Windows Activation Problem

[Tom Waller]

Hello,

My work place brought a PC a few months ago from zoostorm. (We are a tiny company).

We firstly had problems as we brought it with a downgrade CD from windows 8.1 and it wouldn't work. They then sent us another disk which worked fine without any hassle. Only recently the desktop message "This copy of windows is not genuine" came in the corner of the screen. I contacted zoostorm, provided the serial number and they said they will not give me the activation key as apparently the unit was brought with no OS when it was, otherwise I wouldn't be able to use it...?

Every so often my wallpaper now turns black, slows down and I get the error message in the corner constantly.

I've tried the small fixes to remove the message but that doesn't work any more. There's no way we will buy another windows.

Does anyone have any suggestions what to do? (I sent them the order invoice and in the same of the item is says /win8.1/zoostorm, So it did 100% come with windows?

Thanks in advance

 

[drkatz42]

This is completely a business dispute between your workplace and zoostorm.

 

[triley]

There should be a phone number for Microsoft, I would call them. I'm not sure what they will do, hopefully they will give you an activation key and if zoostorm is selling PC's with illegal activations I'm sure they will want to know.

 

[USAFRet]

What do you mean by "a downgrade CD from windows 8.1" ?

On the original invoice, was a Windows OS a line item?

 

[bignastyid]

What version of windows 8.1 did they come with?
http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx#fbid=jMmQi0Oq7be

 

[the great randini]

is this pc an oem like Lenovo or dell? If so there is a fix, but it kind of sucks. You will need to load windows 8.1 and it will pull the key from the mobo's bios. you can use belarc to pull the key http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html





there are programs out there that can read it in the bios, but I am not familiar with the companies so I could not recommend using them.

 

[USAFRet]

This isn't an Activation problem, this is an invoice problem.

Either you bought it with a legal OS. In which case zoostorm needs to fix it
Or you didn't, in which case you need to buy an OS for it.

 

[the great randini]

some new dells and Lenovo's don't come with windows stickers. they key is stored in the bios. when they reloaded the os with the windows disc, they key was wiped out. Windows 8.1 will pull it from the bios, windows 7 will not.


http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/w/desktop/4368.windows-8-genuine-microsoft-label

 

[4745454b]

How do you buy a computer with a "downgrade" CD of the most recent OS? As mentioned by USAF, either you need to come down on zoostorm with a ton of bricks, or you need to buy an OS.

 

[thently]

Just call the microsoft Phone# that is on the activation screen go through the 50 million # punching in and then they will tell you if the key is valid and if it is will rekey it and give you a # back to activate annoying but simple.

Thent

 

[Tom Waller]

This isn't an Activation problem, this is an invoice problem.

Either you bought it with a legal OS. In which case zoostorm needs to fix it
Or you didn't, in which case you need to buy an OS for it.

Of course it was brought with a genuine OS

 

[USAFRet]

This isn't an Activation problem, this is an invoice problem.

Either you bought it with a legal OS. In which case zoostorm needs to fix it
Or you didn't, in which case you need to buy an OS for it.

Of course it was brought with a genuine OS

Then zoostorm needs to fix the issue.