About Genuine Windows

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

Genuine versions of Windows are published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. You’ll need a genuine version of Windows to access the optional updates and downloads that help you get the most from your PC.

To learn how to activate Windows, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. If you’re using Windows 10, see Activation in Windows 10.

Here are answers to some common questions about genuine Windows software.

Look for key features of genuine Windows software, such as the Certificate of Authenticity (COA), a proof of license label, and an edge-to-edge hologram. For more information, visit the What to look for page on the Microsoft How to Tell website. Your safest option is always to buy Windows from Microsoft, or to buy a PC with Windows preinstalled directly from Microsoft or a store you know and trust.

If you’re seeing these notifications, it’s likely that your copy of Windows wasn’t properly activated. Click the notification and follow the steps to repair Windows or buy a genuine version of Windows if you find out the software is counterfeit.

Until you correct the issue, you’ll receive periodic reminders that Windows is not genuine. Your desktop may also turn black to emphasize the messages. You can reset it, but it will return to black every 60 minutes until the issue is resolved.

Windows will always be able to get critical security updates, even if your version isn’t genuine. However, other updates and benefits are available exclusively for genuine Windows software.

Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is used only on PCs that the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. It pairs your product key or digital entitlement with your hardware configuration. Usually, you only need to activate Windows once, unless you make a significant hardware change.

When your PC downloads updates, Windows checks to see if your product key or digital entitlement is valid. If it is, you’re eligible to receive the latest updates from Microsoft. If it’s not, your PC is running non-genuine Windows.

You can’t install Windows on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Usually, a copy of Windows can only be installed on one PC. To learn more about licensing Windows on more than one PC, go to the Microsoft Volume Licensing website.

Yes. You’ll still be able to get critical security updates. However, many updates are exclusively for customers with genuine versions of Windows. We strongly recommend that you get genuine Microsoft software immediately to keep you safer while using your PC.

Validation is an online process. It verifies that your copy of Windows is genuine and that critical Windows licensing files haven’t been damaged, deleted, or removed. It takes only a few moments and lets Microsoft create a match between your PC’s hardware profile and your 25-character product key or digital entitlement.

Your copy of Windows may need to be validated before you can get downloads and the updates which are reserved for PCs that are running genuine Windows. Windows might also prompt you to run genuine validation if activation isn’t properly completed.

If your copy of Windows fails validation, you’ll see a results page that tells you why it isn’t genuine. You’ll also see info about how to resolve the issue.

There are a few common scenarios in which Windows running on a PC might be discovered to be non-genuine during validation.

Repairs. If your PC has been repaired, you might start to see messages on your desktop that Windows isn’t genuine. If the repairs required Windows to be reinstalled, the technician may have activated Windows with a different key than you used when it was originally installed. You might not see the messages until you try to download something from the Microsoft Download Center that requires validation, and validation fails. To fix the issue, you can properly activate Windows by reentering your original product key.

For other issues, you may need to buy a genuine version of Windows.

1 License = 1 PC. Another common cause of Windows validation failure happens when you try to install Windows on more PCs than your license allows. For instance, if you purchased a copy of Windows and installed it on more than one PC, online validation might fail because the product key has already been used on another PC. The rule for most copies of Windows is that only one copy of Windows can be installed on one PC. To learn about licensing more than one PC, go to the Microsoft Volume Licensing website.

Counterfeit software. Validation will also fail if you’ve inadvertently acquired and installed counterfeit Windows software. The Microsoft How to Tell website can help you identify counterfeit software and file a counterfeit software report if needed. Validation failure is common for versions of Windows that were purchased from an online auction site, or if Windows was on a used PC that you purchased. Remember to ask the seller for the Certificate of Authenticity and the original Windows disc, if there was one.

To file a counterfeit report, go to the Microsoft How to Tell website.

You can file an online report if you inadvertently bought or received counterfeit software, or have information about a person, business, or online site that might be selling counterfeit software. The report you submit will be treated as confidential. Microsoft devotes substantial time and energy to fighting software counterfeiting, and you can be assured that we will take appropriate action in response to your report.

If you got an error when you were activating Windows, you can find what it means. For details, go to Get help with activation errors.

You’ll need a product key when you install Windows. To learn more, go to Find a product key.

Genuine check your Windows and Office ISO files with this tool

• Before installing Windows or Office you should make sure the iso file you burn on the DVD or USB stick is genuine. Use a small tool to verify the integrity of the files.
• The Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier is a free tool to download and perform check if you are having issues with your Office or Windows copies.
• Working with ISO files? You might be interested in learning about new tools and such in the ISO Files section on our website.
• Check out our Windows 10 Downloads for recommendations on all sorts of programs that you can install.

1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer’s security and performance

• Restoro has been downloaded by 0 readers this month.

Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier is a lightweight tool that helps you find out whether you have genuine Microsoft Office and Windows ISO files. The software works to perform a quick SHA-1 and MD5 verification.

The installation and interface of the tool is as straightforward as it comes in a portable package. You can set up the program up quickly by decompressing the archive in the target location on your hard disk. Its user-friendly interface won’t give you a hard time when navigating the application, either.

The tool’s UI consists of a single window that includes intuitive fields for quick access. Once you specify the input file, the program does the rest of the task for you without your intervention.

Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier also supports various versions and languages of Office and Windows. The tool’s major selling factor is its ability to recognize a wide variety of hashes associated with Windows and Office. In fact, it is able to compare file SHA-1 even to Office 95 and Windows XP.

The tool is most useful if you want to reinstall Windows or Office on your PC with no legal complications. If you are not sure whether your file is genuine, then the Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier provides the answer.

Microsoft Office cannot verify the license for this product

You open an app from the Microsoft Office suite on your Windows 10 computer. And instead of the app opening, you get a message that it cannot verify your license. What’s the deal with that?

One way of fixing this is my reinstalling Office. Use the Office Genuine ISO Verifier before this to make sure your image is good.

How to use Control Panel in Windows 10 to verify license for Microsoft Office

Go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features. Select your version of Microsoft Office and click on the Change button. Then select Enter a Product Key, and type it in the field, and hit Continue.

Verify Windows 10 is genuine

If all you need is to check if your Windows copy is genuine, go to Start Menu -> Settings. Click on Update & Security. Navigate to the section called Activation and check for a confirmation message.

You can download Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier from the Internet. Run it in order to avoid potential security risks of installing versions of Windows or Office that may be compromised.

Are you currently using the Windows and Office Genuine ISO Verifier to check whether your Microsoft files are legitimate? What is your experience so far? Let us know.

How to Check if Windows 7 is Genuine?

Make sure you’re not using pirated software

So you have a computer with Windows 7 installed, but you’re not sure if you are running a genuine version of the OS? You may have this issue if you downloaded a copy of Windows 7 or if someone else installed it for you.

Either way, there are a couple of different ways to check and make sure that your Windows 7 copy is genuine.

Method 1 – Activate Windows Dialog

The first way to validate that Windows 7 is genuine is to click on Start, then type in activate windows in the search box.

If your copy of Windows 7 is activated and genuine, you will get a message that says “Activation was successful” and you will see the Microsoft Genuine software logo on the right hand side.

Method 2 – Validate Online

The second way to determine if you have a valid copy of Windows 7 is to use the validation tool on the Microsoft website.

If you ever tried to download updates from Microsoft, you’ve probably noticed that sometimes your copy of Windows has to be validated before it allows you to start the download.

Well, you can use that tool independently of downloading an update by going to the following address:

Then click on the Validate Now link at the top. Make sure that you visit the site while in Internet Explorer, otherwise it doesn’t load properly. Also, it will ask you do download a small program onto your computer in order to validate.

The program will run and you’ll get a window that will tell you whether Windows 7 is genuine or not.

Method 3 – Control Panel

The third way to check for genuine Windows 7 is to go to the Control Panel. Click on Start, then Control Panel, then click on System and Security, and finally click on System.

Then scroll all the way down to the bottom and you should see a section called Windows activation, which says “Windows is activated” and gives you the Product ID. It also includes the genuine Microsoft software logo.

So, in conclusion, if you have bought a copy of Windows 7 from a shady local computer dealer or off eBay for a reduced price, you may want to check and make sure the product key is actually valid and not counterfeit!

If you have any other questions about whether your copy of Windows 7 is valid, post a comment here and I will try to help. Enjoy!

Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications. Read Aseem’s Full Bio

question

Is my Windows 10 is Genuine

I want to know if my windows 10 is genuine

I don’t know whether my PC’s windows is Genuine or Not

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3 Answers

From cmd.exe
slmgr /xpr
then look for machine is permanently activated

—please don’t forget to Accept as answer if the reply is helpful—

LEGEND! 😀 Thanks a lot bro!

if you want to know if your windows 10 is genuine:

Click on the magnifying glass(Search) icon located in the bottom left corner of the taskbar, and search for: «Settings».

Click on the «activation» Section.

if your windows 10 is genuine, it will say: «Windows is activated», and give you the product ID

If you have any other issues, please reply directly.

If any information is useful for you, please accept it as an answer.

Brother what have to do with the id??

You can perform Windows genuine validation via Settings. Just go to the Start menu, click Settings, then click Update & security.
Then, navigate to the Activation section to see if the OS is activated. If yes, and it shows «Windows is activated with a digital license «, your Windows 10 is Genuine.

Hope above information can help you.

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