"This Copy Of Windows Is Not Genuine."

[sandyRoe]

This appears on the screen when I start up an old laptop.

Can I safely ignore it?

[renegadefm]

Does the laptop still have the product key label?

 

It's normally on the under side of the laptop. 

 

Connect to the Internet and click activate windows, then type in the product key and it should activate. 

[sandyRoe]

No, there's nothing on the bottom of it.  Two labels have been removed and I can see traces of them.

[renegadefm]

If they are unreadable they won't help you. 

 

If you try to use it unactivated it won't run certain softwares. Possibly it's usage will be very limited. 

 

Which windows edition is it? 

[sandyRoe]

Windows 7.

Probably ancient but it would be ok for what I want it for.

 

[renegadefm]

There are some Window 7 keys to try here:

https://www.windowsafg.com/keys.html

 

[sandyRoe]

I'll give one a try.  Thank you.

[renegadefm]

Try them all because some are only suited to 32bit editions, and some are for 64bit editions. 

 

 

[renegadefm]

Can I ask was it OK before? 

[sandyRoe]

It was given to me by my niece.

It seems to work ok apart from the message 

[renegadefm]

There will be limited functionality there while the laptop is unactivated state. 

 

Things like you will lose ability to change wallpaper. The software you use for your browser might stop working or be buggy. By buggy I mean not responding correctly or constantly crashing. 

But if non of the product keys works in the link, and your ok with the way it's working, I wouldn't worry about it. 

 

It's probably not worth buying a new product key from Microsoft. 

[Peter Pedant]

good answes from renny

windows 7 is "not supported" and that might be it

I use 2013 windows and office - they want you to subscribe every year to crappy microsoft 365