Comments on: Microsoft to nix some Net product activation

Starting with software on PCs from the top 20 makers, the company plans to allow Windows activation over the phone only.

From a Practical corporate poinf of view

Ok.. leaving all the legal stuff on a side.. I administer 100 XP PCs on the company, I have to reinstall windows as the only real practical solution to keep the company working without blocked systems, windows failures and so on.. (it sucks but its the only real solution).
I have a schedule for reinstalling machines and this is going to make my work unnecesary tuffer.

Am I going to talk to the same guy to say the same things about who I bought the PCs from??
How much time am I going to spend on stupid phone calls? does this guys at MS dont have this in mind??

This is really getting to the limit!.

From a Practical corporate poinf of view

Ok.. leaving all the legal stuff on a side.. I administer 100 XP PCs on the company, I have to reinstall windows as the only real practical solution to keep the company working without blocked systems, windows failures and so on.. (it sucks but its the only real solution).
I have a schedule for reinstalling machines and this is going to make my work unnecesary tuffer.

Am I going to talk to the same guy to say the same things about who I bought the PCs from??
How much time am I going to spend on stupid phone calls? does this guys at MS dont have this in mind??

This is really getting to the limit!.

[orthocross]

Concerning Microsoft's unclear notice concering OEM activations

I need a clarification concerning Microsoft's policy about "FULL OEM" copies of Windows XP Professional. This copy was purchased from a small local shop. It was not supplied with a complete system, but with a hardware purchase such as a hard drive or mouse.

The CD itself was manufactured by Microsoft, and not a system builder such as Dell or Gateway. It is a genuine Microsoft product, and has been found to be genuine through Microsoft's Genuine Advantage program.

Is Microsoft disabling Internet Activation for these particular CD keys?

Donald McDaniel

[mdburkey]

You should be fine.

Unless the COA on your copy says "Dell", "IBM", etc. on it, you should be fine.

The "Full OEM" copies that are sold in DSP 3-packs to small vendors are not affected.

Furthermore, if you have a major OEM copy of Windows (e.g. Dell) and are re-installing it on your original Dell, it will never have a problem either because these copies never "phone home" to the activation server either (they are pre-activated by way of the BIOS signature on the motherboard).

The ONLY cases where this will be a problem is when you have a major OEM copy (e.g. Dell) and are trying to install it on hardware from a vendor other than that it came from.

A lot of people are pulling OEM licenses from the side of machines and then reselling them on the open market. Since these keys are never actually needed or even used on the machines they come with, Microsoft is simply going to deactivate them within their activation server.

As far as the customers who have bought them, Microsoft is still going to allow them to use them and re-activate them -- they are just going to require a phone call rather than doing it online. The reason for this is so that Microsoft can ask the person where that copy of the media came from.

Basically, Microsoft is doing this the right way. They are not going after the consumer who ended up with a dicey copy of XP, they are just forcing the consumer to call in so that Microsoft can track down where it came from.

Personally, I disagree with the legalistics and principle of OEM software not being able to be unbundled from the machine it came on, but, all things considered, Microsoft is probably going about this in the least offensive way possible.

****

In summary:

Unless you are running a copy of XP that says Dell/IBM/etc on the COA on hardware that is NOT from that specific manufacturer, then this issue does NOT affect you.

****

[orthocross]

Concerning Microsoft's unclear notice concering OEM activations

I need a clarification concerning Microsoft's policy about "FULL OEM" copies of Windows XP Professional. This copy was purchased from a small local shop. It was not supplied with a complete system, but with a hardware purchase such as a hard drive or mouse.

The CD itself was manufactured by Microsoft, and not a system builder such as Dell or Gateway. It is a genuine Microsoft product, and has been found to be genuine through Microsoft's Genuine Advantage program.

Is Microsoft disabling Internet Activation for these particular CD keys?

Donald McDaniel

[mdburkey]

You should be fine.

Unless the COA on your copy says "Dell", "IBM", etc. on it, you should be fine.

The "Full OEM" copies that are sold in DSP 3-packs to small vendors are not affected.

Furthermore, if you have a major OEM copy of Windows (e.g. Dell) and are re-installing it on your original Dell, it will never have a problem either because these copies never "phone home" to the activation server either (they are pre-activated by way of the BIOS signature on the motherboard).

The ONLY cases where this will be a problem is when you have a major OEM copy (e.g. Dell) and are trying to install it on hardware from a vendor other than that it came from.

A lot of people are pulling OEM licenses from the side of machines and then reselling them on the open market. Since these keys are never actually needed or even used on the machines they come with, Microsoft is simply going to deactivate them within their activation server.

As far as the customers who have bought them, Microsoft is still going to allow them to use them and re-activate them -- they are just going to require a phone call rather than doing it online. The reason for this is so that Microsoft can ask the person where that copy of the media came from.

Basically, Microsoft is doing this the right way. They are not going after the consumer who ended up with a dicey copy of XP, they are just forcing the consumer to call in so that Microsoft can track down where it came from.

Personally, I disagree with the legalistics and principle of OEM software not being able to be unbundled from the machine it came on, but, all things considered, Microsoft is probably going about this in the least offensive way possible.

****

In summary:

Unless you are running a copy of XP that says Dell/IBM/etc on the COA on hardware that is NOT from that specific manufacturer, then this issue does NOT affect you.

****

at it again

why do users put up with lousy treatment from a company that has consistently overpromised and under-delivered on all of its products?

i stopped dealing with them and use only linux, i have not lost a lick of productivity, my multi-media is better, and i have hassle-free computing knowing i do not have to worry about ms related issues!

ms will maintain market share for sometime to come, but it will lose mindshare for the reasons in the article. try xandros or linspire for solid linux performance say goodbye to windows.

at it again

why do users put up with lousy treatment from a company that has consistently overpromised and under-delivered on all of its products?

i stopped dealing with them and use only linux, i have not lost a lick of productivity, my multi-media is better, and i have hassle-free computing knowing i do not have to worry about ms related issues!

ms will maintain market share for sometime to come, but it will lose mindshare for the reasons in the article. try xandros or linspire for solid linux performance say goodbye to windows.

[landlines]

It worked so well for TurboTax that Microsoft is going to try it...

Ask the authors of DBase, TurboTax, and a host of others what happens when "Copy Protection" inhibits what the CUSTOMER (not the licensor) considers "Normal Use!"

Watch for the MS theme song to change from "Start Me Up" to "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" ...

[landlines]

It worked so well for TurboTax that Microsoft is going to try it...

Ask the authors of DBase, TurboTax, and a host of others what happens when "Copy Protection" inhibits what the CUSTOMER (not the licensor) considers "Normal Use!"

Watch for the MS theme song to change from "Start Me Up" to "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" ...