime Upgrade key.

Is there any reason this key is found, and not the actual key?

The gentleman from the store that did the 'upgrade' says spyware must have deleted the key.

I am trying to help my neighbor (I am doing this for free) because she really cannot afford to buy a new copy of Windows.

Any insight anyone could offer would be appreciated.

Thanks

Control Panel > System > Write down the Product ID. Contact Microsoft Customer service and tell them the key you purchased is not activating Windows. After some slight harassment, they will give you a new key.

If they say your key is not legit, go back to that store and raise hell til someone gives you a new, sealed copy of Windows 7 Upgrade or Retail.

 

[Arctucas]

@TheLaughingMan,

The Microsoft representative said she would need to contact the gentleman she purchased the 'upgrade' from.

I am trying not to be pessimistic, but after my conversation with the gentleman, I fear she will receive neither refund nor the license key.

Thanks for replying.

 

[2wicked]

Looking at your same posts at guru3d everything Extraordinary told you is most likely correct.
Windows was installed without the key defaulting to the 30day trial key and they could not get their "crack" to work.
Have your neighbor ask for a refund and report them to microsoft.
t does not solve the the license issue for your neighbor but it's the best course of action.

 

[qubit]

Unfortunately, this local company are a bunch of dishonest cowboy crooks and have put a pirate copy on her PC and taken her money for doing so. It's one thing to download a copy off a file sharing site when you intend to do this and quite another to con a paying customer with an unactivated pirate copy. What shysters. It sounds like they put a crack on it, since it worked for quite a long time and Microsoft's antipiracy updates have finally caught up with it.

I'd shop them to Microsoft. This will have two benefits:

1 They get nailed, hopefully get put out of business and may even go to jail

2 Your neighbour will get a legitimate copy of Windows as a reward for reporting them. Here's their website on this issue: www.microsoft.com/piracy

 

[Arctucas]

Thank you all for the replies.

I will advise my neighbor that she should report them.

 

[Drone]

I remember home premium keys sometimes can only be activated via phone. Did you try that?

 

[Arctucas]

I remember home premium keys sometimes can only be activated via phone. Did you try that?

I called Microsoft.

They said she needed to contact the shop who did the 'upgrade'.

 

[micropage7]

I called Microsoft.

They said she needed to contact the shop who did the 'upgrade'.

upgrading sometimes kinda annoying, for some reasons its like better to have clean install

 

[brandonwh64]

The shop is held responsible for pirate software. they should fix this or be reported to MS. also try to find your receipt

 

[stinger608]

Unfortunately, this local company are a bunch of dishonest cowboy crooks and have put a pirate copy on her PC and taken her money for doing so. It's one thing to download a copy off a file sharing site when you intend to do this and quite another to con a paying customer with an unactivated pirate copy. What shysters. It sounds like they put a crack on it, since it worked for quite a long time and Microsoft's antipiracy updates have finally caught up with it.

I'd shop them to Microsoft. This will have two benefits:

1 They get nailed, hopefully get put out of business and may even go to jail

2 Your neighbour will get a legitimate copy of Windows as a reward for reporting them. Here's their website on this issue: www.microsoft.com/piracy

I totally agree with Qubit on this one! It does sound like a hack and one of the updates deactivated the hack. Today is in fact update Tuesday, and I am wondering if this just occurred today?

 

[Arctucas]

I totally agree with Qubit on this one! It does sound like a hack and one of the updates deactivated the hack. Today is in fact update Tuesday, and I am wondering if this just occurred today?

No, I am not sure when began to give the activation message, but I became aware of it when she had me look at her PC on Sunday.

She showed me the receipt, and it was 'upgraded' back in January.

I have done all I can, bringing it to her attention that she may be the victim of fraud and/or software piracy, the rest is up to her.

By the way, it also appears she has a hacked version of Office installed as well.