Bogus "Victim of software counterfeiting" message?

[S DianaS]

I have a good copy of XP that came on my computer, and I've used it without problems for years. Starting today, I get a message saying "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting." I know this is not true unless Hewlett-Packard counterfeits software. When I click "Change notification preferences," I do not get a chance to turn this notification off (it is very intrusive), but get a page where Microsoft (if it really IS Microsoft) *attempts* to validate my copy but can't do it. Whoever is really sending this demands that I download something (of course I won't) and "enable" ActiveX although it already is enabled for trusted sites, before they can "validate" my copy of XP. At the same time this began, my wallpaper stopped showing up - I get a black background, and when I put the wallpaper (Ascent) back through Control Panel, it disappears again. I also had to type in the password to my dialup ISP - it evidently had been changed.


This might be from Microsoft, because they can't validate my copy one way or another - possibly because I have dialup. It might be a virus from another source - I am scanning right now with Avast. It might be from Microsoft, to discourage people from continuing to use XP. It is "odd" in that the link to change notification preferences leads to no such thing but to a demand to download something that might or might not be safe.


Can someone tell me where this is really coming from and how to turn it off? It started today when I used WiFi for the first time in two years; I have no idea if that is what caused it or not.


Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me get rid of this!

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