"Not genuine Windows 7"

[T42]

Mrs T42 has an HP, several years old now, that was bought new with W7 already installed. She's been working on it constantly, keeping up to date with Word releases and her various translation packages, and installing Windows updates automatically. The latter arrive pretty well in sync with updates to my own W7. She also has the "Install Windows 10" nag icon and the periodic messages.

A couple of months back the machine popped up a message saying "Not genuine Windows 7".  We shrugged and said "tough" and she went on working as ever.  Just now, though, she tried to install the software that came with her new Garmin Forerunner and it told her that XP was no longer supported.

I can imagine a couple of scenarios:

1. W7 is fake, message is real & Garmin sees what it really is (difficult to believe unless 6 Gb versions of XP exist).
2. W7 is genuine, message is spurious and Garmin is talking through the back of its neck.

Worrying aspect of #1 is what the W7 updates are doing.

Any suggestions?

[Kim]

No idea about the non-genuine Windowsness, I'm completely out of touch with such things.  But try downloading the latest Garmin software from their website rather than using whatever came on the CD with the unit - it might have been updated to recognise more recent versions of Windows.  (I expect Garmin's "XP is no longer supported" message actually means "I don't recognise this as a compatible version of Windows"^[1].)



_{[1] This is AIUI why there wasn't a Windows 9 - too many installers would confuse it with Windows 95/98.}

[DDCyclist]

Apparently the "Not genuine" problem is not uncommon with W7.

Might be worth taking a look at this: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2008385

Note - I've not tried anything on that link and cannot verify its accuracy. It's a Microsoft Support page, though, so should be ok.

[Ham]

Try W10? if it doesn't work you can revert inside 30 days

Note: Do not be tempted with various bits of crap about live login

[fuaran]

No idea about the non-genuine Windowsness, I'm completely out of touch with such things.  But try downloading the latest Garmin software from their website rather than using whatever came on the CD with the unit - it might have been updated to recognise more recent versions of Windows.  (I expect Garmin's "XP is no longer supported" message actually means "I don't recognise this as a compatible version of Windows"^[1].)

Installing the latest version of .NET framework may also help. I think most Garmin software requires it.

[T42]

@Kim: I think she's already tried the Garmin site.  I'll verify her Windows first and look at Garmin afterwards. Ditto .NET.

@DDCycylist: I've had a look at the link - interesting. I'll try verifying it tomorrow.  The machine was bought from a reputable dealer and W7 was pre-installed so I'm hopeful.

@Ham: As a last resort, maybe.  Interesting though: if she hasn't got real W7 why would it let her update to 10?

Cheers all.

[Gattopardo]

If all that doesn't work you can check the slic in the bios,

https://techdoors.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/activating-windows-7-oem-way/

[Ham]

@Ham: As a last resort, maybe.  Interesting though: if she hasn't got real W7 why would it let her update to 10?

Cheers all.

#1 - Because the first stage in the process after clicking the message will confirm your entitlement or not

#2 - because it might

#3 - Because it no longer matters. Even if you install a W10 from scratch the only difference between registered/non registered (at the moment) is that you can't "personalise" the screen so are left with the native W10 backdrop. All updates etc still carry on happening, unlike W7.

#4 - Because (having made the jump after months of waiting) it isn't scary, and there's no real reason not to.

[T42]

Gotcha.

All that ^^^ is why I hate faffing about with Windows: so much of it is arbitrary and designed to stop you doing things.  I wish my bloody clients had never left the UNIX/Linux world: lots of that is arbitrary/anarchic but apart from the black hats it's benevolent.

[Afasoas]

Open a command prompt (<Windows Key> + R, Type "cmd", <Enter>)

Run the following command:
cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /dlv

Right click in the command box, choose mark from the context menu, higlight results, press enter. (This copies them)

Paste the results here.
This will show us what state the Windows Activiation is in (/dlv = display detailed license information)