After using it for years I now get message on screen "Windows Vista Build 6002 This copy of Windows is not genuine "

McAfee is almost as bad as Norton :)

Seriously though, both products are renowned for their desire to control your computer - with a resulting loss of performance and control for you, the user.

I've responded to your post in the validation forum - please try the 'fix' and post the result.

Such corruption as seen there is (I suspect) often the resut of a malware infection (or possibly the poor removal of a malware infection) - which means that your current AV probably let something through.

I would suggest that in addition to fixing the immediate problem, you download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (www.malwarebytes.org ) an install, update it, and run a full system scan, and see what it finds. I would recommend removing everything it does find.

Norton cannot be the cause of the problem since I use McAfee and get the same nonsense about my copy of Vista being INVALID

I have subsequently obtained and filed the full diagnostic report and await a reply

A very disconcerting remark at the start of the report is:

Validation status : Invalid license

Validation code : 50

I bought my laptop from Dell direct with Vista pre loaded and it worked fine for some years so why has the license now become INVALID? Was I supposed to buy Win 7 after a certain period of using VISTA--no one told me so !!

MSFT please explain or refund me the cost of Vista  to fund the purchase of Windows 7

Thank you

Let us victims flood Microsoft with a request for a free upgrade to Windows 7 because they have no right to tell us our fully paid for and used Vista software has suddenly become NOT GENUINE after years of use!

I have done that and now wait for a response on what to do next to get rid of that "This copy Vista is NOT  genuine " irritating message

Thanks