How do I know it's LEGAL?!

RWBRWB Icrontian
edited August 2005 in Science & Tech
I am working on a co-workers laptop, and it needs some updating, checking, etc... but I don't know how to tell if this system is legal. I asked him, he doesn't know since he had others do it all for him but he paid, just doesn't recall how much.

Instinct tells me.... yeah it's more than likely his copy of XP is illegal. But, it could very possibly be legal for many reasons.

I don't wanna update his system if it's gonna break on him, and blames me, I get no money... even though it's all illegal without him even knowing it.

Comments

  • rapturerapture
    edited August 2005
    All you can do is ask him what he wants you to do and how to go about it, legally or otherwise. If the machine doesnt have an OEM license stuck to it somewhere or he doesnt have a retail disc and manual then there isnt much you can do without breaking the law. Short of buying and charging him for any software he needs of course.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    to check for legality, go to the windows update site and run the windows genuine advantage validation tool. That will tell you.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2005
    If the system is illegal going to do the updates will only tell you it's illegal it won't cripple it or anything. There are ways of bi-passing the security check also.
  • ricerice Pennsylvania
    edited August 2005
    Automatic updates will work regardless of whether the OS is legal or not.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2005
    rice wrote:
    Automatic updates will work regardless of whether the OS is legal or not.


    Ummm no, no they won't. It will continue to grab security patches but that's it.
  • ricerice Pennsylvania
    edited August 2005
    Well, that's what I meant. Automatic updates only does critical updates.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2005
    rice wrote:
    Well, that's what I meant. Automatic updates only does critical updates.


    Not all critical updates are security flaws (though most are).
  • yaggayagga Havn't you heard? ... New
    edited August 2005
    kryyst wrote:
    There are ways of bi-passing the security check also.

    I'm listening, you gonna spill the ways? (Other than turning on automatic updates)
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2005
    yagga wrote:
    I'm listening, you gonna spill the ways? (Other than turning on automatic updates)

    read here.

    http://www.icronticforums.com/showthread.php?t=6643
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    Thanks guys, I'll validate it soon. I didn't wanna do something that might cripple the machine.
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited August 2005
    OK, it seems that it is a legal copy, good news. Now to find out if the Office XP licence is legal or not.... which is why he has me working on it becuase he said he couldn't do any work in it. I checked it out, and noticed immediatly the POPUP saying that his hardware changed significantly and has been put into a limited access thing. Basically it's rendered useless until he reactivates it.

    I don't care, I told him if it's illegal, he'll have to use Open Office which I recomend anyways :P FREE
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited August 2005
    open office is good and in some ways better then M$. However Excell is way, way better then Calc in every way. Also access has a better front end though Open Office's database has a better backend.
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