“This copy of Windows is not genuine, go online and resolve now”. This error message occurs when Microsoft finds that your Windows copy is counterfeit and not genuine. You may also encounter this error message after downloading certain Microsoft update. If you are sure that your Windows’ copy is genuine, check the below mentioned detailed, Windows 7 support guide and follow the instructions to fix Windows is not genuine problem.
Instructions:
First make sure that you have a genuine copy of Windows 7 on your computer. If you purchased a valid license key and still not able to activate it, use the below mentioned workarounds.
Restore your computer to an earlier time and you are done. Doing so will roll back the changes that caused your Windows 7 computer to encounter this error message. Click the Start button and type ‘restore’ in the Start Search field. Hit the Enter key to continue. If prompted, enter your admin password and click Continue. Click the Choose a different restore point button and select a time to which you want your computer to be restored.
If prompted, confirm the action. When done and prompted, restart your computer to let the changes take place. When the computer loads back up, you will not see the Windows genuine alert anymore. If you recently installed new driver software (for your printer or router) that was uninstalled during the restore, reinstall them back. If the issue persists, skip to the next step.
Click the Start button and navigate to Control Panel. When in Control Panel, click Programs and Features and then click the Installed Updates link. Look for the Update for Microsoft Windows KB971033, click to select it, and then click the Uninstall button. If prompted, enter your admin password and confirm the action. When done, exit the Control Panel window and restart your computer. You can also remove the WGA tool if you desire to.
Click the Start button and type ‘rsop.msc’ (without quotes) in the Start Search field. Hit the Enter key to open Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP). If prompted, enter your admin password and click Continue. When in the Resultant Set of Policy window, click Computer Configuration and navigate to Windows Settings> Security Settings> and System Services. Look for Plug and Play in the right hand panel.
Make sure that its status under Startup is set to Not Defined. If it’s not set to Not Defined, double-click it and change the Startup type to Automatic. Exit the Resultant Set of Policy window. Now press the Windows and R keys together on the keyboard to bring the Run window. When in the Run window, type ‘gpupdate /force’ and hit the Enter key. Exit the Run window and restart your computer. Check back if the alert has gone.
If the problem persists, open Run window again and type ‘cmd’ in the blank field. Hit the Enter key to continue. When in the Command Prompt window, type ‘cd’ (without quotes) and hit Enter. Type ‘dir *wga*.* /s’ and hit the Enter key. It will display a string of results; make a note of their paths, especially of the folders that has WGA files. When done, exit the Command Prompt window.
Look for the WGA files in the places you made a note of and rename or delete them. If you see the ‘Access Denied’ error message, you may have to take ownership of the files to make such changes. When done, release the ownership. Restart your computer and you are done. The error message should not appear anymore.
Additional Info:
If you are not able to get rid of the genuine alert message by yourself, contact Windows 7 technical support.
