Microsoft clarifies Vista activation to bit-tech hacks

  • Thread starter Thread starter dean-dean
  • Start date Start date
And everyone was getting their panties all knotted up before the facts were
known, I'll take everything as heresy until it goes gold.
 
This sucks. Why only 10. I reformat XP at least 3-4 times a year for fun.
They shouldn't limit this. Let us reactivate as many as we want!!
 
James Welch said:
This sucks. Why only 10. I reformat XP at least 3-4 times a year for fun.
They shouldn't limit this. Let us reactivate as many as we want!!
Click to expand...

Where does it say anything about that?

"Should you change the hard drive and another piece of hardware - for
example for a major upgrade such as a motherboard change that requires a
re-installation - Microsoft will allow you to re-activate up to 10 times."

If you change hardware and re-install then it is 10 times.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*
 
Paul Smith said:
Where does it say anything about that?

"Should you change the hard drive and another piece of hardware -
for example for a major upgrade such as a motherboard change that
requires a re-installation - Microsoft will allow you to re-activate
up to 10 times."

If you change hardware and re-install then it is 10 times.
Click to expand...


It doesn't matter if you change hardware or not, at least for my XP
version.

You can install and activate an unlimited number of times, but once
activated 10 times, whether it's the same hardware or not, you can no
longer do automatic activations over the internet - I had to call and
activate by phone after my tenth installation.

Now what I do if I think a test program might trash my setup, is
install XP but not activate it until I'm sure I have everything
running just fine. The last time I did this, I had to install three
times before I had it stable enough to activate, then I call the
number and talk to the drone who gives me the long string of numbers
to activate.

Personally, I think if the hardware doesn't change, we should be able
to activate over the net an unlimited number of times. It's a hassle
calling the number all the time as it's taken up to 20mins to get
through the procedure, and sometimes the accent is so heavy and the
line quality so poor, I can't understand the numbers they read to me
the first time through.
 
Well Dave,

There is another place where they can you that no one has mentioned yet.
If their verification no longer thinks you are authorized, good luck on
getting
it straightened out. I had this happen to me on XP, and it cost me $35.00
for
a support call, even though I read my key to the tech, and he agreed that my
copy was genuine. It also took 3 or 4 days, during which I couldn't get any
upgrades. If this happens in Vista, you not only won't get upgrades, but
your
installation will turn itself off and you will be sol, so you will be forced
to pay
for a support call to keep from losing all access to your computer.

-- Larry Maturo
 
Maybe he is a fan of the Chicago Cubs. That would be a good enough excuse..

If that is what you do for fun, I hate to see the dull stuff you do :)
 
Install the os and then image the drive, any problems restore the os from
the image. This saves time on installation and no activation required.
Stevek
 
BRILLIANT... BRILLIANT... I like that idea.
Install the os and then image the drive, any problems restore the os from
the image. This saves time on installation and no activation required.
Stevek
 
Activation uses 2 aspects of a disk drive, the Volume Serial # which
carries forward with an image. However, Activation also uses the
hard drive device identifier. So if you have a WDC and replace with
a Seagate the Vista hard drive vote is changed. Because of this imaging
isn't a way to avoid re-activation.

BRILLIANT... BRILLIANT... I like that idea.
Install the os and then image the drive, any problems restore the os from
the image. This saves time on installation and no activation required.
Stevek
 
Hmmmm. Good point, but how often do you change HD. I have a total of 4 - WDC
and 1 is 7 yrs old and stilling going strong. I been playing with PC's for
almost 30 years now. Stay with WD......
 
It's not just the vendor but the identifier string of the drive. So a change
from one model WDC to another would also trigger the HD vote.
 
Well here is a problem with me now. I upgraded to Windows Vista Business and
now not even microsoft can help me get a new Activation key to activate my
product. Now my computer is locked and it only lets me go on the internet.
Its being like that for 2 weeks now and my business is going nowhere because
of the upgrade. They told me that I need to format the hard drive, but all
my stuff is there. Does anybody here have a Windows Vista Business Edtion
Key? Thanks...
 
Are you sure it is a business key? MS only provided Ultimate keys for the
RC1 and RC2 downloads.
 
Larry said:
Well Dave,

There is another place where they can you that no one has mentioned yet.
If their verification no longer thinks you are authorized, good luck on
getting
it straightened out. I had this happen to me on XP, and it cost me $35.00
for
a support call, even though I read my key to the tech, and he agreed that my
copy was genuine. It also took 3 or 4 days, during which I couldn't get any
upgrades. If this happens in Vista, you not only won't get upgrades, but
your
installation will turn itself off and you will be sol, so you will be forced
to pay
for a support call to keep from losing all access to your computer.

-- Larry Maturo
Click to expand...


If it was their fault, you get your money back.

Steve
 
Edgar said:
Well here is a problem with me now. I upgraded to Windows Vista Business
and
now not even microsoft can help me get a new Activation key to activate my
product. Now my computer is locked and it only lets me go on the
internet.
Its being like that for 2 weeks now and my business is going nowhere
because
of the upgrade. They told me that I need to format the hard drive, but
all
my stuff is there. Does anybody here have a Windows Vista Business Edtion
Key? Thanks...
Click to expand...

So you put a Beta OS on a "business" computer?

Dumb ass.

Mike
 
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