Windows 7

[Pompeylottie]

Hi, has anyone heard of problems with PC World selling laptops with copy of Windows loaded on? I bought OH an Advent laptop just over 2 years ago, he has recently had a message on the screen come up all the time that his Windows 7 is not recognised. He was told by someone that PC World sold lap tops with a copy of Windows 7, rather than an original download (although I'm sure I paid for Windows 7 to be put on? The lap top has been really dodgy since then- keeps switching itself off.
Have I been swindled?

[hollychap]

i would go back to pc world with your query and speak to the store manager , i cant see such a big outfit going down the illegal road

[Ananke]

There was something in the news not so long ago about a company (i'm pretty sure it was pcworld) who were copying windows 7 recovery disks and selling them..... I don't remember the full story but they were being sued by microsoft. Might be worth checking it out, although that wouldn't account for the pc shutting down.

[pauco]

Buying anything from PC World is a risk not worth taking.

paul.

[snohare]

i cant see such a big outfit going down the illegal road

I wouldn't go in their door.
Sadly, they are notorious in the computer industry for flouting the Sale of Goods Act, as a matter of policy. ("I'm sorry sir, you will have to speak to the manufacturers in Chinese about their faulty product"...)
It wouldn't surprise me if they were cutting corners in other illegal ways. The displays are wonderful, the marketing is posh, but they are all fur coat and nae knickers !

[veggiechicken]

I had a computer that went into a local one-man business for rebuild and he did me a "favour" by upgrading my legit Windows XP to XP Pro - with the advice, don't bother with upgrading it, bring it in to us and we'll do it for you. Little did I realise that when I clicked on one of the frequent Windows messages about updates being available it would come back saying this is an illegal copy - and that was the beginning of the end for that computer. It slowed up so much that it was a nightmare. The company went out of business - end of story. Not the same as your tale of woe but it does happen and it is a nightmare if you have illegal software.

[Two_Sheds]

PC World sold lap tops with a copy of Windows 7, rather than an original download

I can't see MS letting them get away with that.

Have you tried googling your problem? Some of the answers will be geek speak and incomprehensible (to me, at any rate: I'd never heard of tattoos in PCworld PCs) but it might give you some clues.

[oldie]

It wasn't PC World but another company in the same stable who are being sued by Microsoft. PC World have a terrible reputation for their selling of reconditioned PC's without removing the original owners details. Follow TS advice and do some checking before paying PC World for possibly bad advice. There are a number of reasons this can happen and it does not always mean you have an illegal copy, in fact it is very unlikely you have as it would have shown up a long time ago when you did windows updates.

[WendyC]

Is it a virus as I know there is one that comes up with messages about Windows?

[Aberdeenplotter]

I once bought a computer loaded with win xp. Microsoft updated the software regularly without any problem but then maybe a couple of years later sent me an email inviting me to log on to their site to update. I did so but Microsoft then loaded something onto my computer as part of the update process that resulted in me getting a message every time I logged in that said my copy of xp was a pirated copy.

I was able to convert that pirated copy to a genuine copy by paying approx thirty quid. One of the dangers of buying a second hand machine

[cardiffsteve]

Chris is the chap you need, he is the pc guru

It is possible that Windows 7's Licensing Store may be corrupt or unreadable there is a process for checking/fixing it is long winded and technical so if unsure about your pc abilities then do not attemp them.

Windows 7 Build 7600 this copy of windows is not genuine BUT IT IS - Microsoft Answers

It the one with 17 "votes" (third one down)