Genuine Microsoft software is published by Microsoft, properly licensed, and fully supported by Microsoft or a trusted partner. Using genuine Microsoft software offers you greater capabilities and easy integration with the widest variety of hardware, software, and services. It also provides confidence that you will receive the latest product features, updates, and ongoing improvements to keep your PC performing at its best.

A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a label that helps you identify genuine Microsoft software. It includes advanced piracy prevention features to help you verify the authenticity of the software you acquired. A COA may also contain a barcode that is used for product tracking purposes.

Please retain the COA. A COA should always accompany the product that it is associated with. COAs cannot be purchased separately.

For more information about COAs, view the Certificate of Authenticity page

The proof of license label is the orange label, accompanying the installation disc, that contains a 25-character product key. The words "Proof of License" appear on the label. The proof of license label cannot be purchased separately.

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No. It's important to note that Volume License Agreements do not cover the full Windows operating system; Volume License provides for Windows OS upgrades only. Customers must first have a qualifying underlying operating system license - purchased with an accompanying COA from either their OEM/System Builder or a retailer (as FPP) - before installing Volume License software on their computers.

The security thread is an embedded strip running through many COAs that is intended to make counterfeiting harder. A security thread is a good indication that a COA is genuine.

A recovery solution is a way to restore your Microsoft software in case it fails.

An edge-to-edge hologram disc features a holographic image on the disc. This holographic image is not a sticker but is part of the disc itself and makes it easier to identify genuine Microsoft software. Genuine Microsoft software comes with an edge-to-edge hologram disc.

Beginning in 2003, the hologram portion of discs should appear primarily copper in color. Earlier versions may be different. Check the specific product listing to confirm which version you have.

You should receive an edge-to-edge hologram disc if you acquire your Microsoft Windows operating system software with the purchase of your computer from a System Builder - a small or medium-sized computer manufacturer. You can check whether or not your computer should have come with a disc by looking at your COA. If the COA on your computer has the phrase "OEM Product" below the program name, or if the number on the far right side of your COA ends with the letter D, you should receive an edge-to-edge hologram disc from your computer manufacturer.

In this case, look at your COA. If the COA on your computer has the phrase "OEM Product" below the program name, or if the number on the far right side of your COA ends with the letter D, you should receive an edge-to-edge hologram disc from your computer manufacturer. If your COA contains either of the above features and you did not receive an edge-to-edge hologram disc, find out what you can do.

If the COA on your computer is specifically branded with the name of a computer manufacturer, or if the number on the far right side of your COA does not end with the letter D, you should not have received an edge-to-edge hologram disc from your computer manufacturer.

If you still have any questions regarding the authenticity of your Windows operating system software, we encourage you to compare your anti-piracy features.

Since the early 1990s, Microsoft has been using piracy prevention technology, including holographic images, to help protect its intellectual property, its customers, and its channel partners. The high demand for Microsoft software creates a market for trading in counterfeit and illegally licensed programs. As the pirates have become more sophisticated, Microsoft has sought to keep a step ahead by introducing more advanced features and increasing end-user awareness.

The wavy edge is the area at the edge of the disc where the copper color of the hologram has a wavy effect.

The feathered edge is the transition area at the edge of the disc where the copper colored hologram transitions smoothly to a silver color.

A medallion or security patch is specific text located at the bottom or perimeter of the disc. In the medallion or security patch on genuine Microsoft discs, the word "Microsoft" changes to "GENUINE" as the disc is tilted.

A background hologram is the copper holographic material that is embedded within the disc. It is not a sticker. The background hologram shows vibrant color as the disc is tilted.

Etched text will appear to be etched on top of the background holographic image and will shift from a light shade to a dark one as the disc is tilted.

A stereogram is a high resolution hologram of the Microsoft logo that changes color and shape as the disc is tilted. This is found on a smaller framed area on the face of the disc.

The Inner Mirror Band Hologram is a detailed holographic image, located on the inner mirror band on the back of the disc, that changes color as the disc is tilted.

Yes. There are a variety of digital purchase options for Microsoft software:

• You can purchase Windows Vista and Office 2007 from Windows Marketplace
• Windows Anytime Upgrade is a new online process for upgrading from one version of Windows Vista to another (for example, from Windows Vista Home Basic to Windows Vista Home Premium). Learn more about Windows Anytime Upgrade.
• Several trial programs allow you to try Office and use a digital conversion process. For example, with the Office Ready program, a free 60 day trial of Office 2007 is included on some computers that have Windows Vista pre-installed. This trial can be converted to a perpetual version. Learn more about activation and conversion of Office 2007 trials.

The Windows Comparison Guide walks you through comparing the piracy prevention features of genuine Microsoft software media to the features of the media that came with your copy of Windows. If your media has the correct piracy prevention features, that is a good indication that your copy of Windows is genuine. For further help determining whether the copy of Windows installed on your computer is genuine, visit http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.

The functionality of the WVA has been replaced by the Windows Comparison Guide, found on the How to Tell Web site, and the Windows Genuine Advantage validation tool. To use the validation tool, visit the Genuine Microsoft Software Web site.

Counterfeiting is the large-scale illegal duplication and distribution of software. Many counterfeiting groups are organized criminal enterprises that counterfeit and package the software using sophisticated techniques. The illegal software is then sold as genuine software.

If you suspect that your software is not genuine, follow the instructions on the anti-piracy site to report it.

Piracy prevention features are parts of Microsoft products that are designed to be difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce. Certificates of Authenticity, feathered edges, stereograms, and Inner Mirror Band Holograms are examples of some of the piracy prevention features that Microsoft products may contain.

Genuine OEM Windows desktop operating system software is designed exclusively for computer manufacturers to pre-install on their computers. Genuine OEM software always comes with a Certificate of Authenticity (the OEM COA is different from an orange retail proof of license label) and a manual or Quick Start guide. Some major manufacturers provide an OEM disc for re-installing programs, while smaller manufacturers are required to provide a Microsoft Windows edge-to-edge hologram disc. OEM software cannot be downloaded and may not be unbundled or re-bundled from sources other than the OEM selling you the computer. Visit our Counterfeit Gallery for more information. To help determine whether the copy of Windows installed on your computer is genuine, visit http://www.microsoft.com/genuine.

A Microsoft Office Ready PC is a personal computer that has a Microsoft Office Ready PC image installed. (An image is a file that contains the complete structure and contents of a disc.) This is a single image that can be converted to one of the following 2007 Microsoft Office suites: Office Basic 2007, Office Small Business 2007, and Office Professional 2007. It is also the only image that can convert to a free 60-day trial of Office Professional 2007. Microsoft Office Ready PCs are sold to customers with a media-less license kit (MLK) for the version of Office they purchase.

Try to find a similar product to the one you have purchased or a previous version of the same product on the How to Tell site. Choose the same purchase method by which you acquired your product (retail purchase, came with new computer, or through a Volume License). Use the piracy prevention features shown on the similar product page to get an idea of the kinds of piracy prevention features that may have shipped with your product.

All retail products and products that come with new computers ship with COAs. To compare your COA with those of genuine Microsoft products, see the COA questions above