Well, I had a little video card trouble and removed it and replaced it with a new one. So I go to start up the computer and this message comes up telling me I have to re-activate windows XP. Okay, so I start to re-activate it only to be told during the re-activation that  according to MS records the number of times for my copy to be re-activated has been exceeded! Great! Now what do I do? I was going to email support at MS but I have to pay 35 bucks in order to get any help just friggin BEAUTIFUL. Now I guess I'm stuck with this bubble coming up every few minutes telling me I need to activate windows. How long before the damn thing stops working??

You should be able to call them and get it done for free..click activate by telephone....it takes about 10minutes....I have to do that now cause I have had to format so many times and it's a pain in the butt but no way around it....hope that helps (Im in uk but cant see if being any diff elsewhere)

i hope you get it sorted, good luck

30 days w/o activation.

apparently if you change 3 bits of hardware then you have the re-activation issue, this happened to me but i just kept on clicking on activate until it did.....looks like i got lucky, although i know this is not supposed to happen.... hopefully they remove this idiotic limit from vista....

Just activate it, it's not a big deal.  They just do that to discourage people from istalling it on 50 machines.  Same for nodelocked Vue licenses.

Quote - You should be able to call them and get it done for free..click activate by telephone....it takes about 10minutes....I have to do that now cause I have had to format so many times and it's a pain in the butt but no way around it....hope that helps (Im in uk but cant see if being any diff elsewhere)

This is absolutely correct.  When you click the Activate by Telephone button you'll get a toll-free number to call and then you just follow the prompts and give them your COA.  I've had to do it a lot, every time I change a piece of hardware.  This is supposed to not happen with Vista when it comes out later this month but I'll be waiting a few months before buying it.

It's always the honest people who get the problems with Windows re-activation, never the people it's supposed to be aimed at.

Quote - This is supposed to not happen with Vista when it comes out later this month but I'll be waiting a few months before buying it.

Make no mistake about it - Vista is going to be the ultimate piece of spyware on the market.  I've been reading up on what Microsoft plans on doing to prevent illegal copies of this new OS. Which includes the silent de-activation of its built in firewall and anti-malware programs which will leave the system a open door for trojans and hackers. So if you buy a system from a local retailer it'd be your best bet to make absolutely certain you own a legal copy. Microsoft doesn't care about their consumers... just their bank accounts.

Yup, after several years of upgrading parts and replacing failed hardware on 4 systems, I've had to do it numerous times as well.  No real big deal.  I've been pleasantly surprised to always get a live person to talk to pretty much immediately every time I've had to call.  Unfortunately all copy protection schemes are going to be the biggest problem for the honest consumer.  But since most companies are trying to make a profit, they've got do to something to slow down the piracy.  Windows happens to be the most pirated piece of software too. 

Quote - includes the silent de-activation of its built in firewall and anti-malware programs which will leave the system a open door for trojans and hackers.

Only if the alternatives are unusable with Vista, I never use the Microsoft included anti hack/spy software as so far it's been unreliable at best.

That's the real problem with XP. Hardware, upgrades, failures, changes are fairly normal. I always thought Microsoft's draconian control system in XP was abusive to their customers. I hope you can get your PC back to normal soon.

Okay called all is squared away for now. I have a strange feeling I should have waited until my replacement Video card came before I did this. I guess I'll have to go through this again in a few days huh? Right now I have a spare card in until my replacement card comes. I just hope they don't think something fishy is up with me calling again 3 days from now.

I had this problem when I was swapping out hard drives between linux and ms (I have those removable drives you swap out from the front of the case).

Anyway, 2 things:

1.  You should call them and get a new reactivation number

2.  If they refuse you, dispute the purchase with your cc company and buy a new copy elsewhere.

They ARE crossing the line legally and so they typically give you a new activation # no matter what.

Ciao,
              George

Quote - Okay called all is squared away for now. I have a strange feeling I should have waited until my replacement Video card came before I did this. I guess I'll have to go through this again in a few days huh? Right now I have a spare card in until my replacement card comes. I just hope they don't think something fishy is up with me calling again 3 days from now.

You should be ok with the new card as you've already re-activated for another however many changes, just don't quote me to them if it goes again ;)

(((((( Make no mistake about it - Vista is going to be the ultimate piece of spyware on the market.  I've been reading up on what Microsoft plans on doing to prevent illegal copies of this new OS. Which includes the silent de-activation of its built in firewall and anti-malware programs which will leave the system a open door for trojans and hackers. So if you buy a system from a local retailer it'd be your best bet to make absolutely certain you own a legal copy. Microsoft doesn't care about their consumers... just their bank accounts. ))))))

Dont you believe it , the crackers will have it busted wide open before you can bat an eye !

Rod

there have already been reports of security exploits on vista, both by independent hackers and security firms. I'm guessing that vista's authentication software/process, combined with the troubles they'll experience with permissions problems, will make folks wish they were still using xp. of course, some folks will inevitably allege they've been using the vista beta without problems, but the mass market will have a different experience.

Well, I'm not in an all fire hurry to purchase Vista. I'll probably be using XP for a spell. Really, I'd like to move to XP pro and ditch this 32 bit program. I go an get an dual core 64 and still run a 32 bit OS. I'm kinda OS challenged because windows is really all I've ever used. I really don't know about Lunix or some of the others.

Hi, I'm using XP only for Poser, and Linux for all the other stuff. I hope Poser is ported to Linux soon (should be easy - they use OpenGL instead of DirectX), then I can trash my XP. :biggrin: Best regards, Michael

I finished Vista 'training', and yes, changing hardware components can mess you up. mainly things like hard drives, etc. There's like 5 different versions of Vista, and you have to reinstall the right version of Vista, or you'll mess it up that way. They have the same 'phone callback', but I seem to remember the timeout is like 14 days (depending on the way it's loaded)

You go into 'cripple' mode first, which disables a lot of functionality, then a few days later you go into lockdown. So keep that Serial number handy.

Sounds very omnimous, this Vista thingie.  I haven't yet migrated from XP2, but reading all the posts here makes me wonder if it I should hold off until at least Q3 2007.

This is why I feel Windows OS, should be $50 for upgrade, and $100 for full. Everyone will have their own copy. But they sure like to get into people pockets. Will be great for a competition of other OS. But MS will step on em so fast, no one knows about it. One guy commited suicide due to MS. The guy has a OS, and MS put him out.

Was his name "IBM"?  ;)  (not to make lite of the suicide part)

I'd say that if Apple keeps improving while not falling into the same practices, they will be stiff competition for Windows soon.  I just wish that they'd stop touting that damnable Finder interface as anything but annoying.  If you're the Mac-guy who does iPhoto and cutesy movies, alright.  But if you're like me (Computer-guy), you are a power user and Finder offers no such power for us.

Linux is great if you can find replacement software for most that you use, but as a developer for Windows and MacOS this seems like a doomed idea. :)

As a final thought on the whole anti-piracy thing, I'd like to say: What a bunch a bullocks!  The best computer people and developers have been saying this for, what, decades now:

"The only program (or OS) safe from hacking and cracking is the one that is never run"

M$ could pour trillions into counter-anti-counter-counter-anti-bulletproof-4GB-encryption technology and some snot-nosed kid in Russia will have a crack in a couple months - with the help of his networked AI computer demolition team. ;P  As a matter of fact, M$ has poured millions already into this and it fails every time.  You can get cracked versions of Windows (pick a version, any version) just about anywhere in the world.  This antagonistic mentality (reminiscent of the RIAA) just hurts users more and more and more.  Does it hurt the crackers and pirates - noop.  Software piracy has been around for at least twenty-five years and is still going full tilt with no sign of abatement.  M$ is doing themselve and us a disservice by continuing to pour money into a futile effort and punish us (the loyal users) in the exchange.

Robert

Well the person did work for IMB, and created OS, OS2. Microsoft step on him, and it was all over. Watched a documentary on the situation.

Kuro the best computer people in the business probably started off as hackers & crackers themselves :D

There isn't a single computer program (that has to be paid for) on the planet/internet that hasn't been cracked in some way at some time, even the latest version of Poser has been done within days of being released.

Lord Lucifer, you are probably correct. :D

Yep, even my lowly (and marginally profittable) plugins for Cinema 4D have been cracked and are available at your local Warez site for download.  I researched various methods of anti-piracy and read a ton of related articles. In the end, one has to balance reality with users - and I went with a publicly available encryption method (as a bare minimum 'keep 'em honest' approach).  What I mean (and what M$ seems to have never had) is that one should consider how the implementation of anti-piracy affects development, time, costs, resources, and, most assuredly, users!

The best noted anti-piracy is 'dial home' tech (requiring that there is an internet connection for the user to continuously verifiy their registration/licensing when the software is launched and sometimes during the course of its running).  Even that, as admitted by many others, is not even a partial deterrent.  Software companies have gone bankrupt and extinct from the pursuit of, well, not going bankrupt and extinct by the very virtue of investing more resources in anti-piracy than actual product development!

In the end, I do what is minimally annoying to my users (entering a serial number) so that they are not the benefactors of any insanity in futile attempts to thwart pirates.  If enough people appreciate my work, it will continue without Draconian measures.  If not, I will move onto something else.  There are usually enough people who respect your work to support your work despite those who provide less savory alternatives.  M$ hasn't figured that out (and thus the reason for the '$' in their name - it's all about the cash-flow, baby).

Robert

A friend of mine bragged about having P7 just about a week after I got my download!  I think this person had the crack before the boxed versions were shipped!

It drove me insane.  I'm not one to dictate to people about conduct, but this really got to me.  This person then asked me to teach how to use Poser!  I told them to look up tutorials and not bother me.

Somehow this has made me the "bad-guy".  They had the nerve to tell me that I was just angry because I didn't think to try and download a hacked version.

Some people just don't get the pride of honest ownership.

Pride of honest ownership? so that's what I feel whenever I look at the box my copy of Poser came in :D

Quote - Pride of honest ownership? so that's what I feel whenever I look at the box my copy of Poser came in :D

Well, that or anger, it depends on how many bugs you've run into! lol.

I sometimes wish I had bought the boxed version instead of the download.  This is my third version of Poser and I've always done the download.  It would be nice to have the box to put on my shelf.

Knowing my luck it would get destroyed in a year anyway.  Maybe I'm better off.

Just an aside as an ex-OS/2 user. The company that really killed OS/2 was IBM. They simply didn't know how to promote/market it, and didn't pay enough attention to developer support. (MS has always been about developers, and that is really what have gotten them where they are today).

Quote - Same for nodelocked Vue licenses.

Thanks for the warning. I was thinking about getting Vue. No more. I run WinNT, Win2K, and Linux. I'll let XP or Vista in my house when the MS President makes it the law. And put those machines outside.

M

When I see crowds grieving over MS' vulnerability to piracy, I understand why the company can't seem to keep its head above water financially.....

Anti-piracy is just counter-greed. And Microsoft has made unprincipled greed the American way, so their chickens, home to roost. As long as principled people buy their products, they will thrive.

In a year, I will be running Linux on all but one game machine. That machine will run W2K,  off my network, and a handful of entertaining games that it can handle. I'm devout AOE player, and I have not bought (and don't plan to) AOE III because, as I told my son, "I'm not buying an OS just to play a game." I quit buying TalonSoft games when they added an installer that checked for W2K and quit even though the game would run on NT.

Bill Gates IS BIg Brother, folks. Get a clue.

A couple of good articles on MS's increasingly draconian anti-piracy efforts, from Ed Foster's Gripelog:

A Vista of Licensed Censorship
A New Day for Corporate DRM

The new copy protection is more aggressive than before, actually disabling your ability to use your computer if it thinks you are in violation. Also, keep in mind that if you get your copy of Vista on a pre-built system (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) there is a chance you can get stuck in "vendor hell" where MS will tell you to contact your system vendor to resolve licensing issues, and the vendor will say you have to contact Microsoft. Yes, this does happen, and will continue to happen, and probably get worse. Early indications are that MS is still unprepared to handle these licensing issues.

Don't be so sure about early and plentiful cracks. Vista has much tighter control over the innards of the system. Even tool vendors like Symantec & McAfee were complaining that Vista's security locked them out.