Check windows 8.1 license for authenticity. How to check a windows license in several ways
Hello dear readers.
Today, it is not uncommon to buy a device with the software. And sometimes the sellers of such equipment claim that the original product is installed on it, demanding additional money for this. Therefore, many people want to know how to check a Windows license so as not to simply be deceived. Later in the article I will tell you several ways to achieve what you have planned.
general information
Everyone today has the opportunity to buy a licensed Windows 10 OS for their computer or any other version offered by the IT giant. At the same time, previously it was possible to do only in official stores. On this moment a variety of resellers sell original software. Despite their status, even in such places, sometimes there are products that require special attention from buyers, because for a lot of money you can buy a simple pirated version. The following are the main points to convince you that you are offered a really normal product.
Sticker
First, the easiest way Windows checks 7 and younger versions is an inspection for the presence of a special sticker. If the seller claims that the original software is installed on the computer, then on the laptop (usually on the bottom cover) or on system block relevant information must be available. This is what says about the use of a legal program, not a pirated one.
Laminated paper is marked with key, version and build.
Portable device
If you intend to separately buy a new operating system, there should be no problems with verification at all. Windows 8.1 and other versions are offered on portable devices - plastic disks and flash drives. On legal versions, on the box you can find all the data that is mentioned at the end of the last heading. In general, the sticker indicates the same thing, only appearance a bit different.
In addition, the manufacturer applies a lot of holographic badges. This can be seen not only on the box, but also on the portable memory itself. On flash drives, the corresponding drawings are on the covers. You can find them in various places on disc packages. In addition, Microsoft designers have provided protection for the plastic memory itself.
Key check
Sometimes some become victims of scammers who themselves print the corresponding elements, confirming the authenticity. In order not to fall into the trap, there is an easy way to check.
So, future users need to turn on the device and on the icon " Computer» call « Properties". A window will open where the required data will be indicated. This is where you need to check the product code. If everything matches, the license is installed.
IN otherwise in place of letters and numbers there will be an inscription about the failed activation.
In addition, it indicates the period of operation for the key installed in the system. If this is not the case, the remaining time for entering characters is written. Usually it takes a month. After that, messages begin to appear that you need to go through the appropriate procedure.
In this case, some services may cease to perform their functions.
Website
Another way to check the authenticity of the operating system is to contact the manufacturer's website. More precisely, it is necessary to enter the appropriate combination of characters in the corresponding line on the web resource.
Important! This cannot be done for Windows XP, Windows Vista and the seventh version, since developer support is already closed for them.
Pirate build
To identify non-original software, you can use some methods. So, for starters, go to the properties of the computer. If nothing is indicated in the activation clause, it is most likely that a low-quality product is being used. But usually there is always some kind of inscription.
Many users Win mobile dream to check their device to be sure to use the original image.
It should be noted that today Cell phones with this operating system are released only by Microsoft partner companies, and therefore only genuine software is used on them.
Command line
Another convenient way to check the activation of the system is to write a special combination of characters through the command line. To do this, go to Start" and in the search bar enter " cmd". The corresponding icon will appear. We call on her context menu and open with administrator rights.
A black window will appear in front of users. It is necessary to register the command: " clmgr /xpr". Next, the operating system will display a message corresponding to the activation status.
If this does not help, in the line you need to specify: " cscript slmgr.vbs -xpr". The result should be the same result.
In general, all methods are free and legal, so you can safely use one of them or even all at once.
I hope you manage to implement your plan without any problems.
Hello friends. How to find out if licensed Windows is installed on a computer? The answer to this question is obvious to you if you bought a new PC, laptop or tablet with the Home edition activated in some respectable hardware store. Or if you purchased . But how to check if the license is real if it was bought in OEM, boxed version or in the form of the same electronic key in some online store? Or if we purchased a computer device in the secondary market, and the buyer swore to us that he was selling along with the most genuine Windows?Let's try to understand this issue and of course I will give you some examples from my practice when I managed to prove to my clients that the activated system installed on their computer was not licensed.
How to find out if licensed Windows is installed on a computer
Friends, I strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with . This is a complex and tortuous topic, Microsoft has made a lot of wilds in it, but we still tried to state it as simply and clearly as possible. Thus, deception can lie not only in the fact that OS keys are authentic, but also in the type of licenses (in particular, trial free ones) to which these keys give access. So you need to have at least a basic understanding of the types of Windows licenses.
Non-activated, pirated and licensed Windows
OS from Microsoft in the context of its activation can be divided into three types:
- Not activated;
- Activated pirate;
- Activated license.
Unactivated Windows- This is a limited OS. In Win7, this is a black desktop and notifications that put pressure on the psyche that we have become a victim of fake software. In Win8.1, this is the inability to choose a color for the start screen and the activation window that appears every 4 hours. In Win10, this is a lock on all personalization settings. A universal way for all versions to find out whether the system is activated or not is the control panel. Press Win + Pause on the keyboard and look at the "Windows Activation" column. If there is an activation, we will see it.
If there is no activation, then this.
Or this if Win7 is used within the monthly trial period.
An activated system will be the same, regardless of the activation method - pirated or legal.
Activated Pirated Windows Externally and functionally, it does not differ in any way from a legally activated system. Unless, of course, we are talking about a system installed from a clean distribution, and a separate activation step carried out using, for example, a KMS activator.
If third party Windows assembly it is initially supplied activated, it can be intervened in the functionality - something is cut out, something is disabled, something (including malicious) is installed additionally. About all the pros and cons pirated assemblies. Disadvantages of pirated activation:
It can fly off periodically;
Files and processes of the activator are blocked by antiviruses;
Its discovery by the competent authorities will result in prosecution - civil, administrative or even criminal. Like, we read the practice of the courts on the website of the court decisions of the Russian Federation. We go to the site http://judicial decisions.rf. And in the "Document Text" field, enter a key query, for example, "Windows KMS".
- Note: I especially recommend reading the judicial practice on cases of copyright infringement of developers at your leisure to all those “wise men” who insult those who chose the path of using paid licensed software in the comments of the site.
Activated licensed Windows is a legal way to use it that will let us sleep peacefully at night. And do not be afraid of any checks by the competent authorities if we use the system for our IP or head some structural unit of the company.
So, genuine and pirated Windows are externally and functionally indistinguishable. How to understand which one we are dealing with?
Windows authentic stickers
You can find out if licensed Windows is installed by looking at the authenticity stickers on the computer device. What are these stickers? This:
Certificate of Authenticity (COA) - a sticker on the PC case, on the bottom of the laptop or inside its battery compartment, as well as inside the latter on Surface tablets;
GML sticker - a hologram sticker with changing colors depending on the viewing angle, implemented since September 2017, sticking places are the same as for COA.
If license key was purchased separately from the device, by purchasing a box Windows versions- installation DVD-ROM or flash drive, authenticity stickers must be, respectively, on their packaging. For boxed versions, the same types of stickers are used,
as for device cases - a certificate of authenticity (COA) and holograms.
How to find out if Windows is licensed using the command line
If the seller of a used computer swears to sell it with licensed Windows, if a new device is bought from a store with a hitherto unknown reputation, the authenticity of the OS can be verified by asking to enter something into the command line. Let's run it as an administrator. And enter:
slmgr -ato
If the activation is pirated, in the script window that appears, we will see something like this message.
Or something like this.
But if the system is genuine, we will see in the script the inscription "Activation completed successfully."
In addition to the direct activation inscription in the script window, it is also important to pay attention to the Windows edition. If there is an addition “Eval” in the name of the edition, for example, “EnterpriseSEval”, there is, alas, little use for such activation authenticity.
How to find out if Windows is licensed using the task scheduler or how pirated activators work
It should be noted that the latest operating systems from Microsoft (Windows 8.1, 10) have a fairly strong anti-piracy protection mechanism and at the moment there are only a few activators that can activate the above OS, the most famous one is KMSAuto Net. But it works very simply and is easily detected in the system. KMSAuto Net creates a folder at: C:\ProgramData\KMSAutoS and places its files in it.
To permanently reactivate the OS, he is also forced to create his own task in the scheduler.
Once, a friend brought me a laptop with Windows 10 installed and activated.
and asked if a licensed system is installed on it. I stupidly opened the command line and entered the command you already know: slmgr –ato , the result was very eloquent.
Then I opened the scheduler and showed my friend the task I createdKMSAuto Net. Questions disappeared by themselves.
How to check if Windows 7 is genuine
If you are faced with the task of determining the authenticity of Windows 7, then first of all look at the sticker with the license key on the PC case or on the bottom of the laptop, if there is none, then the task becomes more complicated many times over, since this OS has a weak protection mechanism against activation by pirated tools . If you ask this question on the official Microsoft website, then you will be advised to install the KB971033 update, created specifically for OS authentication, but for example, this update is installed on this PC,
and the system is activated by a pirated activator and I will prove it to you a little later.
You may also be advised to enter the command line: slmgr.vbs /dli , but the message "License status: licensed" does not prove anything.
Also at office Microsoft website will advise you to download the tool MGADiag.exe ,
In the "Licensing" window, you can see the partial product key - 7TP9F and "License Status: Licensed".
But key YKHFT-KW986-GK4PY-FDWYH-7TP9F can be on Win 7 installed on Acer laptops, But not on Win 7 installed on a regular desktop computer,
he constantly comes across to me on pirate sevens. This key is installed by a pirated program. Windows activation 7 Loader by DaZ Activator or Windows7 ULoader 8.0.0.0.
A real license key will not be "googled" at all, since information about it should not be on the Internet.
Trial Windows
Trial Windows - offered on the Microsoft Evaluation Center website of the Win10 Enterprise edition and which you can test for free for 90 days - these are completely legal systems. You can also add the trial Win8.1 Enterprise to them, it is no longer available for download on the Evaluation Center website, but it can be found on the net, in particular,. And, of course, the activation legality check team will show that everything is in order with them. But this arrangement will be temporary.
Evaluation builds are activated for 90 days with a temporary Evaluation license activation key. If such an assembly will be installed on computers system administrators companies, you can not be afraid of any inspections of the competent authorities. Everything is legal here. As well as completely legal, because there is no direct prohibition, after 90 days it is possible to reset the term of the Evaluation-license and use the system for another 90 days. And then another and another 90 days (activation is reset only three times). Well, then you can already reinstall the system. Evaluation editions are optimal solution for those who still reinstall the OS at least once a year. It is illegal if we are not an IT employee of the company and will use such an Evaluation build for commerce or for leisure. But this solution is definitely better than pirated activation - both in terms of the technical part and in terms of legal liability.
So, there is nothing wrong with trial Evaluation editions if they are not being sold to us as a full-fledged system with a perpetual license. In addition to what is shown in previous paragraph articles of the way to identify the Evaluation edition can also be found by the watermark in the lower right corner of the screen with an inscription in the form of a countdown to the end of the 90-day period. But such inscriptions are very easily removed by software like . We can make sure that we are dealing with an Evaluation license and see the number of days left until the end of the 90-day period using the same command line. Let's run it as an administrator. We enter:
slmgr.vbs /dli
And look at the information.
Documents on Windows
What documents verify the authenticity of a Windows product key? The proof of legal use of the OS are:
An e-mail from the seller of the electronic key - Microsoft itself or an online store. This letter specifically states the key. The system must be activated by him;
Sales receipts, waybills, acceptance certificates and similar documents from OEM suppliers for OEM devices. Without these documents, there will be a violation of the order Microsoft Licensing in terms of non-compliance with the terms of use of the OEM license.
So, friends, the purchase of decommissioned and stolen by employees of OEM computers, as well as the purchase of cheap OEM keys on eBay, is not The best decision. It is undeniably better than KMS activators and Evaluation builds of Windows, but it is not a panacea for problems from inspection bodies.
You will be interested to read on this topic.
Unfortunately, almost any Windows user during operation operating system may at any time encounter various kinds of errors. Problems may arise as early stage use of the OS, if the user did not pay due attention to his computer, and later, even if the user very carefully monitors the cleanliness of the computer. In the event that the computer began to seriously slow down or work incorrectly at all, it is rational to check the system for errors.
Today we will look at ways that will allow you to check Windows for errors and fix them in a timely manner. In the event that you find it difficult to understand the reason for the incorrect or slow operation of the computer, such methods can become a real lifesaver, returning the computer to its former performance.
How to check your computer for errors?
Method 1: standard method
A fairly well-known method for finding and fixing errors in Windows, the ambulance is already embedded in the system. Many users (especially beginners) may be intimidated by the fact that this function is launched from the command line, but in reality everything is not at all scary.
So, first of all, we need to run the command line, and with administrator rights. If you are a Windows 10 user, then in your case you just need to right-click on the button "Start" and in the displayed list of elements select "Command Prompt (Admin)" .
If you are a user of an older version of this operating system, then you will need to open the search bar and enter the query "cmd" (without quotes) in it. The search results will display the result, on which you need to right-click and select the item "Run as administrator" .
A command line window will appear on the screen. For Windows 10, you can immediately copy the command below, for younger versions of the operating system, you will need to enter the command yourself:
sfc /scannow
To start searching for errors, click on the Enter key. Please note that the system scan process can take quite a long time, so get ready for the fact that the computer must be active all this time, and command line should not be closed.
Please note that the running function will first search for errors, and then automatically proceed to fix them. In the event that you do not want to correct errors, but just want to check system files, the command will take on a new form:
sfc /verifyonly
Method 2: Checking the Windows Registry with CCleaner
The Windows registry is one of the most important sections of the operating system, where both the operation of standard operating system tools and third-party programs are described in detail.
For example, when installing a program on a computer, new keys are created in the registry to ensure the launch and operation of the program. However, it often happens that when deleting a particular program, a lot of entries remain in the registry (and in the folders of the computer), which over time can lead to a significant decrease in computer performance and incorrect operation of programs.
In this regard, if you experience problems with the operation of your computer, it is recommended to check Windows registry for errors, and the easiest way to do this is with the help of the CCleaner program, the download link of which is located at the end of the article.
Run CCleaner and in the left area of the window go to the tab "Registry" . Make sure the checkboxes next to all items are checked to the right. Run a registry scan by clicking the button "Finding Problems" .
The registry scan won't take long. Once it is 100% complete, click on the button "To correct" .
CCleaner will prompt you to create backup register. Be sure to agree with this proposal, because in case of problems in the operation of the registry, you can roll back.
Finish cleaning the registry by clicking on the button "Fix Marked" .
Search for errors in Windows at least occasionally, and you can avoid many problems in the operation of your computer.
