Legitamising dodgy XP without losing everything?

Discussion in 'Software' started by hankyknot, Nov 18, 2008.

  1. hankyknot

    hankyknot Corporal

    Does anyone know if there is a way to go from illegal copies of XP to legal copies without losing everything thats installed?

    There is a local PC shop that seems to prefer installing dodgy copies of XP and not providing licenses and media whenever it can get away it leaving more than a few people with nasty surprises when the windows updates get run. There was also a guy who, for a while, would do people the great "favour" of updgrading their legit XP Home to XP Pro, in most cases trashing the Dell Recovery partition in the process. These people are now also being inform by Microsoft that their software may not be legal.

    While I have no sympathy for those who choose to install dodgy software the users who bought machines in good faith are now kinda stuck. Is there a way to make these machines legit other than spending an hour on the phone to Microsoft and paying a premium to get a legit license?
     
    hankyknot, Nov 18, 2008
    #1
  2. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi


    As mentioned no way other than to buy a new licence, or report the company installing these illegal versions, if proof is good then users "maybe" intitled to free licence keys, I know many of us woul not like to rat out a company BUT thats a personal choice.

    I do know if you have a legitimate serial you can go through Windows Products Activation and when it fails your given some choices, many are listed here but noteable one is this for new key in the Genuine Advantage offer listed under Get genuine: How can I take advantage of the Microsoft genuine Windows offer? at above link.

    This is the updater tool Update Your Product Key (however like everything PC wise, its best to backup first and even though i have run this tool on some PCs that where noted with illegal keys and it did not wipe the PCs installed apps and data, never know) but you need to fail WGA and then have a legit key waiting to enter.


    so an app like DriveImageXML in being free creates clone/images of the HDD for instances when things go wrong.
     
    DavidGP, Nov 18, 2008
    #2

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds