Deactivated after windows update (rant and a question)

[Andrew Grayson]

Hello, I recently ran windows update and found an updated driver for my
motherboard's SATA controller (nVidia nForce 4). So I installed it and
rebooted to be greeted with a message saying windows had been deactivated
because my hardware had changed. Surely Vista is smart enough to know the
difference between drivers and hardware? Anyway that wasn't a huge problem
as I thought I could just reactivate.

But no, I was told my key was in use, probably by my machine I thought and
some database somewhere needed to catch up with the change. So I waited a
day and then tried to reactivate again but was given the same response. My
only recourse was to use the automated telephone system. That too failed to
reactivate my copy and I was put through to the Indian call centre. Now
unlike many, I have no issue with foreign call centres but the one MS uses
seems to have the worst telephone system in India. It was a painful process
trying to tell the guy the numbers he wanted and then infinitely worse
trying to get the activation code from him as the line kept cutting out like
VOIP used to be when it was first introduced.

I know piracy is a problem for all software vendors but why is it that the
law abiding people who pay for software get punished with this activation
palaver? It's like those FBI warnings telling you not to buy pirated copies,
on DVDs that you can't skip, only the legitimately bought DVDs have those on
so only the good get lectured. Besides I'm English, the FBI has no power
over me.

Anyway, rant over now for the question.

Is there any way for me to know if updates are likely to deactivate Vista
again so I can refuse to install them because I'm not going through that
again. Next time it's Fedora Core for me.

Andy.

P.S. is there a British dictionary for windows mail's spell checker and if
so where do I get it?

 

[Guest]

The best way is to wait a week or two before installing ANY new updates at
all, and see what problems get posted here about them.

 

[Alias]

Hello, I recently ran windows update and found an updated driver for my
motherboard's SATA controller (nVidia nForce 4). So I installed it and
rebooted to be greeted with a message saying windows had been
deactivated because my hardware had changed. Surely Vista is smart
enough to know the difference between drivers and hardware? Anyway that
wasn't a huge problem as I thought I could just reactivate.

But no, I was told my key was in use, probably by my machine I thought
and some database somewhere needed to catch up with the change. So I
waited a day and then tried to reactivate again but was given the same
response. My only recourse was to use the automated telephone system.
That too failed to reactivate my copy and I was put through to the
Indian call centre. Now unlike many, I have no issue with foreign call
centres but the one MS uses seems to have the worst telephone system in
India. It was a painful process trying to tell the guy the numbers he
wanted and then infinitely worse trying to get the activation code from
him as the line kept cutting out like VOIP used to be when it was first
introduced.

I know piracy is a problem for all software vendors but why is it that
the law abiding people who pay for software get punished with this
activation palaver? It's like those FBI warnings telling you not to buy
pirated copies, on DVDs that you can't skip, only the legitimately
bought DVDs have those on so only the good get lectured. Besides I'm
English, the FBI has no power over me.

Anyway, rant over now for the question.

Is there any way for me to know if updates are likely to deactivate
Vista again so I can refuse to install them because I'm not going
through that again. Next time it's Fedora Core for me.

If Redmond is so stupid to have Vista flag drivers from their *own* web
site has "new" hardware, imagine the other stupid things they did
pushing this Windows Me of NT out ... maybe they did it for the money
but methinks they underestimate the information age consumer.

Andy.

P.S. is there a British dictionary for windows mail's spell checker and
if so where do I get it?

www.mozilla.com/thunderbird

Great spell check. Great junk filter. Free. And not based on Outhouse
Express.

Alias