Bill said:
I had to re-install Windows and upgrade to VISTA again after a hard drive
failure. When I try to activate Vista it says this ID already in use. How
can I fix this. It has been past my free time to get support from Microsoft.
Do I have to pay them to get this fixed?
No.
When you call for activation, being an educated consumer is beneficial.
Quoted from the MS website:
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_facts.mspx
"Mandatory Product Activation Data
* The Installation ID is unique to each product and comprises two
components:
1. Product ID. Unique to the product key used during installation
2. Hardware hash. Non-unique representation of the PC
* The country in which the product is being installed (for Office
XP and Office XP family products only)"
You are never required to provide any other info in order to get
activated. The agent is required to activate you immediately if you
phone in and provide only the product ID, hardware hash, and
occasionally the country in which the product(s) is being installed! It
is none of their business if you made hardware changes, why you are
reinstalling, etc and you do not need to answer questions like that. If
they give you a hard time, politely remind them of this policy posted on
their company's website. If still they persist, request politely to
speak to a supervisor and escalate the issue until they give YOU the
paying customer the treatment you deserve!
--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html
"Fair use is not merely a nice concept--it is a federal law based on
free speech rights under the First Amendment and is a cornerstone of the
creativity and innovation that is a hallmark of this country. Consumer
rights in the digital age are not frivolous."
- Maura Corbett