Activating Windows Vista RC1 on a second computer

I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last week. I
liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it was
well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and when I
tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use and
that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to run it
on this computer?

Thanks,
John

I think (don't quote me on this) that the CPP product keys will activate 10
pc's? Not sure on that one though as different tester group's keys will
activate a different number of computers.

Anyway, click Start and type SLUI 4 in the search box, press enter.
This will start the telephone activation process. Just follow the steps and
you should be activated in no time. (You can press zero on the phone when the
machine asks you the first question to speak to a real live human!)


"jmwromania" wrote:

> I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last week. I
> liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it was
> well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and when I
> tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use and
> that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to run it
> on this computer?
>
> Thanks,
> John

Not all Vista Beta product keys will activate 10 PCs. For example, I am
running a beta test for Windows Feedback Panel. The single disk came in a
disk envelope and would only activate one PC. I am certain, because I tried
it on another PC and I had to wait for my CPP disks to come so that I could
activate the second PC.

I have to wait for my RC1 upgrade (for WFP) because supposedly, you can't
just upgrade with the download.

I don't know which version you have but that could be an issue....

"Bones" wrote:

> I think (don't quote me on this) that the CPP product keys will activate 10
> pc's? Not sure on that one though as different tester group's keys will
> activate a different number of computers.
>
> Anyway, click Start and type SLUI 4 in the search box, press enter.
> This will start the telephone activation process. Just follow the steps and
> you should be activated in no time. (You can press zero on the phone when the
> machine asks you the first question to speak to a real live human!)
>
>
> "jmwromania" wrote:
>
> > I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last week. I
> > liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it was
> > well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and when I
> > tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use and
> > that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to run it
> > on this computer?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > John

The activation issue pops up on CPP distros from time to time. Sometimes it
is nothing more than an incorrect timezone and time setting. But there are
some problems not of the users doing.

All CPP distros can activated on ten different machines and reactivated
multiple times on each machine unless there have been significant hardware
changes. For those instances, phone activation is availble.

"mojavekroc" <mojavekroc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:20D56BE1-85CA-45F0-B4FB-9D91F76169F5@microsoft.com...
> Not all Vista Beta product keys will activate 10 PCs. For example, I am
> running a beta test for Windows Feedback Panel. The single disk came in a
> disk envelope and would only activate one PC. I am certain, because I
> tried
> it on another PC and I had to wait for my CPP disks to come so that I
> could
> activate the second PC.
>
> I have to wait for my RC1 upgrade (for WFP) because supposedly, you can't
> just upgrade with the download.
>
> I don't know which version you have but that could be an issue....
>
> "Bones" wrote:
>
>> I think (don't quote me on this) that the CPP product keys will activate
>> 10
>> pc's? Not sure on that one though as different tester group's keys will
>> activate a different number of computers.
>>
>> Anyway, click Start and type SLUI 4 in the search box, press enter.
>> This will start the telephone activation process. Just follow the steps
>> and
>> you should be activated in no time. (You can press zero on the phone when
>> the
>> machine asks you the first question to speak to a real live human!)
>>
>>
>> "jmwromania" wrote:
>>
>> > I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last
>> > week. I
>> > liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it
>> > was
>> > well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and
>> > when I
>> > tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use
>> > and
>> > that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to
>> > run it
>> > on this computer?
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > John

I think Microsoft has change the definition of 'significant hardware change'
I've seen activation break a few times now. One of which was after a video
card change, another after a sound card change. I hope that this changes..I
can imagine all the confused people after changing a vid card



"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

> The activation issue pops up on CPP distros from time to time. Sometimes it
> is nothing more than an incorrect timezone and time setting. But there are
> some problems not of the users doing.
>
> All CPP distros can activated on ten different machines and reactivated
> multiple times on each machine unless there have been significant hardware
> changes. For those instances, phone activation is availble.
>
> "mojavekroc" <mojavekroc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:20D56BE1-85CA-45F0-B4FB-9D91F76169F5@microsoft.com...
> > Not all Vista Beta product keys will activate 10 PCs. For example, I am
> > running a beta test for Windows Feedback Panel. The single disk came in a
> > disk envelope and would only activate one PC. I am certain, because I
> > tried
> > it on another PC and I had to wait for my CPP disks to come so that I
> > could
> > activate the second PC.
> >
> > I have to wait for my RC1 upgrade (for WFP) because supposedly, you can't
> > just upgrade with the download.
> >
> > I don't know which version you have but that could be an issue....
> >
> > "Bones" wrote:
> >
> >> I think (don't quote me on this) that the CPP product keys will activate
> >> 10
> >> pc's? Not sure on that one though as different tester group's keys will
> >> activate a different number of computers.
> >>
> >> Anyway, click Start and type SLUI 4 in the search box, press enter.
> >> This will start the telephone activation process. Just follow the steps
> >> and
> >> you should be activated in no time. (You can press zero on the phone when
> >> the
> >> machine asks you the first question to speak to a real live human!)
> >>
> >>
> >> "jmwromania" wrote:
> >>
> >> > I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last
> >> > week. I
> >> > liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it
> >> > was
> >> > well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and
> >> > when I
> >> > tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use
> >> > and
> >> > that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to
> >> > run it
> >> > on this computer?
> >> >
> >> > Thanks,
> >> > John
>
>
>

They certainly have changed the definition from XP. Having said that, you
should be able to change the video card and not trigger activation again.
Once you have changed the video card, further changes to the video card are
not supposed to have any further effect. In other words, you should be able
to try a dozen different video cards without triggering reactivation. The
same for any other single hardware characteristic. If it not working that
way it should be bugged.

"Bones" <Bones@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A1B4EBCE-DE72-4110-B5B8-AEC9A2F21D52@microsoft.com...
>I think Microsoft has change the definition of 'significant hardware
>change'
> I've seen activation break a few times now. One of which was after a video
> card change, another after a sound card change. I hope that this
> changes..I
> can imagine all the confused people after changing a vid card
>
>
>
> "Colin Barnhorst" wrote:
>
>> The activation issue pops up on CPP distros from time to time. Sometimes
>> it
>> is nothing more than an incorrect timezone and time setting. But there
>> are
>> some problems not of the users doing.
>>
>> All CPP distros can activated on ten different machines and reactivated
>> multiple times on each machine unless there have been significant
>> hardware
>> changes. For those instances, phone activation is availble.
>>
>> "mojavekroc" <mojavekroc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:20D56BE1-85CA-45F0-B4FB-9D91F76169F5@microsoft.com...
>> > Not all Vista Beta product keys will activate 10 PCs. For example, I am
>> > running a beta test for Windows Feedback Panel. The single disk came in
>> > a
>> > disk envelope and would only activate one PC. I am certain, because I
>> > tried
>> > it on another PC and I had to wait for my CPP disks to come so that I
>> > could
>> > activate the second PC.
>> >
>> > I have to wait for my RC1 upgrade (for WFP) because supposedly, you
>> > can't
>> > just upgrade with the download.
>> >
>> > I don't know which version you have but that could be an issue....
>> >
>> > "Bones" wrote:
>> >
>> >> I think (don't quote me on this) that the CPP product keys will
>> >> activate
>> >> 10
>> >> pc's? Not sure on that one though as different tester group's keys
>> >> will
>> >> activate a different number of computers.
>> >>
>> >> Anyway, click Start and type SLUI 4 in the search box, press enter.
>> >> This will start the telephone activation process. Just follow the
>> >> steps
>> >> and
>> >> you should be activated in no time. (You can press zero on the phone
>> >> when
>> >> the
>> >> machine asks you the first question to speak to a real live human!)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "jmwromania" wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last
>> >> > week. I
>> >> > liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated
>> >> > it
>> >> > was
>> >> > well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer
>> >> > and
>> >> > when I
>> >> > tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in
>> >> > use
>> >> > and
>> >> > that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able
>> >> > to
>> >> > run it
>> >> > on this computer?
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks,
>> >> > John
>>
>>
>>

You are allowed to install it on up to 10 Computer's, Just FYI.

"jmwromania" <jmwromania@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B903F7E3-3B91-4DA6-8A62-80BDE94550BD@microsoft.com...
>I downloaded Windows Vista RC1 and installed it on my computer last week.
>I
> liked what I saw, but needed to uninstall it. I beleive I activated it
> was
> well at that time. Today I have installed it on my son's computer and
> when I
> tried to activate it, MS responded that the key code was already in use
> and
> that I needed to change the it. What can be done or am I not able to run
> it
> on this computer?
>
> Thanks,
> John