How to fix ‘This Copy of Windows is not Genuine” error

If you’ve ever been a long time user of Windows, then chances are you’ve encountered the little pop-up on the lower right of your screen that reads “Windows is not genuine.”

Photo from r/Philippines. “Windows is not genuine” error on one of NAIA’s screens.

A photo of one of NAIA’s flight status monitors has been trending on Reddit recently. Perhaps a mistake by staff, but it shows that below the flight information, the Windows taskbar is actually visible, complete with the “Windows is not genuine” error.

Now don’t get me wrong, if your copy of Windows was obtained with questionable methods, then this is definitely expected. However, this can still happen to legitimate copies of Windows.

If you are getting this error message and ARE running a legitimate copy of Windows, then this guide is for you. To be clear, this guide is specifically for Windows 7. Also, a disclaimer — while the methods described in this article have worked for some, we DO NOT guarantee their success, or the integrity of your computer thereafter.

Causes

If you are running a legitimate copy of Windows and you are getting this error, then there are a few things that could have caused it. For one, could stem from an error in a tool called ‘SLMGR’, which manages your software license. If not, it might be a tool called ‘Windows Activation Technologies’, which helps validate your OS. This is notably included in Windows 7 Build 7600/7601. Finally, it can be caused by issues in the registry, including a lack of permissions or missing entries.

Solution # 1: Command Prompt

• Click the Start menu or hit the Windows key.
• Type “cmd” in the search field.
• You will see “Command Prompt” turn up in the results. Right-click and select “Run as Administrator”
• Type “SLMGR -REARM“, then press Enter.
• If all goes well, you should see a prompt that says the operation is successful, and to restart your computer.

If this worked, then after restarting, the “Windows is not genuine” error should be gone. If it isn’t, you can try:

• Same steps as above, but type “SLMGR /REARM” instead.

Solution # 2: Uninstall update

It’s possible that the error can be caused by Windows 7 update KB971033, so uninstalling this could do the trick.

• Click the Start menu or hit the Windows key.
• Open the Control Panel.
• Click on Programs, then View Installed Updates.
• Search “Windows 7 (KB971033).
• Right-click and select Uninstall.
• Restart your computer.

Disable Automatic Updates

If this solution worked, then you may want to turn off the Windows auto-update feature to ensure that the error will not manifest again.

• Click the Start menu or hit the Windows key.
• Open the Control Panel.
• Select System and Security, then Turn Automatic Updates On or Off.
• Select “Never Check for Updates”

Solution # 3: Registry Editor

This solution is specific for the error code 0x80070005, which could be due to a lack of registry permissions or missing entries.

There are three methods Microsoft has given 14 to fix this. For the detailed instructions, visit Microsoft Support’s post here 12.

Reactivation?

If none of the solutions have worked at this point, then you may have to either get a new copy of Windows, or reactivate Windows 7 online or by phone.

• Click the Start menu or hit the Windows key.
• Type “slui“.
• The Windows 7 Activation Wizard should pop up.
• Follow the instructions on-screen.

Conclusion

The “Windows is not genuine” error is certainly very annoying, especially if you’re actually running a legitimate copy of your OS. It stops you from setting a desktop background, can possibly cause laptops to lose battery faster, and is just an eyesore in general. We hope this guide helped you in getting rid of the error.