Microsoft Activation Stupidity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr. Frazzlebottom
  • Start date Start date
M

Mr. Frazzlebottom

I thought MS OS design has, how shall we say, "issues", but this takes
the cake....

I had an old PC with XP, an Pentium MMX @233mhz and it barely ran, but
it did. Then I get a another "hand me down" pc that is a PII 400Mhz.

So, I put the HDD from the old into the new.

XP was much better than 98 at detecting all the new hardware..., and,
not totally unexpected, XP warns that since there were significant
hardware changes that XP must be re-activated withing 3 days. Okay, I
can do that.

But then, get this... after the reboot (for the new found hardware) XP
tries to logon but says that it can't, that "This copy of Windows must
be activated ... before you can log on."

Then, after clicking "OK" XP proceeds to log off.

And then XP proceeds to try and log on again, with the same This copy
of Windows must be activated ... before you can log on." message.

It's stuck in a loop with no way to exit!

Same with safe mode!

So I am hosed. And people wonder why people hate Microsoft?

There just may be a way to solve this problem. But to do so it to,
what? Spend tens of hours posting stupid questions to Usenet in hope of
a non-arrogant MS MVP that actually has something useful to say about
this? Hours of searching the Web for solutions, inevitably finding
hundreds of people complaining about the same kind of problems all
tripping over one another but never actually finding a solution? Call
Microsoft? Where's the number? I have to did up the original box/manual
that the OS came in. (It is not a Dell/Getway/etc., I can't call the
mfg. It's way past any warranty.)

If you are going to say re-install XP from scratch don't bother to
answer, that is an unexceptable answer, although that is probably what
I will have to do.

Hopefully, I am just missing something obvious.

--
 
Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. When XP was
installed on the old machine an Installation ID was generated based on
the hardware components of the PC. If you change enough hardware in the
old pc you would encounter the same problem.

There have been numerous discussions about this very topic. The problem
is that when you put the hard drive in the other computer it violates
the EULA. The EULA is tied to the hardware and not an individual.
Believe it or not I have heard MS Licensing state that if you upgrade
your motherboard you are required to to purchase a new license. This is
not the case if the hardware fails but you are required to use the
exact same model MB. In other words they believe that an upgraded MB
results in a new PC. Howver this is not mentioned anywhere in the EULA
so I really dont understand how they can enforce this through the
activation process. This subject will produce a lot of debate and I can
see why.

You could always try using the telephone method and pleading your case
to get activated again.
 
Call MS and explain to them what happened.
All you'll need is the product key....

~B
 
I thought MS OS design has, how shall we say, "issues", but this takes
the cake....

I had an old PC with XP, an Pentium MMX @233mhz and it barely ran, but
it did. Then I get a another "hand me down" pc that is a PII 400Mhz.

So, I put the HDD from the old into the new.

XP was much better than 98 at detecting all the new hardware..., and,
not totally unexpected, XP warns that since there were significant
hardware changes that XP must be re-activated withing 3 days. Okay, I
can do that.

But then, get this... after the reboot (for the new found hardware) XP
tries to logon but says that it can't, that "This copy of Windows must
be activated ... before you can log on."

Then, after clicking "OK" XP proceeds to log off.

And then XP proceeds to try and log on again, with the same This copy
of Windows must be activated ... before you can log on." message.

It's stuck in a loop with no way to exit!

Same with safe mode!

So I am hosed. And people wonder why people hate Microsoft?

There just may be a way to solve this problem. But to do so it to,
what? Spend tens of hours posting stupid questions to Usenet in hope of
a non-arrogant MS MVP that actually has something useful to say about
this? Hours of searching the Web for solutions, inevitably finding
hundreds of people complaining about the same kind of problems all
tripping over one another but never actually finding a solution? Call
Microsoft? Where's the number? I have to did up the original box/manual
that the OS came in. (It is not a Dell/Getway/etc., I can't call the
mfg. It's way past any warranty.)

If you are going to say re-install XP from scratch don't bother to
answer, that is an unexceptable answer, although that is probably what
I will have to do.

Hopefully, I am just missing something obvious.
Click to expand...

If you did do what you said (searched for a solution over the Usenet), you
would have found that by doing a repair reinstall on top of the installed XP
should be able to fix your problem. However, as you now know, nothing is easy
with MS now. Product Activation may be a "boon" for Microsoft but a "pain in
the a**" for the users.
 
Mr. Frazzlebottom said:
There just may be a way to solve this problem. But to do so it to,
what? Spend tens of hours posting stupid questions to Usenet in hope of
a non-arrogant MS MVP that actually has something useful to say about
this?
Click to expand...

That's hardly a good way to put potential helpers into the right frame
of mind. It also doesn't help having to pick through paragraphs of
flailing resentment to find out what the bones of your technical problem
might be.
 
Non-Arrogant MVP ? - When you visit a Doctor is he arrogant
because he knows more about medicine than you do ? If you
consult a lawyer, is he arrogant because he knows and practices
the law ?

Arrogant people aren't generally inclined to go to a open forum
and answer questions and give out "Free" advice.
 
I won't try to defend the guys comments. But I will say that some of the
experts could do away with the condescending tone sometimes. Because they
know more doesn't justify talking to people like they are scum. They don't
all do it but I see more than enough of it. I'm sure one of those
experiences is enough to make some people not ask a second question.
 
Mike said:
That's hardly a good way to put potential helpers into the right frame
of mind. It also doesn't help having to pick through paragraphs of
flailing resentment to find out what the bones of your technical problem
might be.
Click to expand...

Although your assesment of "flailing resentment" is pretty accurate,
but there are no potential helpers on this -- beyond the standard
're-install XP'. I was simply (and arrogantly, yes, I do admit) trying
to stave off the "helpful" MVP from trying to put the blame upon the
user for "violating the EULA">

The "technical problem" is a basic flaw within XP that Microsoft
obviously has no intention of fixing.
 
Interesting observation. Not something I zero in on, usually I'm
interested in the technical accuracy of posts/replies. I guess there
are times the answers seem a little harsh or insulting - hopefully
not done intentionally unless deserved. (Trolls & Misinformation
posters).
 
R. McCarty said:
Non-Arrogant MVP ? - When you visit a Doctor is he arrogant
because he knows more about medicine than you do ? If you
consult a lawyer, is he arrogant because he knows and practices
the law ?
Click to expand...

This is *exactly* the arrogance I was thinking of. Do *YOU* presume to
"know more about XP" than everyone else? Do doctors have to search
widely for another doctor which always knows more than he when he
himself is ill? What happens when a Crimnal Lawyer consults with an
Intellecual Property Lawyer I wonder.
Arrogant people aren't generally inclined to go to a open forum
and answer questions and give out "Free" advice.
Click to expand...

Then *WHY* are *YOU* here? To go to an open forum and make judgement
calls on everyone's posts for free? And if someone were not to post to
Usenet for free to whom do they send the bill?

Oh, you mean I am not supposed to post to Usenet when I can call a
Microsoft rep and pay them money? Ah, I get it. Thank you for setting
me straight.
 
Mr. Frazzlebottom said:
Although your assesment of "flailing resentment" is pretty accurate,
but there are no potential helpers on this -- beyond the standard
're-install XP'. I was simply (and arrogantly, yes, I do admit) trying
to stave off the "helpful" MVP from trying to put the blame upon the
user for "violating the EULA">

The "technical problem" is a basic flaw within XP that Microsoft
obviously has no intention of fixing.
Click to expand...

MVPs and other regular participants on these forums tend to burn out in
part due to wading through posts like yours. And if everything done or
suggested is redefined by you in terms to suit your hostile worldview,
then there's really little impetus to go the extra step.

You help create that world.
 
Mr. Frazzlebottom said:
This is *exactly* the arrogance I was thinking of. Do *YOU* presume to
"know more about XP" than everyone else?
Click to expand...

Many here simply know enough to help those in need.
Do doctors have to search
widely for another doctor which always knows more than he when he
himself is ill?
Click to expand...

They may have to, depending on the nature of the illness. They probably
don't start by abusing them first.
What happens when a Crimnal Lawyer consults with an
Intellecual Property Lawyer I wonder.
Click to expand...

They have to pay for the other's time (or if in the same practice, the
time is billed back to the client).
 
chrispsg said:
This is not a flaw in XP. This is by design. What you are doing is a
violation of the EULA.
Click to expand...

It is a design flaw, or, perhaps more apt, a flawed design.
 
Based on the contents of your post it would appear the "technical
problem" is more a case of "lack of knowledge on the part of the user".
You may want to look up "Repair install"
 
Brian said:
Call MS and explain to them what happened.
All you'll need is the product key....
Click to expand...

Sure. And I have done so in the past when I had an installation that
consistently failed during activation (I stupidly had the date off by a
year, which causes activation to fail; bu they time I figured that out
and adjusted the time, the next activiation said that XP had already
been activated. I called. I stated that this was installed on a single
PC and I got a new activation code).

But, will whomever I call at Microsoft be able to instruct me on how to
fix my problem?

I can not log on to the system because I "need to activate it". But I
can not activate it unless I log into it.

Having to re-activate is not a problem. Calling Microsoft is not a
problem. The problem is that "by design" XP is broken.

XP did provide me with a message that I had three days to re-activate.
That is fine! But due to "design" of XP it will not let me re-activate.
That is that problem.
 
Mr. Frazzlebottom said:
Sure. And I have done so in the past when I had an installation that
consistently failed during activation (I stupidly had the date off by a
year, which causes activation to fail; bu they time I figured that out
and adjusted the time, the next activiation said that XP had already
been activated. I called. I stated that this was installed on a single
PC and I got a new activation code).

But, will whomever I call at Microsoft be able to instruct me on how to
fix my problem?

I can not log on to the system because I "need to activate it". But I
can not activate it unless I log into it.

Having to re-activate is not a problem. Calling Microsoft is not a
problem. The problem is that "by design" XP is broken.

XP did provide me with a message that I had three days to re-activate.
That is fine! But due to "design" of XP it will not let me re-activate.
That is that problem.
Click to expand...

Open your CD ROM Drive. Put the XP CD in it. Close the CD ROM Drive. Go
into the BIOS and set the CD ROM as first boot. Exit and save from Bios.
Choose Repair. If it's been over 120 days, you will be able to activate
online.

As Nike says, "Just do it!"

Alias

Use the Reply to Sender feature of your news reader program to email me.
Utiliza Responder al Remitente para mandarme un mail.
 
Well said Mike, I couldn't agree more.
If the post is made in a respectful way it is more likly to get serious
consideration....
I loved the Dr. analogy posted earlier.
On the same note, If you're sick and pay this Dr. a visit and describe your
particular ailments in a manner similar to this O.P. you'll be lucky to get
anything out of the Dr. at all....... Except maybe an invoice......
When was the last time you heard of an MVP charging for advice here Mr.
Frazzlebottom?

~B
 
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