Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => The Dressing Room => Topic started by: Jp. on June 17, 2006, 12:32:05 PM

Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Jp. on June 17, 2006, 12:32:05 PM
I was inspired to ask this question by the "post your desktop" thread.

(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g244/19770509/Clip_3.jpg)
have a look carefully at the bottom right hand corner. In the icon line up is a strange grey "star" shape.    

Every time i turn my computer on i get a message box that says something like "This is not a Genuine copy of windows, the key found appears to be counterfeit"

Now I bought this computer second hand and it may well be counterfeit....

I dont care This message stops my computer from booting up untill I manually click "resolve later" every time. IT ANNOY'S THE HELL OUT OF ME :!:

If anyone can PM me with a resolution this would be good. (wouldnt want to openly perpetuate/condone piracy)

 :wink:  :lol:
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: _tom_ on June 17, 2006, 01:51:47 PM
I dont really know much about how computers work but I guess if worst comes to worst you'd have to get a new copy of XP?
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Ol on June 17, 2006, 02:52:40 PM
This new 'feature' was installed in one of your Windows Updates.  Crafty lot this M$.

I'm sure if you use Google to your advantage then you will be able to find a work around aka crack. :roll:

rgds
Ol.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on June 17, 2006, 03:32:24 PM
Microsofgt are losing market share
For years they effectively gave away their product
Whilst they seem cash rich things are not all as rosy as it seems
Hence they are clamping down on illegal copies

Bit like record companies who dont know how to put out good music anymore - they are turning to litigation over music copying that they ignored before
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Afghan Dave on June 17, 2006, 03:57:25 PM
Ok..

So you were looking through your folder of Penthouse Porn with ACDSee and decided to take a screen grab?

I know your game.

You've been shafted by Microsofts Service Packs or have auto-update turned on.

What you could do is make totally sure you have a copy of XP (any up to Service Pack 2) at hand before rolling back to a state prior your last update.

If you have XP you would be best to reformat your drive or the C partition of the hard drive if you have multiples.

Then re-install.

There are tons of walkthroughs for this on the net - read these first and print them off!

Take your time and audit ALL your software & drivers before starting anything.

If and when you get this resolved - TURN OFF AUTO UPDATES / BLOCK WITH YOUR FIREWALL!

Good luck
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: 38thBeatle on June 17, 2006, 06:01:09 PM
I have the same issue and am currently looking into a work around- my geek son lives in USA ( I am in UK)  but I have him working on it too.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: chrisola on June 17, 2006, 08:38:09 PM
cough bit torrent in google search cough pirate bay cough xp crack cough
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Davey on June 17, 2006, 09:03:45 PM
Quote from: chrisola
cough bit torrent in google search cough pirate bay cough xp crack cough

man, you catchin a cold? :roll:
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: chrisola on June 18, 2006, 12:02:54 AM
well, blatantly directing to 'warez' is a ban in some places  :shock:
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: schmendict on June 18, 2006, 12:06:56 AM
You have a tiny monitor, haha.
I'd try and get a copy of XP, legally, of course.
 :roll:
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 04:38:31 PM
you could try going to Add / Remove Programs, turn on the show updates option and delete the last couple of update, then turn auto updates to "ask me before installing", then when it asks to install the updates, you can just select the ones which you want to install.


Oh yeah, and do a backup first, i hear that helps

and set a system restore point
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: willo on June 18, 2006, 07:16:22 PM
Quote from: Ol
This new 'feature' was installed in one of your Windows Updates.  Crafty lot this M$.

I'm sure if you use Google to your advantage then you will be able to find a work around aka crack. :roll:

rgds
Ol.


Ha ha! I dodged this; I don't have auto-update on, and declined this feature. My copy should be fine; I mean, I got it all from Dell but I resent the principle of people checking inside my computer without my consent.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:20:09 PM
Yeah the copy of XP I'm using is an illegal copy, but you get away with it as long as you don't get SP2 (i think the higher ones are ok, it's just 2 to steer clear of [but don't hold me to that])...Doesn't cause any problems with stuff running or whatever, it's just like a "We Know What You Did" feature :P
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 09:23:41 PM
Quote from: deg0ey
as long as you don't get SP2 (i think the higher ones are ok, it's just 2 to steer clear of


what are you on about?? first, anything higher than 2 will contain 2 in the first place, second, there have been no more service pack released since 2 for Windows XP

and yeh i know, i deleted the "don't hold me to that" part, but still, common sense says that anything above 2 will contain the features of 2, otherwise you'd have to install everything instead of just the latest install
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:26:47 PM
Lol I know nothing about it, I let my dad deal with the Windows side of things - but i thought we were up to SP4 lol

Anyways, yeah alls i know is that you must never get SP2 if you have an illegal copy (as i've been told on many many occasions) otherwise the world will explode and you die...well, you get a mildly annoying message, but still

EDIT: and yes, common sense tells me that you're probably right about further updates and stuff - but i have very little to spare and wasn't gonna waste it on this thread :P
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 09:27:54 PM
or just get around the whole Windows verification system...install a new network card :D
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:31:32 PM
Are you one of these "Geeks" mentioned in the title? The only vaguely technical word I understood in that post was "install"...and that's only because that's what the computer tells me it's doing when I put CD ROMs in it :)
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 09:32:25 PM
lets just say 'Geek' is an understatement... ask Sambo, he knows
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:34:45 PM
But he's gone forever! *cries*
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 09:35:20 PM
speaking of which, where is that thread? can't find it....
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Ol on June 18, 2006, 09:56:56 PM
Quote from: deg0ey
Lol I know nothing about it, I let my dad deal with the Windows side of things - but i thought we were up to SP4 lol

Anyways, yeah alls i know is that you must never get SP2 if you have an illegal copy (as i've been told on many many occasions) otherwise the world will explode and you die...well, you get a mildly annoying message, but still

EDIT: and yes, common sense tells me that you're probably right about further updates and stuff - but i have very little to spare and wasn't gonna waste it on this thread :P


Just to clarify: Windows 2000 is up to SP4, Windows XP is up to SP2
Service Packs contain all previous Service Packs. So if you have WinXP with no service packs, and jump straight in at SP2, SP1 is automatically included.

rgds
Ol.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:58:10 PM
Ahhh that's where the SP4 idea came from...Just glad i didn't imagine it :)
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 18, 2006, 09:58:17 PM
oh, were ya talkin bout 2k??? thought we were on about XP??? my bad
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 18, 2006, 09:59:42 PM
No, I was talking about XP - but my dad works fixing all sorts, and I thought I'd imagined him mentioning SP4, but I didn't...I just didn't realise what it was in relation to :P
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Jp. on June 19, 2006, 06:52:41 AM
Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
or just get around the whole Windows verification system...install a new network card :D


Bearing in mind I'm very backwards here.... will that work?
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Ol on June 19, 2006, 08:53:41 AM
Quote from: Jp.


Bearing in mind I'm very backwards here.... will that work?


He's winding everyone up.

rgds
Ol.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: CaffeineJunkie on June 19, 2006, 09:19:09 AM
me?? i know that works when you install with the same disk on two computers, you can just take the network card from one and put it in the other-because XP uses the MAC Address (the only unique part of your motherboard) to identify each computer, and then logs it into a database next to the serial number of each copy of XP. But i'm just rambling now...
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Ol on June 19, 2006, 11:49:16 AM
Quote from: CaffeineJunkie
me?? i know that works when you install with the same disk on two computers, you can just take the network card from one and put it in the other-because XP uses the MAC Address (the only unique part of your motherboard) to identify each computer, and then logs it into a database next to the serial number of each copy of XP. But i'm just rambling now...


Perhaps, but that isn't what you suggested in your post above. You said get a new NIC, whereas you now imply you need the NIC from a PC for the same license of XP :-) I am not going to dispute what you say because I don't know, but I can't imagine XP only checks the MAC once? I know if you change too many devices on the PC it needs reactivating, but if as you say, the NIC is the identifier of a legal copy of XP, as soon as you swapped it for a new one isn't it going to complain?  Also, wouldn't every one be doing it?

Do you have anything to back up your claims? I am interested in reading more.

rgds
Ol



rgds
Ol.
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: deg0ey on June 19, 2006, 02:46:35 PM
Quote from: Ol
rgds Ol



rgds  Ol.


Terrible echo in here :lol:

love you Ol...I agree with your post though, it does make sense that it would check more than once - It's not like Microsoft to do something half-assed :wink:
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: dasfonzie on June 24, 2006, 04:41:00 AM
Man this same thign happened to me. WITH A GENUINE COPY OF WINDOWS NO LESS!!
Apparently you can't install XP more than once :| ...

It's not like I payed $90 for it or anything...
I'm so glad I switched to a Mac :x
Title: Computer "geek" help needed.
Post by: Jp. on June 24, 2006, 07:22:05 AM
Read separate thread "ah ha solved geeg problem" :D