windows xp

[newfie]

when i bought my computer it was installed with windows xp. one day my computer done updates and it updated my computer to windows xp professional and now it says my copy of windows is not genuine. is there anyone that could tell me how to fix this problem or do i have to take my computer to a computer store?????

[Rtaxron]

Did you not get an xp disc with the comp?

[vehelpfulguy]

Firstly, there is no way that Windows update can "update" your computer to Windows XP Professional.

There are 2 versions of XP - Home and Professional, and when it was first installed it was either one or the other and only a new full install of the product could update it.

Depending where you got your PC from it COULD be a pirated copy of windows XP.

If you bought it new from a repuatable company like Dell, IBM etc then it is highly unlikely it is a pirated copy, but if you bought it off a "friend", or someone who builds computers in their spare time it could be pirated.

Microsoft have recently introduced something called Windows Genuine Advantage which is downloaded via Windows update.

This checks if your copy of Windows in genuine or not (by checking well known pirated Windows codes) but there are times it makes mistakes.

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/ProgramInfo.a spx?displaylang=en&tab=XP

If it IS genuine it should have a small sticker on the side of your PC case, or on the underneath of the laptop, saying what the license code is, something like this:

http://blog.clickonline.org.au/images/oem.jpg

If this sticker is missing then it COULD be pirated.

[beso]

One of the Windows XP updates from over a year ago included a function to check if it is properly licenced.

If you do have the genuine licence it is possible that someone else registered their pirated copy with your licence code. If so report this to Microsoft.

The other thing that can happen is the computer shop installed your Windows from a disk image. If they got it wrong and used a registered copy for the image you will have the wrong licence code. Rather unlikely though unless it was a very dodgey shop.

You can check the licence key used to activate Windows using produkey program avaliable at: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_vi ewer.html

You can change the licence code to the correct one using a procedure explained at : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328874

[ACtheTROLL]

If you need to check and change the key
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

(as long as it's a cosher key no problem)
your biggest problem is that you can't downgrade from pro to home ...
so if you don't have a valid key you are stuffed