Just had a person stop over for a tune today. Got his file and went to license the car, I got a Invalid VIN/OS pair. He has a ZZP tune. I'm unable to license it. So I did some reading. It seems this error has popped up on the HPT support forum before, and I saw ZZP tune mentioned as well. After talking to another friend, boostedponty here. He said the PCM is from a 99 and it'* flashed to a 98 GTP. The VIN on the PCM does not match the operating system in the PCM So can not be licensed. I can send the file in to HPT and have it fixed. Or, have the PCM reflashed with a tech2, then start over. Or, lucky for me. The person had his stock PCM in the trunk. I just need to plug it in to my car so I can read it, then do a from scratch tune. Sucks but looks like my only option here. I know we only have a few tuners here, but I'm sure this error will show up sooner or later. This thread will provide information for the next person.

The stock PCM took the tune perfectly. I've done even more reading and found more mention of ZZP tunes running in to this error. Anyone looking for a performance tune may want to rethink doing a PCM swap. You don't know what year the PCM is from. It will be fine if you just plug and play. The PCM will not fail because of the changes. however. You will end up with a locked PCM. So if you came to someone like billboost, or me for changes in your tune because lets say you added headers or a cam, your out of luck.

Be sure to INSIST you have a PCM from the same year with your VIN#

This issue can arise a couple different ways.
On a stock pcm that the OS ID doesn't match up and you send HPT the file, they add it to the program and send you a beta version until the next release. I've seen this on Bonnevilles mostly.
The other thing is with a DHP you can program almost any OS onto a pcm and change the vin to the correct one for the vehicle. HPT does a check that looks to ensure the OS matches the valid list that GM put out of OS ID'* for years/vehicles. If you had a DHP you would be able to write a valid OS/year combo to the pcm and then tune it with HPT.

It'* only really an issue when someone has programmed with DHP in the past and used an OS ID that doesn't match up to the Vin of the car.

The first thing that popped into my head is when the PCM was ordered someone entered a wrong VIN code, because they do ask for your VIN code during the order IIRC. Either that or ZZP fat fingered it when putting it in.

how about purposely messing it up so others can't pull the tune and call it their own?

The VIN on the PCM did not match the car. I was able to download the tune and save it. I was unable to make changes and then save. But pulling the information was not a problem.