When Andy bought a notebook computer from Dell, he also bought a license for Windows 7 and the right to use it on that computer. But when something went wrong with that installation of Windows 7, and the code on his Certificate of Authenticity wore off, he was stuck. Windowless.

Sure, he could just run Linux on it and call it a day. He was using Windows, though, and he paid for Windows.

I am having a serious issue with Dell, one day on my studio xps 1647 laptop it informed me that my windows is not geniune and prompts me to activate. No problem, I know the key is stored from the install and I hit activate and it prompts me that the key is invalid. Okay, look on the bottom of the laptop for the COA and its there but a couple characters are worn off so I can’t tell what exactly they are.

So I decide to call Dell Tech support, I know it’s a bad idea but I have little choice. They inform me that I need to buy a software warranty in order to fix the problem. I ask them if why they need more money from me to fix a problem that isn’t mine? No answer, as expected.

Then I contact Michael@dell.com explaining my problem and I get contacted from executive customer support. We exchange a few email and he asked me to try changing a registry setting, which I did and didn’t help. Then he informed me that the only way to help would be a reinstall from the dell disk. Frustrated, I back up my data and reinstall only to find out that when reaching the desktop it tells me windows is not genuine and I need to activate now?!

I contact the dell rep again and tell him what happened and he said that’s impossible that he himself installed it on something 5 years old and told me he could send me another disk or I could buy the aforementioned software warranty or just buy a copy of windows 7. I am now heated and ask him how another Dell disk would help since this one obviously didn’t work, no answer. At this point nothing on earth could force me to give Dell any more money for a random problem no one knows the answer to.

We all know how ludicrous buying another copy of windows 7 is. Why can’t they help me out with this issue, or is Dell not actually selling me a copy of windows that will expire who knows when?

Andy should at least try giving Microsoft a call if Dell can’t help. If he has most of that COA, maybe Microsoft can help him out. Or charge him for assistance. While Crap Happens, especially to technology, why is it Andy’s responsibility to pay when the software that he paid for went wrong?

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