Buzz
Fixing the Unauthorized Windows Black Screen
1. Deploy the Command Prompt with slmgr -rearm
Step 1: From your user interface, hit the Windows key on your keyboard and type in cmd. Here, you'll spot the command prompt suggestion, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
Step 2: A Command Prompt window pops up. Type in slmgr -rearm and hit Enter.
slmgr here acts as a software license manager tool for Windows.
rearm is a command to reset the license status of your computer.
Step 3: Once the command line finishes running, a small dialog box like the one below will appear. Click on OK and restart your computer.
And as soon as your computer boots up, the message This copy of windows is not genuine disappears. However, you should continue with the following methods to prevent this error from happening again.
2. Uninstall Update KB971033
Microsoft frequently releases updates to combat copyright infringement, malware, and viruses... However, these updates can also yield false results, displaying your genuine copy as counterfeit. If you're facing this scenario, follow these steps to resolve the This copy of windows is not genuine error.
Step 1: From the user interface, press the Windows key and select the gear icon as shown below.
Step 2: The Windows Settings window appears, click on Update & security.
Step 3: Click on Update history to view the list of installed Windows updates.
Step 4: Continue pressing the Uninstall updates option.
Step 5: From the list of installed Windows updates, search for the update named KB971033. Double-click on it and select Yes to uninstall the update.
Step 6: Restart your computer and check the results.
3. Disable Windows automatic updates
After completing the above two methods, you'll notice the absence of the This copy of windows is not genuine message. However, as you're not using a genuine Windows version, updating is restricted. Therefore, disable Windows automatic update feature, or else you'll encounter the black screen error again when Windows updates and detects an unauthorized operating system. Depending on the Windows version you're using, refer to the ways to disable Windows automatic updates as we've instructed in the previous article.
Refer to how to turn off Windows 7 updates
Refer to how to turn off Windows 8.1 updates
Refer to how to block Windows 10 updates
Additionally, in some cases after applying the fixes for the unauthorized Windows black screen issue mentioned above, many readers may encounter one of two error messages: Error 0xc004d307: The maximum allowed number of rearms has been exceeded. and slmgr is not recognized as an internal or external command. However, readers need not worry too much as the solutions for these errors are quite straightforward.
For the Error 0xc004d307: The maximum allowed number of rearms has been exceeded. This error occurs when you've attempted the slmgr -rearm command more than 3 times. Therefore, to fix this error, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: From the user interface, press the Windows + R key combination to open the Run dialog, type regedit command, then press Enter or OK.
Step 2: Next, navigate to the Registry editor at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SOFTWARE/ Microsoft/ Windows NT/ CurrentVersion/ SoftwareProtectionPlatform.
Step 3: Right-click on SkipRearm in the right window pane, select Modify.
Step 4: Change the Value Data to 1, then press OK and restart your computer.
Step 5: Now, try entering the command slmgr -rearm again to fix the black screen error and remove the This copy of windows is not genuine message. If the issue persists, it's likely that your Windows is corrupted and you may need to reinstall Windows to resolve this.
For the slmgr is not recognized as an internal or external command error. This error can occur due to various reasons, specifically as follows:
- You typed the command slmgr -rearm incorrectly.
- You didn't open Command Prompt as an Administrator. Refer to how to open CMD in Windows 10 with admin rights here.
- The slmgr -rearm command may not be appropriate. Try using the command slmgr /rearm.
- The slmgr.vbs file may have any other extension. Therefore, you need to remove the extension by renaming the file as follows:
Step 1: Access the System32 folder via the path C:WindowsSystem32
Step 2: Here, locate the file named slmgr.vbs.REMOVEWAT. Right-click on it and rename it to slmgr.vbs. If you don't find the REMOVEWAT extension, delete any other extensions after slmgr.vbs
So here's how to fix the unauthorized Windows black screen error that Mytour wants to share with many readers in similar situations. When following these steps without encountering any errors, readers can use this operating system indefinitely without updating. However, this also poses a significant vulnerability to viruses and malware attacks on your computer. Therefore, if possible, readers should use the latest version of the operating system and equip themselves with licensed antivirus software.
Readers using Windows 11 can refer to detailed steps to fix the Windows 11 black screen error in the article here for effective troubleshooting.
- Read more: How to fix Windows 11 black screen error
