Windows XP (legal Vs. Pirated)
108 words eaten alive on August 10, 2007 - Filed Under computer repair, computers -
So often in this business I work on computers that need to be formatted. Quite often the computer has a pirated copy of Windows XP Pro on it. The strangest of that bunch are the ones that have a perfectly legal XP Home sticker on the case. Trust me people, a legal Home edition is 100 times better than a pirated Professional edition. I’m sure there are cracks to get around the Genuine popup, but honestly is it really worth the effort you have to put into it, to keep the updates without Microsoft bugging you? Just keep the legal Home edition and never worry about updates again!
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4 Responses to “Windows XP (legal Vs. Pirated)”
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What the heck do you do if the person that built your system installed a pirated copy of XP Pro? I paid for and would willing pay again for a legal copy but all I hear is that you must reformat.
If you want to go back to a legal copy of Home edition from Pro, you would need to format as far as I know. If you purchase a legal Pro, you should be able to re-activate using the legal code. I’ve never tried it though. If you paid for a legal XP when you go the computer there should be a sticker on the side of your case with the serial number on it, if not, they may have ripped you off.
Was ripped off for sure. To make matters worse the person did it on three different machines at once. House burned down and got my son’s, wife’s and my computer all at once. I had three new computers built by the same person.
Now I am in a box where Norton has expired and cannot install my newly purchased version.
Ouch, that sucks dude. If you’re getting the Windows Genuine notices about piracy, click through the links they give. I believe they offer a way to purchase legit copies direct from Microsoft and should also suggest if you can do it without needing to format.