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Windows keeps giving me the "You could be a victim of countefeit" or whatever and doesn't let me change my desktop, etc. I'd like to upgrade and get rid of that annoying stuff (Upgrade to Windows 7, that is. I currently do have Windows 7). But I don't wanna lose all (any) of my stuff. I don't have another hard drive big enough or anything like that. Help?

I have never heard of that message before, but found this. Do you have an authentic version of Windows?

I got hit with that last week on an office machine. There was a link to go to a validation page and when I did that, it cleared it up for me (this page only worked in IE for me). Not sure what caused it, but I suspect an errant Windows Update.

You actually... have two options...

1) Remove bogus Key from windows installation, and you will have some "trial" period, can't recall for how long it goes for Windows 7. And ending trial period you DO NEED a valid key to activate your copy.

2) Remove bogus Key from windows installation, and activate product again with a new one.

Note: If you have an authentic key, opt for option 2, if not working contact Microsfot support.

How can you remove the old key...

Right Click on the command prompt link, Run As - Administrator, and then on terminal window type slmgr.vbs /upk, hit enter, and you're done.

If first option chosen, upon selection to enter new key, choose the "Ask me later", otherwise, type in the key you have!

Doesn't that assume that it was a bogus key to begin with?

In my case, it certainly was not. I've had Win7 on this machine for well over a year and the problem just showed up last week after an update.

activator - I have a bought and paid for windows and I got same message, spent and hour on the phone bouncing back and forth from india to some other country where I could not understand a word they were saying until I finally hung up, downloaded a activator from a torrent site and within 2 minutes I was working again. That was 2 years ago.

I am not condoning activators but I paid for my version and they could not help me so I helped myself.

OldRod wrote:There was a link to go to a validation page and when I did that, it cleared it up for me (this page only worked in IE for me).

I saw this on that page I linked as well. I assume it requires some ActiveX controls to complete which only work in IE.

OldRod wrote:Doesn't that assume that it was a bogus key to begin with?

In my case, it certainly was not. I've had Win7 on this machine for well over a year and the problem just showed up last week after an update.

True, yet, if let's say taking the step 2, if the key is a valid one, either solves the issue or, keeps sohwing the same. As of the symptoms Xaos says, I bet it's a black brackground, if so, it's an original Windows message, and doing this, might solve the problem.

if a key is put on a torrent site or some other place and is registered too many times microsoft deactivates the code. Even if it your code to begin with.

hallsofvallhalla wrote:if a key is put on a torrent site or some other place and is registered too many times microsoft deactivates the code. Even if it your code to begin with.

There are some horror stories of people having their Windows key hit by a key generator and put on torrent sites. It is kind of like winning the lottery, but finding out you just win a Styrofoam cup of dog poo.