After 5 months ask for activation

[Guest]

So, I have Vista Ultimate. Yesterday everything was ok. Today it is not. I
keep getting the message that my os is not genuine.
IT IS!!!
So-I changed the key(same old one) Vista goes on the net and tells me
everything is fine, close the window and. I get this validation question.
What is going on??

 

[Guest]

So, I have Vista Ultimate. Yesterday everything was ok. Today it is not. I
keep getting the message that my os is not genuine.
IT IS!!!
So-I changed the key(same old one) Vista goes on the net and tells me
everything is fine, close the window and. I get this validation question.
What is going on??

Same problem here, except with Windows Vista Business:
It might have something to do with the updates, because I
downloaded/installed updates, and it told me that I had activate my windows.
I type my key, and it tells me its already been used. And it has been used
(by me, on this computer), so wtf. Now it keeps giving me genuine advantage
BS.

 

[Guest]

Same here too but Vista Home Premium. It has to be something todo with Nvidia
motherboard drivers i received from Windows Update!. I already tried to
activate thru phone but no luck, now I need to get real service to get things
working. Thanks a f*cking much Microsoft!

 

[LoneStar]

Same here too but Vista Home Premium. It has to be something todo with
Nvidia
motherboard drivers i received from Windows Update!. I already tried to
activate thru phone but no luck, now I need to get real service to get
things
working. Thanks a f*cking much Microsoft!

Why didn't the phone validation request work? Did they simply refuse after
you told them your situation? Good grief: now I've got something else to
lose sleep over!

EW

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Select the option to activate by phone.

As for why?
I am not sure except possibly some hardware updates have been known to
cause this for some.

 

[Mac]

What is the free phone number?

Select the option to activate by phone.

As for why?
I am not sure except possibly some hardware updates have been known to
cause this for some.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

The phone number is toll free in many areas but not all.
After you choose the option to activate by phone, a screen will come
up for you to select your region.
The correct number will be displayed at that time.

 

[Mac]

Point is folks should not have to pay to have such problems fixed...

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:50:04 -0700, The Viking

So, I have Vista Ultimate. Yesterday everything was ok. Today it is not. I
keep getting the message that my os is not genuine.

Let's clarify whether you are posting about WGA (Windows Genuine
Advantage) or Product Activation - because they are largely unrelated
systems that share only a common anti-piracy objective.

Your subject line suggests Product Activation is the problem. If so,
what you would have experienced, is your PC refusing to operate
normally, after 3 days of warnings that you need to activate.

On the other hand, WGA would present with a pop-up telling you your OS
installation is not "genuine", i.e. is now (as of a recent WGA
"update") considered to be using a stolen key.

Which was it?

So-I changed the key(same old one) Vista goes on the net and tells me
everything is fine, close the window and. I get this validation question.
What is going on??

I don't know, yet.

Firstly, let's get as much detail on those various alerts, etc. not
only to tell whether this is WGA or Product Activation, but also to be
sure it's not some (other <g>) malware protection racket.

Did you:
- change any hardware?
- remove any hardware for troubleshooting purposes?
- convert any file systems or reformat any patritions?
- update BIOS or other device firmware or ROMs?
- change any device drivers?
- change any core CMOS settings?
- boot your HD in a different PC?
- change any overclocking settings?

If so, Vista's apparently hair-trigger Product Activation component
monitoring system may have pulled the pin on the DoS payload.

If not, it's less likely to be Product Activation, unless something
(file system mishap, malware attack) ate your WPA information.

If none of the above applies, but you are online and swallowing WGA
updates, then it's possible one of these has taken exception to your
product key. If that's the case, then take a look at your OS
installation disk, CoA sticker, etc. to see if there are any signs of
these being counterfeited; it may be an un-false positive.

In any event, you can call MS and ask about all this stuff. If you
explain it's a WPA or WGA issue, they should assist you for free.

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The rights you save may be your own

 

[LoneStar]

Hey Viking.......... you got some pretty good responses from people trying
to help. Do you think it would be cool if you'd actually REPLY. Hello!!

EW

 

[Guest]

I have the same problem, except I'm using vista home premium. After 3 months,
yesterday I get told my copy of vista is not genuine and need to validate it
by typing in my authentication code. When I do this it then says that it is
already in use and I'm back to square one. I don't see why customers should
pay for calls to fix bugs in their system, but what else can we do? It's
shocking really.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

You do not pay for the call, it is a toll free number.

There are many reasons why you can be prompted to activate, most are by
design and legitimate, some are not because there does seem to be bugs in
the activation component. Instead of getting **ssed off, you need to try and
discover exactly why your system is asking for activation.

The overwhelming majority of systems where I have seen this 'problem' end up
having a legitimate activation issue.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:04:35 -0700, "Ronnie Vernon MVP"

You do not pay for the call, it is a toll free number.

YMMV based on geography; it's true where I live, but I don't know if
it is true everywhere. Also, centers may not be 24/7 everywhere.

There are many reasons why you can be prompted to activate, most are by
design and legitimate, some are not because there does seem to be bugs in
the activation component.

The latter is very significant, as it destroys the basis of trust. We
tolerate embedded user-hostile code on the basis that it will never go
off accidentally, and bugs mean it *can* go off accidentally.

Instead of getting **ssed off

I'd re-phrase that as "As well as getting **ssed off". I don't see
anger as inappropriate if I'm denied the use of my system with no
reason. It's the same reason I'd be angry with malware.

you need to try and discover exactly why your system is asking for activation.

Will you get straight answers?

Posters have been telling folks to just "phone and beg", but do these
folks ever get told WHY they had to activate out of the blue? Or are
posters so cowed by the process that they slink away without demanding
such answers, grateful to be permitted to use their PC again?

The overwhelming majority of systems where I have seen this 'problem'
end up having a legitimate activation issue.

Can you give us some details there, please?

I really want to know, because I'm seeing lots of these cases and
rarely, if ever, do I see follow-up that explains what happened and
why. Such follow-up isn't encouraged by common advice, either.

So if you have personal experience with a number of such cases, or can
point a URL to an aggregation of such experience, please reply!

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When Occam's Razor meets the Halting Problem,
the Halting Problem wins