Genuine Windows 7

[MrsER]

When I turned on the laptop this pm a sign came up saying i may not be using genuine Windows 7 then that lovely blue screen went black.
I now am being asked to PAY to get it.

Can anyone tell me what has happened and how to get back to Windows 7, which I've been using since I bought this laptop over a year ago.

I'll look back here in an hour in case someone has a solution.

Many thanks.

Edith Ritchie

[ChuckFickens]

Where did you get the laptop?

(basically, is it a genuine version of windows?)

[Cowtipper]

The first step would be to try to open the recovery menu. Basically after the system posts you hit F8. It should happen just before the windows logo comes up.

http://windows.micros...-options-in-Windows-7

[ChuckFickens]

No, the first step would be to ascertain if it is a genuine version of windows or not.

What's the point of restoring a non-genuine version of windows, the problem will just repeat.

[Old_Geezer]

I got that after I bough at exorbitant but not unbelievably exorbitant price from a well know online tat bazaar. Had to get a refund and go buy another, this time from a Net shop site which was only a very exorbitant price. Took ages to be bothered to reinstall, then it said it couldn't and was going to revert. I guess one needs to boot off the new CD or something. Just can't find the enthusiasm. If MS has been ripped off I don't take too kindly to them bullying me; one can get sick of the whole thing.

You should find it still works with black screen and regular nagging, but as far as I can tell, no updates.

If you can tolerate the messing about you get you can phone MS and ask why and get passed from one person to another and be given different numbers to call, and they'll give you an excuse as to why they are taking it out on you, who is not the criminal.

All very depressing.

[Old_Geezer]

PS you can't go back to Windows 7, because you are still using Windows 7, it's just that MS spies on you and makes your life less wonderful if they decide they don't approve of your OS.

[AB Editor]

/// PS you can't go back to Windows 7, because you are still using Windows 7, it's just that MS spies on you and makes your life less wonderful if they decide they don't approve of your OS. ///

What old Geezer actually means is that to use a their product they like you to pay for it, which is entirely reasonable. And by "spies on you" he means all those free security updates also check if you've paid for their product - or pirated it. If it is the latter then they kindly ask you to pay for it.

[Old_Geezer]

No I meant what I wrote. If one has already paid for a product in good faith very few companies can detect and opt to give you pain rather than chase the criminals and extract what is due from them. To be able to check on you on a regular basis is an infringement of privacy. And if the product was suitable for market they wouldn't need to keep putting out corrections allowing them to spy on you in the first place. It is very offensive to claim the buyer has pirated anything.

[MrsER]

I bought it new. I'll try the Recovery thingy.

[MrsER]

thank you all.