Activated Too Many Times

[Kerneldebugger]

My XP Pro Retail installation CD has been used many times over the past
decade. Never on more than one computer at a time so don't start that stuff
here. I formatted and resinstalled whenever I had a glitch. Too many times
no doubt, but that's water under the bridge. So now when I reinstall
windows it sez it's been activated too many times, so I do the telephone
thingie. Rumor has it that Microsoft will not support activation with the
telephone, and if that's the case, I won't be able to use my perfectly legal
CD product code anymore.

So I've made a lot of backups. But if I have to change the mobo or too many
other components and lose too many votes, I'm up the creek after April 8th,
right?

 

[Paul]

My XP Pro Retail installation CD has been used many times over the past
decade. Never on more than one computer at a time so don't start that stuff
here. I formatted and resinstalled whenever I had a glitch. Too many times
no doubt, but that's water under the bridge. So now when I reinstall
windows it sez it's been activated too many times, so I do the telephone
thingie. Rumor has it that Microsoft will not support activation with the
telephone, and if that's the case, I won't be able to use my perfectly legal
CD product code anymore.

So I've made a lot of backups. But if I have to change the mobo or too many
other components and lose too many votes, I'm up the creek after April 8th,
right?

April 8 is the end of things like Security Updates.

It says nothing about the activation system.

Since WinXP is the first one with an activation issue
(Win2K didn't have activation), it will be interesting
to see how long Microsoft is willing to run an activation
server for it. There is no real reason for the OS to stop working.
From a support point of view, it would be no different than
supporting the activation of Windows 7.

Paul

 

[Kerneldebugger]

April 8 is the end of things like Security Updates.

It says nothing about the activation system.

Since WinXP is the first one with an activation issue
(Win2K didn't have activation), it will be interesting
to see how long Microsoft is willing to run an activation
server for it. There is no real reason for the OS to stop working.
From a support point of view, it would be no different than
supporting the activation of Windows 7.

Paul

I wish that were so Paul:

"I have spoken to two MS support people and although they didn't seem so
sure about their answer they stated that I would NOT be able to activate XP
(via phone) after April 2014."

 

[philo]

My XP Pro Retail installation CD has been used many times over the past
decade. Never on more than one computer at a time so don't start that stuff
here. I formatted and resinstalled whenever I had a glitch. Too many times
no doubt, but that's water under the bridge. So now when I reinstall
windows it sez it's been activated too many times, so I do the telephone
thingie. Rumor has it that Microsoft will not support activation with the
telephone, and if that's the case, I won't be able to use my perfectly legal
CD product code anymore.

So I've made a lot of backups. But if I have to change the mobo or too many
other components and lose too many votes, I'm up the creek after April 8th,
right?

I forgot what the limit is, but I think you can activate Windows three
times in a six month period.

I have never tried this but it looks like it may be a solution


http://news.softpedia.com/news/Manu...er-Having-to-Connect-to-Microsoft-59142.shtml

 

[Paul]

I wish that were so Paul:

"I have spoken to two MS support people and although they didn't seem so
sure about their answer they stated that I would NOT be able to activate XP
(via phone) after April 2014."

http://www.zdnet.com/windows-xp-end-of-support-in-april-three-more-questions-answered-7000025151/

"A spokesperson confirmed that activations will still be required for
retail installations of Windows XP post April 8. "Windows XP can still
be installed and activated after end of support on April 8," the spokesperson noted.

"There are no current plans to remove existing Windows XP security updates
from Windows Update after end of support on April 8, 2014," a spokesperson confirmed.
"

That implies you could install the OS, activate it, visit Windows Update,
patch it up to April 2014 patch release.

I cannot see how they can stop supporting activation. If the activation
server is shut off, then the phone option can be shut off. if the
activation server for WinXP is still running, then the phone system
needs to continue running as well. Because Microsoft provides free support
for certain classes of problems (problems created by Microsoft). A Windows
Update problem, you should be able to get support. An activation issue,
you should be able to get support. Things that could be broken by something
Microsoft did, that's the kind of thing they support. They don't generally
answer a lot of general computing questions, and will ask for a credit card
for other classes of questions. I've never had to phone them up, so cannot
confirm any of those policies myself.

If the activation server is turned off, then all that support goes away.
And it will be a rather arbitrary decision - some executive could wake
up on a Monday morning and tell the staff to turn it off. They're making
up these policies as they go along.

Paul

 

[BillW50]

Since WinXP is the first one with an activation issue
(Win2K didn't have activation), it will be interesting
to see how long Microsoft is willing to run an activation
server for it.

Well... not really. There has been lots of discontinued Microsoft
products that requires activation. Like MS FSX (Flight Simulator X) and
MS Money Plus. And the last time I checked FSX activation servers are
still working. MS Money Plus on the other hand they ended the activation
server, but released a version that requires no key or activation.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

Well... not really. There has been lots of discontinued Microsoft
products that requires activation. Like MS FSX (Flight Simulator X) and
MS Money Plus. And the last time I checked FSX activation servers are
still working. MS Money Plus on the other hand they ended the
activation server, but released a version that requires no key or
activation.

I don't think I'll bet on them doing that with XP though ... (-:

(If they ever do, I can see that server running the hottest a server has
ever run!)

[Maybe it can be done with a patch, rather than the whole OS needing to
be released, which would reduce the size of the required download and
thus the server load.]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The trouble with the death penalty has always been that nobody wanted it for
everybody, but everybody differed about who should get off. - Albert
Pierrepoint, in his 1974 autobiography.

 

[Kerneldebugger]

I forgot what the limit is, but I think you can activate Windows three
times in a six month period.

I have never tried this but it looks like it may be a solution


http://news.softpedia.com/news/Manu...er-Having-to-Connect-to-Microsoft-59142.shtml

Thank you all for that information. I think I may be wrong to assume that
the end of telephone support means the end of telephone activation. I
should have reaalized that telephone activation is really just another
server (with recorded voice instructions).

 

[philo]

On 03/22/2014 09:47 AM, Kerneldebugger wrote:
<

Thank you all for that information. I think I may be wrong to assume that
the end of telephone support means the end of telephone activation. I
should have reaalized that telephone activation is really just another
server (with recorded voice instructions).

Because telephone activation is automated and does not require a person
to be on the line, my guess is that Microsoft will continue to allow XP
to be activated over the phone

 

[Andy]

http://www.zdnet.com/windows-xp-end-of-support-in-april-three-more-questions-answered-7000025151/



"A spokesperson confirmed that activations will still be required for

retail installations of Windows XP post April 8. "Windows XP can still

be installed and activated after end of support on April 8," the spokesperson noted.

Paul

It makes sense that activations will still be required.

Otherwise people that did not pay anything for Windows XP would be able to install XP which would cheat Microsoft out of revenue for AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT and raise the cost for honest people who paid for their copy.

Take care,
Andy

 

[Paul]

It makes sense that activations will still be required.

Otherwise people that did not pay anything for Windows XP
would be able to install XP which would cheat Microsoft out
of revenue for AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT and raise the cost for
honest people who paid for their copy.

Take care,
Andy

There is a precedent for this. When Adobe shut down the activation
server for an older set of Adobe products, they made available
license keys, and unlocked executables, so as to not inconvenience
the purchasers of those products. Needless to say, there was a
feeding frenzy, of other people getting copies too. What I don't understand
there, were the reasons for turning off the activation server.
Whether it was phone support for server issues, that was costing
them money, or the software was so pirated, there weren't really
any legit copies out there anyway. So at least one company, has
solved such a problem in a most unbelievable way.

Paul

 

[BillW50]

There is a precedent for this. When Adobe shut down the activation
server for an older set of Adobe products, they made available
license keys, and unlocked executables, so as to not inconvenience
the purchasers of those products. Needless to say, there was a
feeding frenzy, of other people getting copies too. What I don't understand
there, were the reasons for turning off the activation server.
Whether it was phone support for server issues, that was costing
them money, or the software was so pirated, there weren't really
any legit copies out there anyway. So at least one company, has
solved such a problem in a most unbelievable way.

Paul

Remember Gates famous "An Open Letter To Hobbyists" back in '76? Some
argues that if it wasn't for piracy, Gates and Microsoft would be
nothing today. It sure would have been interesting to see what would
have happened if there wasn't any piracy. Maybe we would be all using
very costly IBM PCs and nothing else would exist or something.

 

[Good Guy]

There is a precedent for this. When Adobe shut down the activation
server for an older set of Adobe products, they made available
license keys, and unlocked executables, so as to not inconvenience
the purchasers of those products. Needless to say, there was a
feeding frenzy, of other people getting copies too. What I don't
understand
there, were the reasons for turning off the activation server.
Whether it was phone support for server issues, that was costing
them money, or the software was so pirated, there weren't really
any legit copies out there anyway. So at least one company, has
solved such a problem in a most unbelievable way.

Paul

I was in the opinion that Microsoft will issue a patch so that people
can continue using their old OS and Office 2003 when the activation
servers are shut down.

As far as other security patches are concerned, it is not M$'s problem
so they don't have to provide old patches that have already been issued
so far.

 

[darkrats]

Just go to the Digital Life Forums:

http://forums.mydigitallife.info/forum.php

Poke around the Windows XP section and you'll find links to quite a few
install disks, including VLK images that don't require activation at all.
Also if you're in to torrents, check out the most famous site of all
http://www.thepiratebay.se for a source.
I wouldn't feel too guilty about it either. As of next week it becomes
abandonware, as far as I'm concerned.