Illegal copies Windows Turn in tech?

[pc-quebec]

I lost a lot of customers at the time when I own 2 stores with a jerk in my place installing pirated version of XP. In my place peoples thing they don't need to pay for software, so they like to find free option. This was one of the factors why I close my 2 computers stores at the time.

Now that I operate my business in my garage transform in shop, I deal only with business, school, or public service, so I have customers who own legit copies of all their software. I don't lose time anymore with those looser who thing everything must be free.

You know what, I work a lot less 30-35 hours a week, (compare to 70 before) and I have the same income.

 

[mm201]

I see a lot of older computers being sold on Craigslist with Win 7 installed and I would guess that 95% of them are illegal copies.

I see a lot of this in my area. It's a dead giveaway if there's over a $1000 worth of software installed on the machine and they're only asking a couple of hundred bucks for the computer.

 

[Gary Orner]

I see a lot of this in my area. It's a dead giveaway if there's over a $1000 worth of software installed on the machine and they're only asking a couple of hundred bucks for the computer.

I see this a lot. I get asked that when I sell pre owned units. Why dont you have office on this or why don't you have this on there. I say because it would make the unit more money.

I always sell my refurbs but it makes it hard when a person is selling a 2002 laptop with windows 7, office, photo editors and loads of music for a 100 bucks.

I HATE IT but I just go with the flow.

 

[AlaDes]

I have actually seen a custom built PC come in with a COA from Dell, how it was activated was beyond me. The customer also didn't receive the proper windows re install disks.

Although there are explainable legitimate ways to do this, they would be questionable as to the legality of them. However, there is no question about modifying a motherboard's bios to include Dell's signature string, along with a matching Dell cert, which is definitely illegal.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Have the customer acknowledge on the Work Order that it is not you. I simply would print a screenshot of "System Info" to show the install date, and advise directly in the work order the date of the illegal install of Windows. (Reason, it doesn't blame anybody specifically, but it proves the system was installed BEFORE you ever got to that job site.) If in the future someone turns you in... you have absolute qualify-able proof it was done on a date before your work order was issued/signed by the customer.

+1 to NETWizz on this.

 

[NETWizz]

Thanks... I am just glad I mentioned something that made sense for a change.

Turning in another tech might be great, but unless you can PROVE it, I wouldn't go there as you could be sued for slander/libel unless you can PROVE what you are saying is true. <== Don't open yourself up to liability.

That said... all that is important is really important is covering yourself, so you don't get blamed for someone else's illegal work and I can think of no better way than an install date & Install ID.


I think you want a screenshot like this (systeminfo is the command):

Host Name: NAMEOFSYSTEM
OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
OS Version: 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation
OS Configuration: Standalone Workstation
OS Build Type: Multiprocessor Free
Registered Owner: Owner Name
Registered Organization: Organization Name
Product ID: 00371-839-XXXXXXX-XXXXX
Original Install Date: 12/3/2011, 6:06:57 AM




^I think the bolded text is KEY to proving it wasn't you.

If your work order is 2/8/2012... Obviously, you weren't at that site on 12/3/2011 when the shenanigans happened.

I am not sure, but I think the Product ID and System Name are probably enough to uniquely identify the install.

 

[gunslinger]

I would not bother to be honest. It would most likely bring more trouble. I would say at least 3-4 out of every 10 computers I get running XP are pirate copies and I could not care less.

That's why everyone should consider finding a martial art to study. Mine's Bujinkan. Concealed Carry helps too.

Mine is BJJ and kickboxing along with Kino Mutai. I also carry a Kahr k9 and a kel-tec p-32.

 

[TechLady]

I have not seen too many myself. But the few that I have, you know, people kind of wanted to know why nothing was working right. And when I told them it looked like the OS was pirated or whatever, it explains a lot for them. It's not blaming, it's just giving information. And they are grateful for it. Sometimes it's a well-meaning friend or relative that was just trying to save them money as opposed to some shady evil tech trying to be greedy...which I think is worth taking into account.

A different matter if some tech or shop locally was churning out tons of these...but I don't think they'd be in business long.

 

[Berk]

I personally will work on a machine if the software is pirated, I still do a systeminfo command from the prompt to show the install date and keep it in my logs so nothing comes back to bite me.

One thing I never do though is reinstall a pirated copy of windows, even if they provide me with the key and discs.

I will remove viruses and malware, I will fix software, but I never work on pirated software.

I had a customer come in once that said that they bought the full Adobe Master Suite for $200.00 USD (student license for the thing is almost $1000.00 USD) and that 30 days after buying it (the length of the trial copy) it was coming back with an invalid serial number. They read somewhere that they needed to edit a certain file in a certain way (leaving out specifics because I don't condone this at all) and everything would be happy again. They couldn't figure out how to do it. I turned them down flat out and told them what has been previously stated here, "If its too good to be true, then it is."

I set them up with GIMP and a couple of other open source alternatives, but told them I wouldn't touch their adobe product. I felt bad for them, but I am not risking myself because someone else got scammed.

 

[AlaDes]

I had a good one, just a few weeks ago. A young lady called me about doing a data recovery job on her camera and decided to ask a few other questions about her PC. During the discussion, she told me that her normal tech had previously removed some viruses from it and sold her the best antivirus on the market: Norton. I didn't comment on that, however, I had to question her with an "are you sure" when she said he sold her a life time subscription to it. I simply told her that since I am an affiliate that maybe I need to check on that for my customers lol.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.952156,-91.971882

 

[nesrinamb]

Well the tech doing this in my opinion is just ripping people off since he gets the copies off of a torrent site and then sells them to the unsuspecting clients i say send his but to the slammer. Call the local police and say whats going on, from their on its the cops problem to deal with.

 

[Rosco]

I had a good one, just a few weeks ago. A young lady called me about doing a data recovery job on her camera and decided to ask a few other questions about her PC. During the discussion, she told me that her normal tech had previously removed some viruses from it and sold her the best antivirus on the market: Norton. I didn't comment on that, however, I had to question her with an "are you sure" when she said he sold her a life time subscription to it. I simply told her that since I am an affiliate that maybe I need to check on that for my customers lol.

hahahaha...... thats a great one. who would ever want a lifetime subscription of a bad antivirus that makes your computer slow!

 

[twincountycomputers]

I started supporting an established local business last summer and stumbled across a 6 year old PC running windows 7 ultimate on the 2nd day there. turns out a guy working out of his car had installed it about 2 weeks before they called me. I asked them if they would mind showing me his invoice, he "sold" them 7 Ultimate for like $50 + $50 to install it and another $75 for the hard drive. What really ****** me off was that the 2nd page was a copy of one of my receipts where he had bought the hard drive from my store.

I reloaded pc with XP (from license sticker already on it) and they've been happy ever since.

A few months later the "tech" came back in my office looking for another part and I gladly sold it to him, but I didn't give him a receipt. I also mentioned the incident to see what he would say.

Turns out he is buying "3 User" licenses of windows 7 ultimate for $100 from some guy in new york state. he splits that between 3 customers and keeps the install disks. I asked him if he knew how illegal that was. I explained that for starters the licenses were definately illegal at that price and it was even more illegal that he "sold" it to 3 customers. Also told him if I ever caught him doing it again I would turn him in. He actually argued with me, I told him to call Microsoft and ask their opinion.

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

I started supporting an established local business last summer and stumbled across a 6 year old PC running windows 7 ultimate on the 2nd day there. turns out a guy working out of his car had installed it about 2 weeks before they called me. I asked them if they would mind showing me his invoice, he "sold" them 7 Ultimate for like $50 + $50 to install it and another $75 for the hard drive. What really ****** me off was that the 2nd page was a copy of one of my receipts where he had bought the hard drive from my store.

I reloaded pc with XP (from license sticker already on it) and they've been happy ever since.

A few months later the "tech" came back in my office looking for another part and I gladly sold it to him, but I didn't give him a receipt. I also mentioned the incident to see what he would say.

Turns out he is buying "3 User" licenses of windows 7 ultimate for $100 from some guy in new york state. he splits that between 3 customers and keeps the install disks. I asked him if he knew how illegal that was. I explained that for starters the licenses were definately illegal at that price and it was even more illegal that he "sold" it to 3 customers. Also told him if I ever caught him doing it again I would turn him in. He actually argued with me, I told him to call Microsoft and ask their opinion.

Only way he could be doing that is if he is buying refurb licenses..... those are less than $30ea, BUT he would need to provide a full refurbishment of the machine and add a refurb COA..... in his case since he replaced the HDD he could have been completely legal but he needed to add the COA. And any dummy should charge more than $175 for refurbishing a desktop... plus you need a warranty..... any refurbs we do have 1yr warranties... also he could only get win 7 pro or Home premium for that price, not ultimate.
Oh and he would need to be licensed with MS to be a refurbisher and buy in-channel not form some guy in NY

 

[twincountycomputers]

Only way he could be doing that is if he is buying refurb licenses..... those are less than $30ea, BUT he would need to provide a full refurbishment of the machine and add a refurb COA..... in his case since he replaced the HDD he could have been completely legal but he needed to add the COA. And any dummy should charge more than $175 for refurbishing a desktop... plus you need a warranty..... any refurbs we do have 1yr warranties... also he could only get win 7 pro or Home premium for that price, not ultimate.
Oh and he would need to be licensed with MS to be a refurbisher and buy in-channel not form some guy in NY

Yeah he's definately not a ms partner

 

[Shodanime]

Hey so how would you report a computer repair business which all they do is reformat a computer with a illegal copy of windows 7 every time.

 

[ccritchie]

here ya go...

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/cfr/report.aspx

 

[Jsch38]

Do the right thing and build your cusomer base

I would explain to customers what happended. Explain how you can fix the issue and offer 1 hour of free service for future work. If the customer does not want to do anything then wish them a good day and say goodbye.

 

[PCmechanic]

I see this a lot. I get asked that when I sell pre owned units. Why dont you have office on this or why don't you have this on there. I say because it would make the unit more money.

I always sell my refurbs but it makes it hard when a person is selling a 2002 laptop with windows 7, office, photo editors and loads of music for a 100 bucks.

I HATE IT but I just go with the flow.

Yea I'm getting KILLED by competition with pirated Windows 7 on refurbs. I need not even bother posting to Craigslist

 

[RedFoxComp]

Report them to Microsoft, I would have no qualms about reporting someone especially given the body of evidence you have. If it was just one or two times then let it slide.

They did a check on me for some reason. Someone called and asked if I could build them a system and put Windows 7 on it 'without buying it'. I told them I was unwilling to do that and I would provide a full version with media and license. 2 Weeks later I received a letter saying they had checked up on me and that I was "currently in compliance".