Archive for Windows

Windows 7 Not Genuine Error Fix

I have been happily using Windows 7 for about a year or so, but recently got a nasty “Windows is not genuine” error on boot. Since I legally acquired the license key, something must be amiss. After some searching the web, I found the following solution that appears to have fixed the error. Note this is not the same as the 0x80070005 error causing Windows is not genuine errors as well.

Recreate the Licensing Store

  • Run Command Prompt as Administrator
  • cd C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NEtworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwareProtectionPlatform
  • net stop sppsvc
  • REN tokens.dat tokens.bar
  • net start sppsvc
  • slui.exe

This apparently recreates the tokens.dat file (licensing store) and all was well. I didnt even have to reenter my license key. What is more troubling is how the error happened in the first place. One possibility is that the C: hard drive is failing, resulting in file corruption. I have bought a new 2TB hard drive ($99 at MicroCenter), and will install it as the new boot drive first chance I get. I am thinking of installing linux on it as the primary OS; I am getting tired of all this DRM silliness in the Windows world.

EDIT

Actually, it appears this is not the only failure mode for my increasingly degraded PC. It appears now that certain services fail to start up at boot up, including the Windows Activation Technologies Service. (The other services that fail to start up are the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, causing my sound to stop working, but that is another story).

I have just confirmed that the following works:

  • Run services.msc and check to see if the Windows Activation Technologies Service is running. If not, start it.
  • Run an administrator console window and type the following
    • slmgr.vbs /ato
  • This attempts to re activate Windows and it succeeds, because there is nothing wrong with my license key. I believe I am going to have to go through one of the two procedures above each time I reboot my machine, which will be a pain.

 

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