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You may be a victim of software counterfeiting
I am working on a computer, a Dell Dimension 4400 with WXP Pro installed. When booting up, I get the message "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting". I thought this odd since it is a Dell with a legal "Certificate of Authenticity" and Product ID attached.
I asked the owner about this and his comment was he had it reloaded a couple of years ago and since then, got the message. Obviously, the guy that reloaded did not have a Dell WXP PRO install CD.
My question: Is there a way by using a valid Dell WXP PRO install CD to eliminate this message without doing a complete reload? I hate working on computers that say they are not legal (but could and should be). 
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The dell provided key will work if the OEM cd used is the correct version, I.E. Home or Pro.
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The O.S. is the same as the COA but by using a program called "Product Key" I have found the internal Product Key is different than the COA Product Key. It looks like someone didn't know what they were doing or didn't have the proper OS CD, either Dell or OEM.
With this said, it appears I would have to reload the computer OS to get rid of the message, correct?
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That is normal for store bought computers.
I know, sounds crazy but that is the way it is.
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Ultimate Member
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Extreme Member!
What I would do is to use a genuine Windows XP Pro CD to do a repair and use the key code that came with that CD.
This works too:
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-5034890.html
Either way, the customer must pay for the proper product.
Another route is to contact Dell for the installation CD for that particular machine and reinstall from scratch. Dell home PCs rarely have XP Pro installed. They usually have XP Home. While you can "upgrade" Home to Pro, you can't do the reverse.
I have dealt with this problem at least 3 times. What happens is that a so-called "expert" is brought in to repair a Windows problem and, instead of repairing, uses his pirated XP Pro CD to either reinstall or repair. The trouble is that the unsuspecting owner is stuck with licensing problem.
By the way, you can't use the Dell product key with any over-the-counter XP CD because it's not the same type of key. I've tried it twice and the MS CD will not work with a Dell key. You must use the correct Dell CD or an MS CD/key combination. I was fortunate the one time it mattered - I called MS for help after I had used my XP CD to repair a customer's Dell and they gave me an additional key for my personal copy of Windows. They really are understanding if you call and ask.
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Ultimate Member
Yep, the cheapest way out is to get an OEM CD and or Call Microsoft.
Intel I5 750 @ 2.67 Ghz, 4gb GSkill DDR3 1600, GB P55M-UD2, XFX Radeon 5850. , Seagate Constellation ES 1 TB, Seasonic Gold 620w, Win Vista Ultimate, Toshiba 32" HDTV
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Extreme Member!
You can also follow my link and manually change the key, but you will need a legitimate key, which costs the same as the CD. Since the user will need a CD anyway, the best solution is to get the legitimate CD.
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Administrator
Nope. Dell OS cd's come preactivated. No need to worry about a keycode...except for the part about having the sticker on the case
On a new install - they used a CLONED Master to load all the drives. That's why the code is different then what's on the sticker on the case.
EDIT: My post should have come AFTER jmhcs's last post..#13
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What is going on? Response #11 was sent before #9 and #10 but shows later. Confusing
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One always learns. I sent my reply before getting the last one from Steven R Jones. I now understand whereas before I didn't. Thanks much for the explanation.
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Extreme Member!
Yes. You can match a Dell sticker and a Dell CD as long as the OS version is the same general "vintage" as the original. Understand that the key in the sticker is a Dell key and will not work on a non-Dell machine nor will you be able to use a non-Dell CD with that key.
The keycode on a Dell machine is proprietary. It is not the same as a general MS key or a key from another brand.
When I tried activating a standard MS Windows CD on a Dell machine with the Dell key, it generated a string of numbers that simply did even fit in the spaces provided. I either had too many six-character groups or didn't have enough. It was a few years ago and the memory is foggy. I do remember that I had to plead for help and that MS helped me out.
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I am a bit confused by all the answers. For example, let us use a Dell with WXP Home Edition. It used to come with a appropriate OS CD that could be used for reload. That CD is just a Dell generic CD that does not contain drivers etc. nor does it containf the Product ID. That CD can be used to load a different Dell computer with the same OS. It seems the Prod. ID is contained somewhere in the computer and it senses it is a Dell CD and loads the OS. Why is this not legal? The Prod ID is on the sticker on the computer and I assume it is the same used in the reload. Correct?
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Administrator
 Originally Posted by BipolarBill
Yes. You can match a Dell sticker and a Dell CD as long as the OS version is the same general "vintage" as the original. Understand that the key in the sticker is a Dell key and will not work on a non-Dell machine nor will you be able to use a non-Dell CD with that key.
The keycode on a Dell machine is proprietary. It is not the same as a general MS key or a key from another brand.
When I tried activating a standard MS Windows CD on a Dell machine with the Dell key, it generated a string of numbers that simply did even fit in the spaces provided. I either had too many six-character groups or didn't have enough. It was a few years ago and the memory is foggy. I do remember that I had to plead for help and that MS helped me out.
I'm HYJACKING this thread
Bills post show it was posted at Today, 04:00 PM and it's not 4pm here yet
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