Reuse Product Key

[Edy Dys]

Hello,

I have a Vista Ultimate Full Version, not OEM. I installed it on my machine
a year ago. My machine did a major crash, which I had to replace the mother
board, and reintall everything on my hard drive. Now Vista says I don't have
an acticvated version. How can I reuse the Vista that I have?

Thanks.

 

[Gary Mount]

If you can't activate it via the Internet, then use the Phone method.

 

[Saran]

If you can't activate it via the Internet, then use the Phone method.

Dare I say just find the activation crack (bit tottent is best, read the
comments and make sure it's not tainted)

Some here obviously wont agree, but it really is worth the trouble, to
not have to deal with the activation at all - restoring control of the
software to the user where it should be, and not at the mercy of the
manufacture.

The same goes for XP, the Adobe CS series of applications, and the
likes.

An application should not be dependant on the manufacture in order to to
run. Taking control away from the user is the worst thing that any
software company could of done, so is it any wonder there are those who
find ways of forcing it back?

 

[John Barnett MVP]

Why use an 'illegal' hack when the OP has an perfectly legal piece of
software? All that is needed is a simple phone call. The phone call,
depending upon country, is free anyway so what's the problem? Just follow
the instructions on my website:
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/product_key_already_in_use.htm

--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

 

[Paul Smith]

Dare I say just find the activation crack (bit tottent is best, read the
comments and make sure it's not tainted)

The trouble with doing that is who knows what problems the original poster
will run into if he does that?

It might be years down the line and he gets a problem and nobody knows what
to do, why? Because his system files are different to how they should be.

I've never heard of a case of somebody being refused activation over the
phone.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*

 

[Saran]

Actually when we did the phone call once, when testing, we ened up with
a long distance chargem so it is NOT free. This was about 7 months ago
so maybe somethings changed since then.

But I think you missed the point altogether; software should NOT be tied
to the manufacure in such a way that you cannot use it if the
manufacurer (or the mean ot contact them) is suddenly unavilable.

What happens when both microsfot.com and microsoft's phone number goes
out? Perhaps unlikely that both would go out at the same time, but it is
poossible (natural disaster in Redmond, for instance), but in geenral,
no software should be tethered to it's maker like this.

Fundamentally it is just wrong. The user needs to be in full control of
the software they run. If they have to use "illegal" mean to do it, then
so be it. These activation and DRM schemes are much like the "gun laws"
that were established - making things difficult for the legit
user/buyer, while those who were obtaining them illegally continue ot do
so, uneffected.

Yeah, real fair.

 

[Saran]

The trouble with doing that is who knows what problems the original
poster will run into if he does that?

Or rather, the peace of mind.

It might be years down the line and he gets a problem and nobody
knows what to do, why? Because his system files are different to how
they should be.

If they use a tainted "activation remover", yes, there ca nbe issues,
but if thye use one that only does what it says it does (and beleive me
I've tested this in a VM and have yet to run into ANY issues over the
past year it's been running.

I've never heard of a case of somebody being refused activation over
the phone.

The point is one should not have to go through that. The use it supposed
ot be in copntrol of the application they are running, not the
manufacture.

It's no different than havign to go through the waiting period and such
to buy a firearm, while the mafia gets all the illegal firearms from the
black market, completely unaffected. Those who do things illegally will
continue to do so despite these methods deplyed to try to stop them.

DRM, activation, copy protection, it all coems down to the same thing.
Bit ottorent, P2P, etc, have really been on the rise in recent years.
Why? Because of the bs of DRM, activation, and such.

 

[Waylen Gumbal]

Hi Edy Dys,

Be safe and do the phone activation and not a hack. Microsoft just
thinks that your copy is still installed on you old motherboard and is
requiring you to call them to tell them otherwise to be able to
activate it on only the new one. This tutorial will show you how to
do a phone activation.

While I going the phone route may be better than using a hack, I can
certainly understand why one would want to just give the activation
mechanism the boot altogether. Programs and operating systems alike
should be not be so reliant on whoever made it. I would wager that these
sort of things (like the drm in HD movies disc formats and downloadable
songs) have caused far more piracy than they've stopped.

Someone even mentioned Adobe and that is a wonderful example of the
problem. Microsoft is probably in no danger of suddenly not being there,
which would be a problem if you needed to activate and are running out
of time. But other companies you cannot guarantee they will be there or
even always support that product - like photoshop cs/2/3 - and I can
easily use that as a method of forcing upgrades.

Someone else here said it's the users who should be in control of
whatever program they run, and this is, and has always been true until
the activation hoo-ha started with XP, which imho is slowly turning into
a downward spiral where people are using alternate means. Vista's
adoption rate is slow; people are looking at other systems, other
programs - Open Office for example. It's only a matter of time before
all these companies, that are pushing more and more to restrict us, end
up loosing out to those who grant us the freedoms that the "big guys"
are taking away.

Anyone who has read in detailed about how things actually work in vista
regarding content protection, PVP and so forth, can not deny that Vista
is designed to restrict many things that should be open.

Where does it end?

-WG

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

If it will not activate over the internet, select the option to call
for activation.
Call Microsoft at the displayed number for your region, usually done
in less than 10 minutes.
You can reinstall/activate retail Windows Vista an unlimited # of
times as long as it is only installed on one computer at a time.

By full version I assume you mean retail since OEM is also usually the
full version.