Bios change and ask for new activation

[Guest]

I have a Sony Vaio RX550 I just changed the bios to a newer version from the
motherboard manufacture. It works great, but now Windows XP want to
reactivate my computer but the OEM Product Key wont work. Can anyone help? My
guess it's because I'm not using the SONY bios update which is three version
behind the motherboard.

 

[F1]

Is it possible that the PID is tied to the BIOS. I know Dell does it.

 

[Public posting]

Basically you're screwed.

Welcome to Microsoft! Our motto is: "$60 trillion dollars isn't enough
money... We want more!!!"

You could try calling Microsoft and explaining it. They might be in a good
mood and give you another key.

But according to their docs, upgrading a mobo (or a non-official bios) makes
it a "new" computer and you aren't entitled to be using that old copy of
Windows anymore and you have to buy a new one. Still, from some reports,
they can be willing to give you a new key if you explain nicely.

You could go back to the old BIOS and reinstall, and that should be
reactived automatically.

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

I have a Sony Vaio RX550 I just changed the bios to a newer version from the
motherboard manufacture. It works great, but now Windows XP want to
reactivate my computer but the OEM Product Key wont work. Can anyone help? My
guess it's because I'm not using the SONY bios update which is three version
behind the motherboard.

Hi

Sony's OEM version of Windows XP uses the BIOS for auto-activation.
I suggest you flash the BIOS with the latest SONY bios update and
see if that solves the activation problem.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Your blaming Microsoft for this is out of line.
It is Sony and NOT Microsoft who chose the option of tying the OS to
the motherboard BIOS.

Also the statement "Basically you're screwed" is wrong.
Flashing to a Sony BIOS which is the only real option with the major
OEMs anyways will fix the problem.

 

[Public posting]

Microsoft is to blame for it.

They are the ones who did the product activation. They did it claiming it'd
reduce piracy etc., but even they admit it hasn't really helped at all.
That's one of the reasons they are introducing a broken "starter" version of
XP. The thing has less functionality than a "PE" version which doesn't have
any activation at all.

And Microsoft actively encouraged OEM's to lock XP to the bios. It wasn't
something Sony or Dell etc. thought of all by themselves.

All activation has done is screw the honest people like this guy. The
people do legally own a copy of XP are the main ones who get hurt by it.

The people who want to pirate it have already easily bypassed activation.
It's not hard at all. (And they usually haven't bothered to even do the
security fixes, meaning their machines are wide open and probably full of
trojans and viruses and causing the entire internet problems. Too bad
Microsoft isn't held financially responsible for all the damage they cause!)

Or you can even live with the 30 day trial. Save your stuff, restore from
an image, and restore your stuff and you have another 30 days. Takes 30
minutes once a month.

And there are a few other ways, but this isn't going to be a 'how to'
message.

The people who want to pirate can easily do so. The only people that get
hurt are the honest ones who actually paid for Windows. And Microsoft knew
that ahead of time but did it anyway. So yes, it is Microsoft's fault.


And as for flashing the bios... I did suggest to the guy to flash with the
original bios and reinstall and that'd take care of the activation.

As for why he used a non-offocial bios... Hate to tell you this, but many
manufacturers don't really care about bugs in the bios. They may not do an
update for years, if ever. In some cases, the only way to fix significant
problems is to use a third party bios that's been hacked to fix the bug.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

You sum up the blame again in your last statement of your rant:
"many manufacturers don't really care"
Interesting how you seem to make that Microsoft's fault.
If you do not like the choice the OEM gives, choose another, their are
options whether you recognize that or not.
All OEMs do not use the same options.
Your focusing all the blame on Microsoft clearly ignores the part the
OEMs have in it and yet your last statement.
Perhaps you need to have an unbiased look at your own post.

 

[Public posting]

You sum up the blame again in your last statement of your rant:
"many manufacturers don't really care"

They don't about the bios. And I think the manufacturers are doing wrong.
I didn't say it was a good thing etc.

But that's not the same thing as product activation.

Don't try to weasel out of this by changing the subject from Product
Activation to the quality of support that some manufacturers give to their
bios.

The problem the guy had was product activation. He easily solved the bios
problem.


Microsoft deliberately implemented product activation knowing full well that
it wouldn't actually effect piracy and that it would screw honest people.

Interesting how you seem to make that Microsoft's fault.

Sony, Dell, etc. sure as heck didn't put product activation into Microsoft
Windows XP....

If you do not like the choice the OEM gives, choose another, their are
options whether you recognize that or not.

Most buyers have no way of knowing that until after purchase. And because
of Microsoft, most manufactures will *not* sell you a computer without a
copy of XP, nor are they going to let you choose a version that isn't bios
locked. You take what they give you. (And by 'take' I mean pay $$$ even if
you don't want it.)

All OEMs do not use the same options.
Your focusing all the blame on Microsoft clearly ignores the part the OEMs
have in it and yet your last statement.

The problem exists regardless whether you use an OEM bios locked version, a
regular OEM version, or a retail version. You change your hardware a bit
and you have to beg re-activation from Microsoft.

It just happens to be worse in the BIOS locked versions that microsoft made
large OEM's use.

Perhaps you need to have an unbiased look at your own post.

Gee... I'm biased.... I don't like Microsoft. I've been screwed by them
enough times over the years. I've used computers for more than 20 years and
I'm sick and tired and disgusted with Microsoft.

There is absolutely zero benefit from Product Activation. The only people
it *ever* causes problems for are the legitimage owners, like the guy who
posted the question. The pirates have long since bypassed it.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

And yet with all the choices, you use what you feel is best.
You posted using Microsoft products.

If you really believed the way you post you would have already used
one of the many options.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

Snipped a bunch of garbage

Gee... I'm biased.... I don't like Microsoft. I've been screwed by
them enough times over the years. I've used computers for more than
20 years and I'm sick and tired and disgusted with Microsoft.

Snipped some more

 

[Don Burnette]

They don't about the bios. And I think the manufacturers are doing
wrong. I didn't say it was a good thing etc.

But that's not the same thing as product activation.

Don't try to weasel out of this by changing the subject from Product
Activation to the quality of support that some manufacturers give to
their bios.

The problem the guy had was product activation. He easily solved the
bios problem.


Microsoft deliberately implemented product activation knowing full
well that it wouldn't actually effect piracy and that it would screw
honest
people.

Sony, Dell, etc. sure as heck didn't put product activation into
Microsoft Windows XP....



Most buyers have no way of knowing that until after purchase. And
because of Microsoft, most manufactures will *not* sell you a computer
without a copy of XP, nor are they going to let you choose a version that
isn't
bios locked. You take what they give you. (And by 'take' I mean pay $$$
even if you don't want it.)



The problem exists regardless whether you use an OEM bios locked
version, a regular OEM version, or a retail version. You change your
hardware a bit and you have to beg re-activation from Microsoft.

Don't think so, at least not with the retail version. I started out with XP
Home in Dec of 01, and graduated to XP Pro about 18 months ago.
During this time, I changed:
3 processors
2 motherboards
2 video cards
1 sound card
Ram

I would say this is a little more than " changing my hardware a bit". And I
certainly, did not have to beg for re-activation.
Matter of fact, each time, with the exception of 1, it re-activated over the
internet in moments. The one time it did not, I called the toll free number
provided, and activation took all of about 5 minutes max.

You buy a system, with a less expensive version as oem is, and you get
less - in this case, support comes from the pc mfg/seller, and if they
locked the xp activation to the bios, then that is what you have. Shame on
them for not making this clear up front, and shame on the buyer for not
further investigating what an oem copy is.

 

[Public posting]

And yet with all the choices, you use what you feel is best.
You posted using Microsoft products.

"All the choices"? Realistically, what choices do I have? Name them...

Lindows? Hah.... They are so incompetent they can't even keep their name.

Mandrake? SuSE?

The reality is that Linux isn't suitable for the general desktop and wont be
for years to come. In spite of what the fanatics say, even for my home
system, a lot of what I do can't be done under Linux.

And there's no point in buying a mac, because that's only a slight step
above what Linux gives you but you pay 5 times the price for lower
performance.

And the "ReactOS" certainly isn't far enough along to use. (For those that
don't know, ReactOS is an early development of an opensource clone of
WinNT.)

The reality is that at the moment, if you actually want to *use* a computer,
there is no other choice but Microsoft. And you can't even stay with Win98
because Microsoft stopped providing security patches, and too many other
programs have arbitrarily decided not to run on anything but XP.


For the record though... I bought XP Pro specifically because of the longer
product support cycle over the home version. I intend for this to be the
last Microsoft OS I buy. I fully intend to use it for the next several
years until I am forced to upgrade by LongHorn's sucessor (shudder) or until
Linux becomes usable on my desktop.

 

[Public posting]

Don't think so, at least not with the retail version. I started out with
XP Home in Dec of 01, and graduated to XP Pro about 18 months ago.
During this time, I changed:
3 processors
2 motherboards
2 video cards
1 sound card
Ram

Or, you can just upgrade to a new mobo with a new cpu.

With the new cpu, that's a new serial number, a new cpu stepping, a new NIC,
a new chipset, a new IDE controller ID, and possibly a new video controller
(on board).

You are instantly well over the limit and requiring re-activation.

I would say this is a little more than " changing my hardware a bit". And
I certainly, did not have to beg for re-activation.
Matter of fact, each time, with the exception of 1, it re-activated over
the internet in moments. The one time it did not, I called the toll free
number provided, and activation took all of about 5 minutes max.

You probably also re-activated an already existing activation. If you
re-activate over the net, they do allow for "significantly different
hardware" 3 to 4 times a year. (Their docs disagree whether it's 3 or 4.)

Do that with a freshly formatted drive a time or two, and see what kind of
response you get from. Then you aren't doing a re-activation but a new
activation.

But that still doesn't justify having to do it. You paid them good money
for it, so why are they treating you like a crook, while the pirates aren't
bothered in the slightest?

You buy a system, with a less expensive version as oem is, and you get

Again, most computer sellers don't give you a choice whether to get an OEM
or a retail. You get what they give you. (Unless you buy from one of the
'custom' places.)


But again... Just what benefit is there?

It doesn't stop piracy.

It doesn't interfere with piracy.

The only people that get effected are the honest people who actually buy it.

 

[Ron Martell]

Microsoft is to blame for it.

They are the ones who did the product activation. They did it claiming it'd
reduce piracy etc., but even they admit it hasn't really helped at all.

Can you give a URL or other source document identification to
substantiate that claim?

My information is that "casual piracy" has been reduced substantially
since the introduction of product activation.

"Casual piracy" means the small office or business with one license
for 6 or 10 computers, or the home where a single license gets
installed on every computer in the house, plus the brother-in-laws
house, plus 2 or 3 neighbors and half a dozen or more of the kid's
school buddies.


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[David Candy]

It's per 120 days. So there can be three or four in any twelve month period. Assuming day 1, 121, 241, 361.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Perhaps you should post to the Linux groups.
There are Linux users with far less experience than you claim who
succeed where you fail.
The reality is, you are unable to do what many do on a daily basis.

Your issues about Activation are based mostly on ignorance.
Activation is rarely a problem for the typical user.
The typical user changes no hardware on their computer to make
activation an issue.
People that change motherboards are not typical.
At that point they should be researching cause and effect before
undertaking such a major change.

Activation was never intended to stop a determined thief (pirate).
If you believe it was, please post the source.
On the other hand activation was partially intended to stop and has to
a degree succeeded in stopping casual piracy.
Casual piracy was usually people that did not know Windows was
licensed for a single computer and thus installed the single license
on many friends and relatives computers.
The evidence for this is in the newsgroups regularly when people
attempt to install Windows XP on more than one computer and then
decide not to or buy another license.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

"All the choices"? Realistically, what choices do I have? Name
them...

Lindows? Hah.... They are so incompetent they can't even keep
their name.

Mandrake? SuSE?

The reality is that Linux isn't suitable for the general desktop and
wont be for years to come. In spite of what the fanatics say, even
for my home system, a lot of what I do can't be done under Linux.

And there's no point in buying a mac, because that's only a slight
step above what Linux gives you but you pay 5 times the price for
lower performance.

And the "ReactOS" certainly isn't far enough along to use. (For
those that don't know, ReactOS is an early development of an
opensource clone of WinNT.)

The reality is that at the moment, if you actually want to *use* a
computer, there is no other choice but Microsoft. And you can't
even stay with Win98 because Microsoft stopped providing security
patches, and too many other programs have arbitrarily decided not to
run on anything but XP.


For the record though... I bought XP Pro specifically because of the
longer product support cycle over the home version. I intend for
this to be the last Microsoft OS I buy. I fully intend to use it
for the next several years until I am forced to upgrade by
LongHorn's sucessor (shudder) or until Linux becomes usable on my
desktop.

=---

 

[jeffrey]

hmmm,

I replaced a hard drive in my cousin`s computer, reinstalled XP from an OEM
CD. I also replaced the video card and upgraded her CPU. I did a quick
re-activation via the internet with no problem. I would call replacing the
hard drive and re-installing XP a major change, yet MS didn`t give me any
problems. If you don`t like MS that much, then create your own OS to use
the software you want.

Most activation problems I have seen were people making hardware changes
before the 120 day limit, they just called MS, and was able to re-activate
it with no problem. They didn`t have to beg at all. Your misconception is
from your dislike of MS. If you don`t like them, then keep that opinion to
yourself, let other people freely discover and make their own opinion of MS,
they don`t need to be tainted by your bias attitude.

 

[Michael Stevens]

I have a Sony Vaio RX550 I just changed the bios to a newer version
from the motherboard manufacture. It works great, but now Windows XP
want to reactivate my computer but the OEM Product Key wont work. Can
anyone help? My guess it's because I'm not using the SONY bios update
which is three version behind the motherboard.

Go to the Sony web site and download the latest Sony supported BIOS and
flash your MB BIOS.
Sony is the one responsible for support, and if you wish to change the
computer to a non-supported configuration, you will need to supply your own
support, or you will need to return the system back to a configuration
supported by Sony.
This is not a Microsoft issue.
It is not a Sony issue.
This is a User related issue. The user has decided to go it alone and alter
their purchased system beyond what was supported by the OS and the OEM. The
system is not behaving abnormally, it is behaving exactly as it designed to
behave.
Was the BIOS update recommended by Sony? Was it needed?

--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Public posting]

hmmm,

I replaced a hard drive in my cousin`s computer, reinstalled XP from an
OEM
CD. I also replaced the video card and upgraded her CPU. I did a quick
re-activation via the internet with no problem. I would call replacing
the
hard drive and re-installing XP a major change, yet MS didn`t give me any
problems. If you don`t like MS that much, then create your own OS to use
the software you want.

That was probably a situation where the current hardware was still similar
to the old hardware. It was enough to be considered a 'reactivation' of an
existing activation, rather than a full new activation. Like what happens
when you change a full mobo.

Most activation problems I have seen were people making hardware changes
before the 120 day limit, they just called MS, and was able to re-activate
it with no problem. They didn`t have to beg at all. Your misconception
is

Some people don't have problems. Especially if this is their first or
second time.

But they still had to "politely ask" (instead of begging) Microsoft for
permission to use the OS they paid good money for.

from your dislike of MS. If you don`t like them, then keep that opinion
to
yourself, let other people freely discover and make their own opinion of
MS,
they don`t need to be tainted by your bias attitude.

"Let other people freely discover"?

You mean like the guy who started this thread?

 

[Public posting]

Can you give a URL or other source document identification to
substantiate that claim?

I don't go around collecting every Microsoft link I see, sorry. Especially
over periods of years.

But yes, I've read that they said it didn't work as well as expected. They
didn't come out and say "we screwed up" or anything drastic like that, but
it wasn't entirely positive.

You can also go back to the older days and see how they started changing
their statements when the working cracks and keygens appeared. In the
begining they were talking about all piracy and that it'd make it completely
impossible, etc. etc., and since then they've been changing it every 6
months or so.

And they didn't make any more warez keys invalid in sp2, like they did with
sp1, which is a bit of admission on their part that blocking warez keys
doesn't help.

And they tried changing the activation in sp1 to make the warez keygens stop
working and to stop piracy. But it didn't.

And they are changing WindowsUpdate to *always* verify your key and
activation before allowing you to download any updates. That right there is
saying pretty clearly that the previous stuff didn't work. (And actually,
this isn't going to work either. It'll just mean the warez copies wont get
patched, which means massively unsecure computers will be on the net
throughout the world.)

And they certainly didn't want to do a reduced price version of XP. They
fought that idea. But they've ended up doing the starter edition solely to
combat piracy. If activation had worked like they claimed it would, there
wouldn't be any piracy of XP in the world.

My information is that "casual piracy" has been reduced substantially
since the introduction of product activation.

In the begining, they said the main focus was on the real piracy.

It was only after working cracks and keygens started apearing that they
changed to saying "casual piracy". This was pointed out in several online
news sites. Because a lot of people suddenly started wondering why they
were focusing on the casual person instead of the professionals who were
causing far more piracy than all the casual users combined.

 

[Public posting]

Perhaps you should post to the Linux groups.
There are Linux users with far less experience than you claim who succeed
where you fail.
The reality is, you are unable to do what many do on a daily basis.

It's not that I can't install Linux. That's trivial. Been there, done
that.

It's doing without the windows specific programs that don't work properly
under Wine.

It's doing without some hardware that doesn't have any (or good, reliable)
linux drivers.

It's doing without the occasional game.

I didn't say Linux didn't work. I said Linux wasn't ready for my desktop.
That's also why I said I expect XP to be my last Microsoft OS. By the time
I'm ready to upgrade, I expect / hope the Linux situation to have improved
enough.


If all I wanted to do was surf the web and do email and write the occasional
note, like some newbie (or a user in a fixed config corporate shop) then
Linux would be fine.

But some of us want to do a little bit more. The fact that I have used
computers for so long might indeed be part of the problem, because I want to
do more on my computer than what some others do.

Your issues about Activation are based mostly on ignorance.
Activation is rarely a problem for the typical user.

If you define "typical user" and the current brainless newbie who never does
anything with their hardware, then sure.

The typical user changes no hardware on their computer to make activation
an issue.

Apparently you do define "typical user" that way...! I wrote that above
statement before I read this far.

People that change motherboards are not typical.
At that point they should be researching cause and effect before
undertaking such a major change.

But it's not Microsoft's place to say what we can or can't do with our
hardware.

Activation was never intended to stop a determined thief (pirate).
If you believe it was, please post the source.

That's certainly what Microsoft was originally saying. And when Microsoft
started changing their tune after the cracks and keygens appeared, even many
news sites noticed the change.

On the other hand activation was partially intended to stop and has to a
degree succeeded in stopping casual piracy.

Really? Is that why Microsoft has finally grudgingly given in and decided
to start selling a reduced price starter version? Because all that "casual
piracy" was eliminated?