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How can I tell if a retail box of Windows 7 is genuine, especially from the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) seal? The COA has 3 barcodes: left, right, and bottom. The left one has 2 number sequences, the right one has 1, and the bottom one has none (unless it refers to the alphanumerical sequence in the center of the sticker). How can I verify these sequences?

CodeBricks
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  • You verify the sticker is genuine, what an authentic Windows 7 COA looks like is well documented, does the sticker in question look like one? There is no way to verify a Windows 7 installation key is actually authentic. Since the screenshots [here](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/howtotell/Software.aspx) are animated best of you look for yourself – Ramhound Apr 21 '17 at 22:16
  • In addition to what Ramhound has told you, If the retail packaging is open, confirming the COA is genuine won't tell you if it's been previously activated. If it has, being genuine won't solve the problem of not being able to use it to activate a Windows installation. – I say Reinstate Monica Apr 21 '17 at 22:45
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    *Microsoft Genuine Advantage diagnostic tool* requires you purchase the media, install it, and then and only then verify it. My comment was more surrounding the fact there isn't a way to verify if thenmey is authentic before you purchase it. – Ramhound Apr 22 '17 at 00:15
  • @Ramhound, 1/2, you said, `There is no way to verify a Windows 7 installation key is actually authentic.` I showed there is. I knew the install key is in-package & never asked about it. If you originally meant to say “COA numbers can’t be verified”, you didn’t substantiate. Your linked unanswered question’s asker refers to but doesn’t define “product key,” despite there being many on-COA barcodes/numbers in his pic. He said `…check the product key before installing windows`, not before opening package, so it’s possible he wants to open it to check but not use any of his 30 OEM installs... – CodeBricks Apr 22 '17 at 01:46
  • @Ramhound, 2/2, …[1st answer](https://superuser.com/a/229020/202006) will rip seal. [2nd](https://superuser.com/a/229056/202006) don’t address product key validation or state/explain impossibility thereof. [3rd](https://superuser.com/a/229027/202006) says, `there is no way to pre-verify the authenticity of the product keys, as by doing so, you are forced to open the package to find the product keys`, i.e. answerer interprets “product key” as “installation key”, not COA #s. Please remove flag, link it to adequate Q/A, or write answer explaining how/why these unique COAs can/’t be authenticated – CodeBricks Apr 22 '17 at 01:46
  • If the sticker is authentic then the key will be valid, if you can actually use the key, that's something else entirely and more to the point of my statement. There isn't a way to verify the ability to use the key before you purchase the key and actually attempt to activate your installation. – Ramhound Apr 22 '17 at 01:55
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    You can use the [Retail](https://superuser.com/questions/78761/where-can-i-download-windows-7-legally-from-microsoft/872621#872621) website ISO download website to verify if the key is actually real I suppose. The only unique sequence of characters on the sticker is the 25-character product key. – Ramhound Apr 22 '17 at 01:57
  • @CodeBricks When you mention a COA, [this is what we're talking about](https://ssl-proxy.herokuapp.com/0c3d864e7c15f5a43861e24ff78ce32eb9d5a468/687474703a2f2f696d6167652e656332312e636f6d2f696d6167652f6a656e6e79303231362f6f696d675f474330383637363534325f434130383637363630302f57696e646f77735f375f50726f5f434f415f4c6162656c5f537469636b65725f4c6963656e73655f4b65795f436172645f5831355f50696e6b2e6a7067/). Is this what you're talking about? – I say Reinstate Monica Apr 22 '17 at 02:21
  • @Twisty From OP to comments, I've always referred to (& explicitly written in OP) the retail box version of your pic's COA sticker: the one that's stuck over the opening of the full retail version's plastic DVD case (not OEM or pre-built PC case sticker). It's the only thing that prints "Certificate of Authenticity". – CodeBricks Apr 22 '17 at 02:58
  • If it doesn't have a 25 character product key, it's not a Certificate of Authenticity. I know the label you're talking about. I've never heard of a way to use the information it provides to validate whether the COA/Product Key in the box is genuine. – I say Reinstate Monica Apr 22 '17 at 03:05
  • @Twisty All full retail versions don't have that, but their stickers all print "Certificate of Authenticity" & they differ in at least the center-of-sticker numbers and may differ in the upper left numbers. They're COAs, because they're unique like banknote serials. It'd be poor design to make them without a way to verify. – CodeBricks Apr 22 '17 at 03:13
  • @CodeBricks You're quite correct that those numbers are unique, and I am certain Microsoft has a database tying those numbers to the COA contained within. However, to my knowledge, no publicly accessible method exists to verify the COA within using those numbers. I agree that would be helpful, as your situation aptly demonstrates. – I say Reinstate Monica Apr 22 '17 at 03:17

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