old computer given as a gift, have discovered an counterfeited windows program has been installed, I do not have a cd rom on this computer to download a legal program and I am using this computer for school.
Someone has given me a computer to use for my online class, I am unemployed and cannot afford a legal copy of windows xp. Is there anywhere I can download that program on a trial basis at least for now until I get my next unemployment check? It appears they have installed a counterfeited copy of windows xp pro, I just need the windows xp and the windows microsoft office. Is there anyone out there who can guide me in the right direction? 1 person needs an answerI do too
July 16th, 2010 3:51pm

First of all, I take it you are seeing a message saying it isn't genuine. This is "WGA Notifications" and it can give false alarms, particularly if the previous owner modified the system in some ways.There are in any case concerns over using the old OS on a secondhand computer. It may contain spyware or Trojans, or there may be illegal pr3n images or suchlike. If at all possible it's best to do a full reinstall, onto a formatted (wiped) disk.Does the computer have a COA sticker somewhere on the case? If it does, then you are entitled to use the version this sticker pertains to. If so, it may just be a matter of begging or borrowing a CD of the same (OEM) version to do a genuine install. (You don't have to possess the CD with an OEM version, provided you possess the COA sticker that makes it legal) You also need drivers, of course, so it would be best to track these down first.In your situation you may be eligible for a student licence for Office, which is a lot cheaper. Or, you could use Open Office.Other option is Linux, in which case Ubuntu is one of the more popular distros for desktop use.
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July 16th, 2010 10:27pm

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