Activation Question

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Guest

Hi all

When you install vista it will ask you to type in your key.
However you don't have to do this

My question is:
What's better?
- To type my key when tey ask me to during installation?
or
- Continue without inserting my key, download all updates from MS and then
activate?

Thanks
 
Hello,

I always type in my product key if I have one. So I can assure that I don't install the wrong version (you can choose which Vista version you want to install if you don't submit a product key) and avoid a reinstall.

Greetings,
P. Di Stolfo
 
I suggest you type the key during installation when requested.
Entering the key is not the same as activating.
You do not need to Activate for 30 days whether the key is entered or
not.

I wait about 3 weeks to activate if practical.
That ensures everything is OK and there is plenty of time if there are
activation issues.
 
On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 00:00:49 -0600, "Jupiter Jones [MVP]"
I suggest you type the key during installation when requested.
Entering the key is not the same as activating.
Click to expand...

Be sure to DISable "automatic activation" in that case, or stay
offline so it can't "call home".
You do not need to Activate for 30 days whether the key is entered or
not. I wait about 3 weeks to activate if practical.
Me2..

That ensures everything is OK and there is plenty of time if there are
activation issues.
Click to expand...

It's a tricky call, whether to enter the code "early" or not.

The good thing about entering the code during setup is that the
installation process will know what feature set to install, because
the code informs it what edition you have.

The bad thing is that the default "automatically activate" setting may
allow the OS to activate itself before you are ready to do so, e.g.
before you've finalized your hardware spec, or before you can change
the code if the one you plan to live with is different, etc.


-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Tip Of The Day:
To disable the 'Tip of the Day' feature...
 
My product key is always typed in when it is asked for during installation.
The one thing I 'always' remember to do, though, is to disable the option to
activate when online. If this option isn't disabled, as soon as you finish
installing and then log onto the internet vista will proceed with
activation - this is something you don't want at this early stage.

I like to test out the system for a few week before I activate. This gives
you the option to see that everything is working okay and, if it isn't, you
can easily re-install without having to worry about activating the system a
second time within a few weeks.


--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
It won't make any difference if you don't type it in and pick the correct
version. My question is - What do you expect to gain from this? I don't know
of any upside to not entering the key other than you can try a different
version for a limited time. I don't know of any downside to entering the key
if it is for the version you intend to use. As other's have already pointed
out entering the key during the install doesn't have to mean the key is
activated.
 
On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 17:43:14 -0700, "Kerry Brown"
It won't make any difference if you don't type it in and pick the correct
version. My question is - What do you expect to gain from this? I don't know
of any upside to not entering the key other than you can try a different
version for a limited time. I don't know of any downside to entering the key
if it is for the version you intend to use. As other's have already pointed
out entering the key during the install doesn't have to mean the key is
activated.
Click to expand...

The problem is that "auto-activate" is the duhfault, so anything that
happens that might re-impose duhfaults could pose that risk.

Is "auto-activate" silent, or does it prompt for permission first?

It wouldn't matter so much if one didn't have to beg to undo a
mistaken activation to change key, and if we knew MS wasn't limiting
number of permitted activations, if we could see whether hardware
changes (or perceived changes) had lost lives, and if we could reset
the lost-life count once the system was finalized.

But as it is, MS are quite opaque on these matters (as one might
expect from someone coding against your interests), so the trust just
isn't there. The only way to be totally sure that a key is not
inadvertently leaked, is to make sure it is not known to the system.
 
Sorry guys

What i wanted to know was if I should activate during the install or not
Asking a few question before installing vista
If someone with exerience in installing vista can give me a recommended way
to install vista will be very great

Again thanks!!
 
Master P said:
Sorry guys

What i wanted to know was if I should activate during the install or not
Asking a few question before installing vista
If someone with exerience in installing vista can give me a recommended
way
to install vista will be very great

Again thanks!!
Click to expand...


I would say no. When installing anything that needs activation I delay the
activation until I'm sure everything is working properly.
 
cquirke said:
The problem is that "auto-activate" is the duhfault, so anything that
happens that might re-impose duhfaults could pose that risk.

Is "auto-activate" silent, or does it prompt for permission first?
Click to expand...

It prompts for permission, first, so it's not 100% automatic. I
deferred activation until I was confident the device drivers I'd found
truly worked.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell
 
When installing disable the option to activate as soon as Vista logs on. I
always leave activation until I have used Vista for 2 or 3 weeks. By this
time I know that everything is working Okay, then I activate.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..
 
cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user) wrote:
Click to expand...
It prompts for permission, first, so it's not 100% automatic. I
deferred activation until I was confident the device drivers I'd found
truly worked.
Click to expand...

Cool - I wanted to be 100% sure about that :-)

I'm building systems via WAIK, so I prefer the original image not to
have a key in it, just for safety's sake. The testing and imaging
process often involves a bit of fiddling with SysPrep and answer files
etc. and non-default "don't auto-activate' setting could get lost.

About 1 in 10 builds have had to revert to XP, due to "legacy" (as in,
"what folks are already actually using") issues. If those initial
Vista installations activate, it can get messy...


-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Tip Of The Day:
To disable the 'Tip of the Day' feature...
 
They need to set up activation into a chat system period.
Also due to the major hardware change paranoia, they need a reasonable bypass.
I simply don't need to hear a foreign accent mucking up the English language with something phonetically illegible to begin with.
Definitely will not pay a toll fee for upgrading my system.

I suggest you type the key during installation when requested.
Entering the key is not the same as activating.
Click to expand...

Be sure to DISable "automatic activation" in that case, or stay
offline so it can't "call home".
You do not need to Activate for 30 days whether the key is entered or
not. I wait about 3 weeks to activate if practical.
Me2..

That ensures everything is OK and there is plenty of time if there are
activation issues.
Click to expand...

It's a tricky call, whether to enter the code "early" or not.

The good thing about entering the code during setup is that the
installation process will know what feature set to install, because
the code informs it what edition you have.

The bad thing is that the default "automatically activate" setting may
allow the OS to activate itself before you are ready to do so, e.g.
before you've finalized your hardware spec, or before you can change
the code if the one you plan to live with is different, etc.


-------------------- ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Tip Of The Day:
To disable the 'Tip of the Day' feature...
 
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