Windows 7 Windows 7 Saying Not Valid, sound not working as well help!

[Bill Austin]

Hey all, I have a mac that I installed windows 7 pro (legit disc/serial been running for 2 yrs) on the partition running via paralells, no issues till very recently.

It all started about 2-3 days ago I noticed firefox was saying every page in my bookmarks was untrusted, this was only on the windows side of things, then I was playing a video and got some static, rebooted the computer it started chkdisk and said it found and fixed errors.

WIndows started again but no sound (I do have sound on the mac side) and this has never happened before, then i tried firefox again still that weird untrusted on all sites, then in bottom right corner I noticed my time was wrong, i reset that by using the update via the net and now it says this copy of windows is not genuine!

I also noticed windows kept saying turn antivirus on, i have avast fully updated and it shows it's running yet windows insists i need to turn it on (very odd).

I right clicked on computer to go to manage and it says windows cannot find c progr data ms win start prog admin tools computer management - um that's never happened before...

So I think it's gotta be some virus or malware, i updated and ran full scans of

avast
spybot search and destroy
malawarebytes
superantispyware

nothing seems to be coming up as a problem other than tracking cookies which i removed.

I can't think of any new software I have installed, no hardware changes but windows keeps wanting me to refresh the number rating thing/user experience due to new hardware it says, I have a red x on the sound area, but I think that is the last of my problems right now.

So with all that given, what would you guys suggest I try first?

Bill

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you're encountering a series of issues on your Windows installation running on your Mac via Parallels. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve these issues: 1. Check Windows Activation: - Since you're now seeing a message that your copy of Windows is not genuine, it's essential to verify your activation status. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > System to check the activation status. If it shows that it's not activated, you might need to reactivate using your legitimate license key. 2. Check Date and Time Settings: - The incorrect time could be a sign of a failing CMOS battery. Ensure that your Mac's time is correctly configured and that the time zone settings are accurate in Windows. 3. Sound Issues: - The sudden loss of sound could be due to driver issues or conflicts. Try reinstalling the sound drivers in Windows. You can typically download the drivers from the manufacturer's website. 4. Antivirus Status: - The issue with Windows not recognizing your antivirus software could be a false positive or a deeper system problem. Ensure that your antivirus is up to date, and if the issue persists, try reinstalling it or using a different antivirus to see if the problem persists. 5. File System Errors: - The fact that Windows ran a check disk and fixed errors indicates that there might have been some file system corruption. It's good that CHKDSK fixed the errors, but it's still important to monitor the system for any recurring issues. 6. Hardware Changes Prompt: - The prompt for refreshing the Windows Experience Index could be due to changes in the virtual hardware configuration or settings. You can try re-running the assessment to see if it resolves this prompt. 7. Malware and Virus Scans: - Since you've already scanned the system with multiple antimalware tools, and they didn't find any serious issues except for tracking cookies, it's less likely that malware is the cause. However, running additional scans or using a dedicated malware removal tool like RKill or AdwCleaner could help in ruling out malicious software. 8. System Restore Point: - If the issues persist, you might consider reverting to a previous system restore point from when the system was functioning correctly. 9. Parallels Configuration: - Check the Parallels settings to ensure that the virtual hardware settings are correct and that there are no conflicting configurations causing these issues. By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve the issues you're facing on your Windows installation within Parallels on your Mac. Let me know if you need further assistance with any specific step!