www.billnelson.com

Anyone got the message "This Copy Of Windows Is Not Genuine--Build 7601 Windows 7" on their desktop lately ?
Its either an attack which I have updated Windows updates to counteract ?
I was just about to download an update to aleviate further when I got a flashing DO NOT !
Ive still got the Windows thing.

Has any other Windows users had this ?

Is it a virus ??

What should I do ???
There has been no Norton warning.

Is it a beta version or an unauthorised version?

Well its certainly authorised so I would presume Beta.

What you should do whenever you get any message of that sort is copy it, or part of it, across to Google, and do a search. Invariably you'll find you're not the first.

My first thought is that you may not have activated Windows. Is is a new machine, or have you just upgraded to or reinstalled Windows 7?

See http://www.sevenforums.com/windows-updates-activation/192683-copy-windows7-not-genuine-build-7601-a.html

Where did you get it from? If you get that message it can mean it's a counterfeit, or a 'not for resale' development product.

Even if you've been using it a while, Microsoft are constantly updating Windows Activation Technology, so a service pack update or similar could have been installed recently.

If you are using Windows 7 you should run Windows Defender update their definitions and run a scan to check. It may not be a hack as such but a trojan interfering with your registry or installer(s).

As far as Norton is concerned their security suite is not very good. It does to pick up some malware even if you are updating it's definitions files every day.

This is an effective and free malware scanner:

http://www.iobit.com/malware-fighter.html

Also Spybot S & D:

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

This has been happening for over a year now. Found a few things. This one is not good:

product id -067- indicates the key is from a msdn account. If you are not the account holder and you purchased it in a retail box then it is counterfeit.
These reports are more typical of purchases made on ebay and the like.
If this came from costco they need to check their stock. Get a refund.
To see how good these knock-offs are becoming, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzqNNiOM0cs

And this:
http://www.pchelpforum.com/xf/threads/t ... 922/page-2

The other thing that occurred to me late last night is - have you made any major changes to the hardware? Installed new memory, graphics card, DVD drive, hard disk, etc...

Windows takes a snapshot of your machine, and if it detects major changes, it assumes that you have installed it on a different machine. For example, when I changed the motherboard, memory and graphics card on my PC a few years ago, Windows thought it was a new machine, and I had to re-activate it.

The laptop was purchased from P.C World and ive had it working great for well over a year--A legit buy with the correct software---It was asking for my sixteen digit activation code which alas is under the laptop and partially obliterated through wear so it wont accept what I tap in--I may be able to find the code elsewhere.
You just dont know who to trust in cyberland nowadays..
Some useful information there--Thanks to all who offered to help.

I wasn't trying to imply you didn't buy it as genuine, Al. There have been instances where suppliers have sold fakes into shops.