Windows XP PRO RC2 Trial Version Activation

[Scot Lemieux]

I own a small business and we we considering switching to
XP pro as some software we are starting to use is
exclusive to XP pro.

About two years ago I attended a .NET and c# conference in
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada hosted by Microsoft. They gave
each participant many trial software copies of Microsoft
products.

Now that my business is considering switching to XP Pro we
decided to try it out. Using the product Key that came
with the trial version we installed it. Then we tried to
activate the 180 day trial version and low and behold XP
says it is an invalid Product Key. So I call thier
automated 1-888 number and I get the automated response
that the Key is invalid. Then I try thier free online
support and enter the window PID that XP Pro generated and
again I was refused.

We are considering getting a 25 seat licesnes, but not if
we can't evaluate the software before making a purchasing
decision.

I am irritated that Microsoft invited me to a conference,
a Microsoft employee gave me a 180 trial version XP Pro
with product key, and Microsoft refused to honour a trial
version it had given to me.

What do I do now as I only have 13 days left before I wipe
to OS off the computer?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You were apparently given an old beta version of Windows XP
(RC2?) that is obsolete. It would make little sense to evaluate
an old beta version of Windows XP at this point. I suggest you
purchase the current released version for testing purposes.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I own a small business and we we considering switching to
| XP pro as some software we are starting to use is
| exclusive to XP pro.
|
| About two years ago I attended a .NET and c# conference in
| Ottawa, Ontario, Canada hosted by Microsoft. They gave
| each participant many trial software copies of Microsoft
| products.
|
| Now that my business is considering switching to XP Pro we
| decided to try it out. Using the product Key that came
| with the trial version we installed it. Then we tried to
| activate the 180 day trial version and low and behold XP
| says it is an invalid Product Key. So I call thier
| automated 1-888 number and I get the automated response
| that the Key is invalid. Then I try thier free online
| support and enter the window PID that XP Pro generated and
| again I was refused.
|
| We are considering getting a 25 seat licesnes, but not if
| we can't evaluate the software before making a purchasing
| decision.
|
| I am irritated that Microsoft invited me to a conference,
| a Microsoft employee gave me a 180 trial version XP Pro
| with product key, and Microsoft refused to honour a trial
| version it had given to me.
|
| What do I do now as I only have 13 days left before I wipe
| to OS off the computer?

 

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Duh - MS expected you to evaluate within a couple months of the conference
you attended, not wait for 2 years to try it - normally RC versions are
intentionally made obsolete as soon as the RTM (Release to Manufacture)
versions are released.

 

[Scot Lemieux]

Unfortunatley I don't switch our corporate OS's every
month as it is safer to wait a couple of years to iron out
the bugs on the vendor side(microsoft side). I don't
think jumping on an OS the day it comes out, as it is not
a smart thing to do for most industries.

I intended to install the os upgrade the with the service
packs and evalute from there and make a decision. I'd
hate to think we'd have to spend money to try the OS out.
It would be like paying the dealership $400 to allow you
the privlidge of a test drive so you can determine if that
is the car you want to be driving for the next 4+ years.
OS's are no different.

I have worked for an other OS and software manufacture and
thier policy was they don't support RC or offer any
technical support when the RTM but they continued to allow
them to be evaluated for the trial period.

I download trial software quite a bit as you never know
when you hit the diamond in the rough. Most titles we
can't try for years later for numerous resons. I have
never come across a piece of trial software trying to
install it years later ever come back and say during the
installation "Sorry, I can't be installed you should have
thought of this 19 months ago"

Some trial software I download say "it is good for x days
after it is downloaded", I am fine with that policy as
they are up front with it. I went through the XP Pro EULA
and no where in it did it say, this version must be used
within x days of reciept or were there any readme files
which had any other similar points.

That's my two cents and time wasted installing and
discussing OS I can't properly evaluate.

 

[Rock]

Scot Lemieux wrote:

I am irritated that Microsoft invited me to a conference,
a Microsoft employee gave me a 180 trial version XP Pro
with product key, and Microsoft refused to honour a trial
version it had given to me.

What do I do now as I only have 13 days left before I wipe
to OS off the computer?

Maybe you should have not waited two years before evaluating it.....

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

As was widely announced at the time the WinXP Release Candidates
were made available, all RC licenses were due to become void on the
day that the final version of WinXP was released to the public. That
was 25 Oct 2001, if I remember correctly. You're roughly 3 years past
the time to _start_ evaluating, using that specific license. How can
you possibly blame Microsoft for your own company's "sluggishness" in
reacting to changing business conditions?

Anyway, you shouldn't even bother evaluating your business
applications on an out-dated beta version of the OS. Test your
applications on the OS as it is currently available. If the reasons
behind this aren't immediately obvious, I strongly suggest that your
company hire a qualified IT professional to advise you on such
matters.


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

 

[Rock]

Scot Lemieux wrote:

think jumping on an OS the day it comes out, as it is not
a smart thing to do for most industries.

<snip>

I would say that waiting three years does qualify as not jumping on the
OS the day it came out.