Activation woes with MS support

[Jeff]

So I paid for a retail version of Vista Ultimate Upgrade the day it came out,
upgrading from XP PRO. Everything was fine. One day my Vista install
starting giving me BSOD constantly and loss of audio so I finally after much
advice did a re-install of Vista, clean this time. After hours and hours of
work, reinstalling all of my programs and customizing everything again, it
came time to re-activate windows. I went ahead and said activate
online.....no dice, it says my key is already in use. I read the forums here
and everyone said go activate over the phone....again no dice, two phone
calls to Indian spekaing reps and they could not get me activated saying I
would have to call MS Support. I called MS Support and they rudely said I am
out of luck, I didn't re-install XP first before I fixed my Vista
install...my key is good but only if I upgraded, which I did on the initial
install by the way....I don't even have my XP disk anymore...this is crazy!
I told the tech support guy I wasn' able or willing to reinstall XP again and
completely and he said sorry cant help you then. I asked if I could pay the
difference to a full version of Vista Ultimate so I wouldnt have to reinstall
and they said no sorry. I asked for a Supervisor and he basicly let me know
how stupid I was for not installing XP again before I reinstalled Vista.....

This just all seems so wrong, horrible customer service. I have been a
loyal MS customer for 10 years buying all the the top end products including
Vista Ultime even though everyone said "don't do it youll be sorry!"

Is there some other way to solve my problem by talking to a different group?

Any help is appreciated, my Windows is not deactivated

 

[w0mn00]

So I paid for a retail version of Vista Ultimate Upgrade the day it came out,
upgrading from XP PRO. Everything was fine. One day my Vista install
starting giving me BSOD constantly and loss of audio so I finally after much
advice did a re-install of Vista, clean this time. After hours and hours of
work, reinstalling all of my programs and customizing everything again, it
came time to re-activate windows. I went ahead and said activate
online.....no dice, it says my key is already in use. I read the forums here
and everyone said go activate over the phone....again no dice, two phone
calls to Indian spekaing reps and they could not get me activated saying I
would have to call MS Support. I called MS Support and they rudely said I am
out of luck, I didn't re-install XP first before I fixed my Vista
install...my key is good but only if I upgraded, which I did on the initial
install by the way....I don't even have my XP disk anymore...this is crazy!
I told the tech support guy I wasn' able or willing to reinstall XP again and
completely and he said sorry cant help you then. I asked if I could pay the
difference to a full version of Vista Ultimate so I wouldnt have to reinstall
and they said no sorry. I asked for a Supervisor and he basicly let me know
how stupid I was for not installing XP again before I reinstalled Vista.....

This just all seems so wrong, horrible customer service. I have been a
loyal MS customer for 10 years buying all the the top end products including
Vista Ultime even though everyone said "don't do it youll be sorry!"

Is there some other way to solve my problem by talking to a different group?

Any help is appreciated, my Windows is not deactivated

There IS a way around this. The Upgrade version CAN validate itself
but you have to do it right. Unfortunately you will be forced to do a
reinstall.
The basic IDEA is NOT to enter the product key the first time but the
exact procedure escapes me.Search Google and you will find it.
This need to do a reinstall can be solved if you had Acronis Image
backup.

 

[Mick Murphy]

Yes!
Just don't mention that you clean installed.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"I don't even have my XP disk anymore"
You need to locate it.
That is part of your upgrade Windows Vista license and is part of your
complete Windows Vista license.

Exactly how did you perform a Clean Installation?

 

[Gil Baron]

Exactly how did you perform a >Clean Installation?

The upgrade has all of the code. If you dont enter product key you an install as a not activated demo. You reinstall again and it validates itself. Do a google for the exact steps.

 

[GTS]

When you install Vista from the upgrade disk say no when prompted whether to
activate now and let the install complete. Then when later asked to
activate call MS and don't tell them it was a clean install, i.e. you
reinstalled XP and then the Vista upgrade. There is nothing unethical about
this if you legitimately had XP and bought the Vista upgrade.

 

[jhagg]

GTS, that is exactly what I did but they are saying they won't activate my
Vista because I didn't install XP first. I have talked with a tech and a
supervisor, they were not even nice about it, I think they enjoyed my copy of
Windows being deactivated.

I am starting to understand why people steal software....

 

[GTS]

See http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68767-clean-install-upgrade-vista.html
for details.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Why are you telling me how to do something when I asked the OP what
process was used for the clean installation?

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar

Exactly how did you perform a >Clean Installation?

The upgrade has all of the code. If you dont enter product key you an
install as a not activated demo. You reinstall again and it validates
itself. Do a google for the exact steps.

 

[Twayne]

So I paid for a retail version of Vista Ultimate Upgrade the day it

came out, upgrading from XP PRO. Everything was fine. One day my
Vista install starting giving me BSOD constantly and loss of audio so
I finally after much advice did a re-install of Vista, clean this
time. After hours and hours of work, reinstalling all of my programs
and customizing everything again, it came time to re-activate
windows. I went ahead and said activate online.....no dice, it says
my key is already in use. I read the forums here and everyone said
go activate over the phone....again no dice, two phone calls to
Indian spekaing reps and they could not get me activated saying I
would have to call MS Support. I called MS Support and they rudely
said I am out of luck, I didn't re-install XP first before I fixed my
Vista install...my key is good but only if I upgraded, which I did on
the initial install by the way....I don't even have my XP disk
anymore...this is crazy! I told the tech support guy I wasn' able or
willing to reinstall XP again and completely and he said sorry cant
help you then. I asked if I could pay the difference to a full
version of Vista Ultimate so I wouldnt have to reinstall and they
said no sorry. I asked for a Supervisor and he basicly let me know
how stupid I was for not installing XP again before I reinstalled
Vista.....

This just all seems so wrong, horrible customer service. I have been
a loyal MS customer for 10 years buying all the the top end products
including Vista Ultime even though everyone said "don't do it youll
be sorry!"

Is there some other way to solve my problem by talking to a different
group?

Any help is appreciated, my Windows is not deactivated

IF I read you correctly, you "upgraded" from XP to Vista. As with any
other "upgrade", you need to hold onto the old CD to prove that you
owned something that enabled you to update. An update is just that: it
updates you to a new OS from the old one.
You'll have to relocate your original XP CD; that should make it
easy.

I don't think you HAVE to install XP; just provide it the CD when it
says it can't find a previous version to upgrade from. When that step
is done, toss the V CD back in and continue.

Or have I misunderstood? Your description isn't really very clear.

--
Twayne

Tired of MS Office and their shananigans?
Try this free replacement:
http://www.openoffice.org

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Windows Vista is different than windows XP.
The upgrade will not start without the qualifying operating system
installed.
Seeing the qualifying media is no longer enough.

However, the OP still needs to locate the windows XP media.