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Since the program's inception in July of 2005, Windows Genuine Advantage has validated over 500 million copies of Microsoft Windows®. Similarly, since the Office Genuine Advantage program's start in July of 2006, over 30 million copies of Microsoft Office® have been validated. Approximately one in five Windows validations and one in three Office validations fail, indicating that the copy of Windows and/or Office installed on the computer is not genuine.
Across the more than 530 million validations, only a small percentage of validation failures were found to be in error (also referred to as "false positives"); furthermore, when these errors occur, we work to identify and resolve them quickly. The perception that many validation failures are incorrect may be caused by the fact that a large number of affected users have no idea that their copy of Windows and/or Office is not genuine. It is understandable, then, that the first reaction when validation fails is often disbelief.
Nearly all validation failures fall into one of two categories for resolution. Some customers may have originally had a copy of Windows or Office that was properly licensed, but something's happened that requires specific action to get genuine, such as re-entering the correct product key. For others, such as customers who may have inadvertently obtained counterfeit software, it is necessary to obtain a genuine and properly licensed copy of Windows and/or Office.
The table below contains common scenarios that may help to explain why validation may have failed, as well as more information about possible resolutions for each scenario and how Microsoft can help.
Description
Possible Resolutions(s)
If the user was previously running genuine Windows on the computer before taking it to the repair shop or the friend, then it is possible that simply re-entering the product key that came with the computer or the original installation will resolve the issue. Locate your original product key and compare the currently installed product key to check whether a conflict has occurred.
Microsoft is working hard at educating local PC builders and repair shops on the proper techniques for re-installing a copy of Windows and/or Office and making sure the customer continues to have a genuine copy of Windows and/or Office on their computer. Microsoft also recommends that users who take their computers in for repair also remember to take the original Windows and/or Office media in case reinstallation is required.
Another common scenario occurs when a user is confused about the licensing terms of Windows and/or Office. A user might bring home a copy of Windows or Office from the workplace and install it on a home PC. When the user later tries to validate online, validation may fail because the product key has already been used on another computer or is being used in a way that violates the license terms.
Normally, the rule to follow for most copies of Windows or Office is 1:1, meaning that one copy of Windows or Office can be installed only on one PC. However, users should familiarize themselves with their End User License Agreement or their Microsoft Volume License Agreement, which outlines the restrictions on the number of installations allowed under the terms of their license. Validation will detect when a single copy of Windows and/or Office is being used on more computers than allowed by the license and the copy of Windows and/or Office will fail validation.
For this scenario, if Windows and/or Office are installed on more computers than the license allows, then it will likely be necessary to purchase additional licenses to get genuine.
If you've already validated before and validation failed, you can click the Validate Windows or Validate Office buttons on the top left of this page to revisit the specific reason why failure occurred, as well as your options for getting genuine.
In this scenario, a user either acquires a new PC with what appears to be a genuine copy of Windows and/or Office or purchases a copy of Windows and/or Office from what they believe to be a reputable seller. However, after the purchase, the user finds that their copy of Windows and/or Office is counterfeit. Because counterfeit can be difficult to detect, Microsoft's How to Tell Web site can help users to identify counterfeit software. Users can also validate the copy of Windows and/or Office installed on their computer to check whether it is genuine.
Resolution for this scenario likely requires getting genuine Windows and/or Office. If you've already validated before and validation failed, you can click the Validate Windows or Validate Office buttons on the top left of this page to revisit the specific reason why failure occurred, as well as your options for getting genuine.
Microsoft can help users who unknowingly purchased counterfeit versions of Windows and/or Office get genuine Windows and/or Office. More information is available on the validation results page.
Buying anything used requires an extra level of due diligence, and that is especially true for used computers. In this scenario, a user buys a used computer with a working copy of Windows and/or Office and finds out later that the copy of Windows and/or Office is not genuine when it fails validation. We also recommended that, when possible, users actually validate the copy of Windows and/or Office first at http://www.microsoft.com/genuine before completing the purchase. Users should also ask the seller to include the original Windows and/or Office media and the Certificate of Authenticity.
Resolution for this scenario usually requires getting genuine Windows and/or Office. If you've already validated before and validation failed, you can click the Validate Windows or Validate Office buttons on the top left of this page to revisit the specific reason why failure occurred, as well as your options for getting genuine.
Microsoft can help users who unknowingly purchased a used PC with a counterfeit version of Windows and/or Office to get genuine. More information is available on the validation results page.
Microsoft recognizes that many Windows and/or Office users who fail validation are surprised. They may not fully understand why they have a non-genuine copy of Windows and/or Office or what they can do about it. For that reason, validation failure redirects the user to a customized Web page, designed to help them find more information about the specific cause of the failure and suggestions for resolving the issue, including options for support. Microsoft also offers users a variety of ways to get genuine Windows and/or Office.
If your copy of Windows and/or Office is not genuine, or you suspect it might not be, click the Validate Windows or Validate Office buttons on the top left of this page to validate. If you've already validated before and validation failed, you can validate again to view the specific reason why failure occurred, as well as your options for getting genuine.
