G
Guest
Hello,
I'm feeling somewhat confused about product activation lately. I'm a system
builder and purchased an OEM edition of Vista Home Premium 32-bit for
installation on a system that I built at the end of January. I activated the
product with the supplied key no problem at that time.
However, last night Windows announced to me that my hardware had changed and
that I needed to activate again within 3 days. I proceeded immediately, but
it then told me that my key was "already in use" and gave me four options to
proceed. First, I could buy a new key. Second, I could enter another key
that I already had. Third, I could activate by telephone. Fourth, I could
"Contact Microsoft to resolve this". It being late at night, and me wanting
to sort this out, I chose option 3 (am now wishing I'd done option 4 and
spoken to somebody). After going through a lengthy procedure involving just
about 100 numbers, my activation was successful again.
What worries me is what prompted this sudden announcement of "changed
hardware" and what may cause it again in the future. Since activation, I've
made only token changes to this machines hardware, namely:
1) I replaced the floppy disk drive - the original one was faulty. (within 1
week of activation)
2) I installed a 9 year old PCI soundcard into the machine (about 3 weeks ago)
3) I switched off the onboard audio solution on the motherboard (the same
day as this sudden notification that my hardware had changed!)
This would seem to suggest that my turning off the onboard sound was
responsible somehow? (however, I do recall returning from being away a few
days ago to find that the Vista assessment was claiming that I'd installed
new hardware and it needed to be refreshed - before I deactivated the onboard
sound)
I've tried to find a means of reporting this problem officially, but I can't
seem to find one.
As I say, my worry is to the future. If I decide to install more RAM,
replace the graphics card, install another HDD or two, upgrade the CPU etc.
(all of these are reasonable possibilities at some point or another), what is
likely to happen? I almost feel like I daren't upgrade my hardware for fear
that product activation will fail (and not work by telephone this time).
Does anybody have any insight?
I'm feeling somewhat confused about product activation lately. I'm a system
builder and purchased an OEM edition of Vista Home Premium 32-bit for
installation on a system that I built at the end of January. I activated the
product with the supplied key no problem at that time.
However, last night Windows announced to me that my hardware had changed and
that I needed to activate again within 3 days. I proceeded immediately, but
it then told me that my key was "already in use" and gave me four options to
proceed. First, I could buy a new key. Second, I could enter another key
that I already had. Third, I could activate by telephone. Fourth, I could
"Contact Microsoft to resolve this". It being late at night, and me wanting
to sort this out, I chose option 3 (am now wishing I'd done option 4 and
spoken to somebody). After going through a lengthy procedure involving just
about 100 numbers, my activation was successful again.
What worries me is what prompted this sudden announcement of "changed
hardware" and what may cause it again in the future. Since activation, I've
made only token changes to this machines hardware, namely:
1) I replaced the floppy disk drive - the original one was faulty. (within 1
week of activation)
2) I installed a 9 year old PCI soundcard into the machine (about 3 weeks ago)
3) I switched off the onboard audio solution on the motherboard (the same
day as this sudden notification that my hardware had changed!)
This would seem to suggest that my turning off the onboard sound was
responsible somehow? (however, I do recall returning from being away a few
days ago to find that the Vista assessment was claiming that I'd installed
new hardware and it needed to be refreshed - before I deactivated the onboard
sound)
I've tried to find a means of reporting this problem officially, but I can't
seem to find one.
As I say, my worry is to the future. If I decide to install more RAM,
replace the graphics card, install another HDD or two, upgrade the CPU etc.
(all of these are reasonable possibilities at some point or another), what is
likely to happen? I almost feel like I daren't upgrade my hardware for fear
that product activation will fail (and not work by telephone this time).
Does anybody have any insight?