Microsoft thinks my Vista installation is pirate but it is not. as far as i know it is completely legit and the software is genuine, legally and properly purchased with the computer.

it was however upgraded from XP

how can I verify the installation or provide the proper codes to square this?

I'm sorry but this is something that we are unable to help you with because helping you get around windows validation is a form of hacking and that goes against our terms of service. You should be able to call microsoft and talk with someone directly about validation issues.

As a further note, just because Windows came with your computer doesn't mean that it was installed legally. Whomever built your system probably used the same copy on multiple computers which would only be legal under certain circumstances. That's quite possibly what happened. If that's what happened to you Microsoft might or might not help you with that. If they won't you'll have to buy your own copy of Windows.

I am not asking to hack anything.

this is a legitimate legally purchased software on the original machine directly from Dell

BTW i have solved my problem without your "help"