BleepingComputer.com: Noob needs help with xp...... Please

I am new to this forum but could really use some help, a few years back a friend of mine who is an IT installed xp pro on my dell it ran fine for a year or so then i got a lap top put the pc away and didnt use it again until last week. After hooking it up wirelessly to the netit downloaded updates from microsoft, the very next time I tried using the PC it wont let me past the log in page saying that I might be the victim of software counterfeiting...... I cant even get the original microsoft disk that came with the comp to load, please help.

Issues about possible illegal versions of XP...cannot be resolved here.

You need to contact Microsoft, as you were probably directed to do in the error message.

What's the exact message you received, please?

Louis

I am not trying to get around the legal deptartment of microsoft. I still have the original software that came with the computer and basically am just looking for some guidance on how to clear the memory and reinstall the original xp program

You probably tried to update using Autoupdates. The first thing Microsoft installs this way is Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)

This software checks if your Windows is genuine or pirated. If pirated you wont be able to use Windows unless you purchase genuine CD from a Microsoft retailer. In the message, the contact phone numbers of the MS retailers are given. If you think, you bought genuine Windows, contact Microsoft and explain.

More information on MS website:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/contactwga