Husky said:
Did MS tell you in lettering large enough that didn't require a
lawyer that you only bought 25 uses of it ?
Seems every time you upgrade your machine, crash, have to reinstall
the os etc.. in general come up face to face with every bug MS is
capable of throwing at you, and every time you have to activate
brings you closer to having to ask every time one of these annoyances
crashes you for permission to use your machine again from someone so
bored of reading the same numbers over and over again all day long
that you seriously consider taking a hammer to the machine ?
And they wonder why there's piracy... This time next year after my
50th activation are they going to tell I can' activate at all ?
I'm thinking I'll say goodbye to MS long before I reach that date.
And if anyone cares this is on a registered copy less than a year old.
First paragraph - incorrect.
Second paragraph - usually your own fault.
Third paragraph - insanity.
Fourth paragraph - personal choice.
Fifth paragraph - registration is optional, activation is mandatory.
Simply put - other than you making a statement that you are considering not
using a Microsoft product anymore - everything you stated is due to
ignorance of the facts about activation, poor maintenance of the machine
(ignorance of how to properly maintain a Windows computer) and/or just
ranting and raving because of some unknown event that has happened to you.
You can activate your copy of Windows XP (if an OEM copy - 'on the same
hardware' should be added) an unlimited number of times. Depending on how
often and the circumstance - you may find yourself required to call and
actibvate over the telephone instead of the Internet.
While there are bugs in Windows XP - a majority of computer problems
(evident even by these newsgroups) are user issues - either by direct
interaction or by the attempted use of obselete hardware/software. A
reinstall of a system should hardly ever be "necessary" - given proper
maintenance. Yes - hardware can and will go bad - this is a valid reason -
and it can be disheartening to find out that you had purchased an OEM
version of Windows XP and when your motherboard and hard drive fried from
that lightning strike - the copy of Windows XP went with it because you
cannot get the manufacturer to replace it since your PC is out of warranty.
To be perfectly honest however, that would usually be the fault of the OEM
that sole you the PC for customizing the copy of Windows XP so much.. If
your machine was that old and you replaced the motherboard and hard drive
and reinstalled Windows - you would probably activate it with no problem if
the copy of Windows was a generic OEM.
The fact about activation is it is unlimited - you can do it as often as you
want as many times as you want and Microsoft has even stated that when
Windows XP support ends, the activation necessity will somehow be "removed".
If you are having trouble with activation by Internet - you try telephone
activation.. if you have to talk to a MS representative instead of the
automated line - you tell them your story.. Then you are reactivated. To
put it in simplest terms - if you wanted to reactivate your copy of Windows
XP without interacting with anyone - you could reinstall and do so every 121
days.
First of all - what caused this rant? Can we help solve this problem so
that your machine will not be so unreasonably unstable that you have to
reinstall this often? Are you performing tests opf some sort that requires
you to start at a certain point every so often? Have you ever considered an
imaging product to backup your system after a fresh installation/activation?
If this was more of a trolling expedition - I expect you to get a few more
hits with or without your further participation. Otherwise - perhaps you
should consider learning about your system, how to secure and stabilize it
and how to basically maintain/troubleshoot it and see if all of your worries
don't just go away... I'll wait for an answer before I assist further..
