New MS policy on Internet activation

[Gordon]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that I have
owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has resided on for
that four years. The last installation was well over a YEAR ago. It failed
the internet activation and I ended up having to speak to a customer
services representative. I asked him why it did not activate over the
internet. He told me that a new policy just issued is that even with retail
copies, internet activation is now restricted to ONE instance - any more
than that has to be over the phone.

That's going to push a lot more people to Linux, isn't it?
If this is true, WHAT THE HELL DO MS THINK THEY ARE DOING?

 

[charli b]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that I
have owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has resided
on for that four years. The last installation was well over a YEAR ago. It
failed the internet activation and I ended up having to speak to a customer
services representative. I asked him why it did not activate over the
internet. He told me that a new policy just issued is that even with retail
copies, internet activation is now restricted to ONE instance - any more
than that has to be over the phone.

That's going to push a lot more people to Linux, isn't it?
If this is true, WHAT THE HELL DO MS THINK THEY ARE DOING?

i will be buggered if i have to phone them every time i have to reinstall.
if it comes to that i will go back to win2000, it runs everything that xp
runs. the only real differance is the way it looks.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that I have
owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has resided on for
that four years. The last installation was well over a YEAR ago. It failed
the internet activation and I ended up having to speak to a customer
services representative. I asked him why it did not activate over the
internet. He told me that a new policy just issued is that even with retail
copies, internet activation is now restricted to ONE instance - any more
than that has to be over the phone.

That's going to push a lot more people to Linux, isn't it?
If this is true, WHAT THE HELL DO MS THINK THEY ARE DOING?

I strongly suspect that the person you spoke with (who would have been
required absolutely no technical skills for that position) was making up
or misinterpreting something. One Internet activation per license, for
the life of that license, simply isn't reasonable, and not even
Microsoft is that stupid.

As for why Internet activation failed in your particular case, I can't
say. Software does fail every once in while, and you may have just been
unlucky.


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[ThInKeR]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that
I have owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has
resided on for that four years. The last installation was well over a
YEAR ago. It failed the internet activation and I ended up having to
speak to a customer services representative. I asked him why it did
not activate over the internet. He told me that a new policy just
issued is that even with retail copies, internet activation is now
restricted to ONE instance - any more than that has to be over the
phone.

...
seems to be true! - had exactly the same with an XP Home activation (second install on same system)

steve

 

[HeyBub]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that
I have owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has
resided on for that four years. The last installation was well over a
YEAR ago. It failed the internet activation and I ended up having to
speak to a customer services representative. I asked him why it did
not activate over the internet. He told me that a new policy just
issued is that even with retail copies, internet activation is now
restricted to ONE instance - any more than that has to be over the
phone.
That's going to push a lot more people to Linux, isn't it?
If this is true, WHAT THE HELL DO MS THINK THEY ARE DOING?

Take heart -- no one will be pushed to Linux. New Linux users are "pulled"
by existing users and are too weak to say "No, thank you."

As for the new policy, I betcha the thieves and blackards, the cutpurses and
goblins, have found some way to corrupt or hack the internet mechanism.
Blame them.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

He told me that a new policy just issued is that even with retail
copies, internet activation is now restricted to ONE instance - any more
than that has to be over the phone.

That's going to push a lot more people to Linux, isn't it?

Yeah, like maybe four more people than before, you moron.

Most people don't even know what Linux is. I'm a power user who has
been building my own computers for 15 years, and I've NEVER even tried
to play with Linux.

 

[Gordon]

Yeah, like maybe four more people than before, you moron.

Well you know how to win frionds and influence people, don't you?
What's with the grumpy by name, grumpy by nature?

Most people don't even know what Linux is. I'm a power user who has
been building my own computers for 15 years, and I've NEVER even tried
to play with Linux.

Then you have missed out on real computing, not mickey-mouse computing.

 

[HeyBub]

Well you know how to win frionds and influence people, don't you?
What's with the grumpy by name, grumpy by nature?


Then you have missed out on real computing, not mickey-mouse
computing.

Guess what? NOBODY wants "real computing." What they want is "real
solutions."

I don't care if Linux is the best atomic-powered, fastest, pocket-sized,
multi-flavored, cheapest, fuel-efficient operating system on the planet. I
don't care whether the operating system is hamster-powered, done with smoke
and mirrors, voodoo, or all an illusion.

It's my impression that Linux users are more concerned with how the stove
works than they are with how tasty the meal is. In most cases, Linux can't
provide the pot.

 

[ThInKeR]

......

It's my impression that Linux users are more concerned with how the
stove works than they are with how tasty the meal is. In most cases,
Linux can't provide the pot.

yes, so very true!
I've been on Mandrake for about 4 weeks (a few years ago) - I threw those $100 for the distro in the bin. I nedded to get my work done...instead of running around solution hunting like a lab rat.

 

[Nada Tapu]

I strongly suspect that the person you spoke with (who would have been
required absolutely no technical skills for that position) was making up
or misinterpreting something. One Internet activation per license, for
the life of that license, simply isn't reasonable, and not even
Microsoft is that stupid.

Don't be so sure. I wrote to Microsoft support and asked this very
question. They refused to answer it, and instead referred me to the
product activation center (888-571-2048), where there is no option to
speak with a human unless you're actually in possession of an
installation ID and are in the process of activating Windows.

NT

 

[Nada Tapu]

I have just done a clean re-install of the retail copy of XP Pro that I have
owned for 4 years, on the same un-changed laptop that it has resided on for
that four years. The last installation was well over a YEAR ago. It failed
the internet activation and I ended up having to speak to a customer
services representative. I asked him why it did not activate over the
internet. He told me that a new policy just issued is that even with retail
copies, internet activation is now restricted to ONE instance - any more
than that has to be over the phone.

Reported to Microsoft-Watch.com. Maybe they can get to the bottom of
it.

NT