Windows 7 "not genuine"

[NiceCupOfTea]

Just getting pop up boxes telling me my copy of W7 isn't genuine (error 0x8004fe21) - if I follow the links it is basically trying to get me to buy it again!

A little Googleing shows that MS introduced some sort of problem with an update last month, and installing a particular patch and rebooting should sort it out:

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2859267/operating...

However, I have done this and it is still popping up the message. Right click Compute -> Properties and it is showing as Activated.

Can anybody shed some light?

[j80jpw]

Could be a virus, try running a scan using you AV Software.

Possibly a false payment page that is being shown, check the URL to see if its a genuine Microsoft page.

[Munter]

I have that on the works PC.

Eventually I phoned Microsoft. "Oh yes we know about that, we can stop it let me remote desktop"...SOme pissing about later browsing the failed updates etc...Err...I'll pass you to the US as you are not a home user....US Chap "Err nothing to do with us I'll pas you back to a more local support team"....Err can you show me the pop up? Well no because the 1st support worker closed it. Local Support "Ohh the phone lines really bad so I'm ending the call".

Oddly it's not been back since. But they didn't do anything. They started to search for regedit then stopped and did nothing...

[Doctor Volt]

Also read this

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2418028/w...

[WinstonWolf]

Uninstall KB 3004394

[Munter]

WinstonWolf said:

Uninstall KB 3004394

Mine continued after doing that and a number of restarts over the following week. Hence calling MS. Which might have coincided with something else which has cleared the problem. What I don't know is what that "something else" was. Or is it lurking waiting to "time out" at some point....

[WinstonWolf]

Munter said:

WinstonWolf said:

Uninstall KB 3004394

Mine continued after doing that and a number of restarts over the following week. Hence calling MS. Which might have coincided with something else which has cleared the problem. What I don't know is what that "something else" was. Or is it lurking waiting to "time out" at some point....

It can bork Windows Update as well, depending on how long it's been installed it can take a few restarts to get Windows Update back up to date.

[callmedave]

There is a program called WAT. Windows Activstion Tool or something similar. Pretty straight forward to do. Works fine for me. Sorry no link.

[Who me ?]

Used to get similar on XP Pro after one update. Somehow it messed up one of the files in I386 update. Cant be more helpful as it was long time ago ,but deleting the file did the trick.

[Evolved]

Sell and buy a mac, job jobbed!

[All that jazz]

callmedave said:

There is a program called WAT. Windows Activstion Tool or something similar. Pretty straight forward to do. Works fine for me. Sorry no link.

That moofed up my PC and it refused to boot afterwards. Eventually sorted via some googling searching about the issue but I still have the 'not genuine' thing.

[Munter]

All that jazz said:

That moofed up my PC and it refused to boot afterwards. Eventually sorted via some googling searching about the issue but I still have the 'not genuine' thing.

Have you un-installed the update: KB 3004394

Then rebooted many times...