"Kevin" <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:203F77C4-1AC7-4B38-A1FC-2FDD47351061@microsoft.com...
>I just bought my laptop yesterday, and installed AIM, and Mozilla Firefox
>on
> it (have gotten used to using Firefox over IE6/7). I constantly get these
> messages that my Vista version may be a rip off. I downloaded the
> validation
> software, but still no luck. Could this be due to me using Mozilla? I
> currently can't even access the Control Panel. It pops up for a second
> but
> disappears instantaneously, so I can't even remove Mozilla in order to see
> if
> that's really the problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

No, it not due to what you think. The computer and its software are under
warrantee with the computer manufacture that built the computer and
installed the operating system. You should get on the phone with the
computer vendor's tech support to find out what is happening with your
supposed valid copy of the O/S that you paid for with your purchase.

However, this is assuming you registered the O/S with MS in the first place.