A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement?

**kcnychief** · October 12th, 2006

I've seen several sites point to Microsoft's new Software License Terms page, which contains PDF versions of the license agreements for many Microsoft products. Most sites that have commented on the new Windows Vista licenses have picked up on this blurb from the Windows Vista Team Blog:
Two notable changes between Windows Vista license terms and those for Windows XP are: 1) failure of a validation check results in the loss of access to specific features (this is the SPP news you’ve likely been reading about this past week); and 2) an increase in our warranty period from 90 days to 1 year, which brings Windows in line with most other Microsoft products.

I read through the license agreement for Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate (PDF) and saw lots of new language. Much of it just formalizes what Microsoft has been doing under separate agreements for some time, such as the Validation requirements introduced with Windows Genuine Activation.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=156

**madmatt** · October 12th, 2006

I think Microsoft should do prevent access to features if someone doesn't validate or if validation fails. Good call Microsoft.

**fitz** · October 12th, 2006

Originally Posted by madmatt

I think Microsoft should do prevent access to features if someone doesn't validate or if validation fails. Good call Microsoft.

That's all well and good except for all the problems it can (and has) caused with some people. Things like the "daily check" that was built into previous versions of the "windows geniune advantage" tool..

Or people that have had valid licenses come up and say they are running a pirated version.. or the many people that run pirated versions that still pass the check.

Or what happens when a former employee releases a volume key that gets flagged as a pirated key and now all the computers at the old employer no longer have full functionality.

I'm all for trying to protect your rights, but there has to be a better way.

**madmatt** · October 12th, 2006

You live, you learn. That's one thing Microsoft does better than most companies.

I know I have made mistakes that were once a great idea (or so I thought at that time).

**chastity** · October 13th, 2006

to me they are going about the problem from the wrong side. Now I'm for protecting your rights etc, however I don't agree with paying the increase cost of the product so you can "spy" on me.

A OEM version of Windows XP Home at Fry's Electronics runs 99 dollars and Pro 150 dollars. The retail versions are double those prices. Instead of charging 200 or more dolalrs lower the cost to say 50 dollars and I bet they would actually sell more.

Well there doesn't seem to be much to cause me to upgrade to vista.

Still interesting reading

**Electronic Punk** · October 13th, 2006

How sneaky is it if it appears on Nick's blog?

**fitz** · October 13th, 2006

It's sneaky because who really reads the license agreements?

Some more *interesting* changes that affect Vista Home/Home Premium versions..

Can only transfer the license once to a different computer.. so, if I replace my computer with another home built one more than once, I have to buy another license?

Software Other than Windows Anytime Upgrade. The first user of the software may
reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device
becomes the “licensed device.”

Vista Home/Home Ultimate:

*Can only connect to 5 devices (10 for Home Ultimate) to network services (IIS/FTP)
*Can't use Remote Desktop (only Remote Assistance)
*Can't install in any Virtual Environmnet

edit: And what's with "Validation"

The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the
validation feature of the software. Validation verifies that the software has been activated and is
properly licensed.

Why does it need to revalidate from time to time? If you activate it using the proper key when you first install it, is it suddenly going to become a pirated version of windows? Or are they checking to see if the hardware changed, move it to a different machine (more than once) via imaging? sheehs.

**Grandmaster** · October 13th, 2006

The whole validation scheme will be cracked with in a few weeks. People who have pirated will continue to pirate.

So why make life harder for people who are actually honest?

**lancer** · October 13th, 2006

I think after reading all this, that i'm not going to be upgrading to vista, even now i never use it at home, i still use XP.

**X-Istence** · October 13th, 2006

Connect to only 5 devices?

Keyboard, mouse, Speakers, Monitor we are four down already, someone plug in a printer and it is done with. Neat, even more reason to stay away from it.

**fitz** · October 13th, 2006

Originally Posted by X-Istence

Connect to only 5 devices?

Keyboard, mouse, Speakers, Monitor we are four down already, someone plug in a printer and it is done with. Neat, even more reason to stay away from it.

5 remote devices can connect to services running on the comptuer (ie: IIS/FTP). Vista Home can support 5 connections to these services.. Vista Home Premium will allow up to 10 connections to these services.

Devices such as PDA's, phones, cameras,printers are not included in this. This is not that dissimilar to XP (which I believe allows 10 connections).

Badly worded in the previous post.. **goes to edit post**

Also, did a little more digging in the "running in virtual software" piece of it.. and the way the license agreement is worded seems to indicate that you CAN run it in virtual environment. What you can't do is run a copy of Vista Home/Home Premium on a physical computer, install VWMare/VirtualPC/etc, then take that SAME license and install it in a VMWare session on that same physical computer. You would have to buy a seperate license to install it in VMWare.

Now.. this means that the Vista Ultimate edition which does not have this restriction means you can take your Vista Ultimate edition, install it on a physical computer.. then isntall VWMare and take that same Vista Ultimate edition and install it into a virtual machine running on the same physical machine and still be in compliance.

**mlakrid** · October 13th, 2006

Originally Posted by fitz

What you can't do is run a copy of Vista Home/Home Premium on a physical computer, install VWMare/VirtualPC/etc, then take that SAME license and install it in a VMWare session on that same physical computer. You would have to buy a seperate license to install it in VMWare.

LOL... RIIIGHT good luck enforcing this... they are on shaky ground, the first time Microsoft gets a challenge in court for this they will lose...

It is STILL ONE INSTALL FOR ONE MACHINE...

They cant enforce the install behind VMWare without trying to hack into it and find out...

October 12th, 2006	Top \| #1
kcnychief █▄█ ▀█▄ █ Joined: April 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 16,949 Reputation: 4941 Power: 305	A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? I've seen several sites point to Microsoft's new Software License Terms page, which contains PDF versions of the license agreements for many Microsoft products. Most sites that have commented on the new Windows Vista licenses have picked up on this blurb from the Windows Vista Team Blog: Two notable changes between Windows Vista license terms and those for Windows XP are: 1) failure of a validation check results in the loss of access to specific features (this is the SPP news you’ve likely been reading about this past week); and 2) an increase in our warranty period from 90 days to 1 year, which brings Windows in line with most other Microsoft products. I read through the license agreement for Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate (PDF) and saw lots of new language. Much of it just formalizes what Microsoft has been doing under separate agreements for some time, such as the Validation requirements introduced with Windows Genuine Activation. http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=156 XBOX Live Gamertag: kcnychief

October 12th, 2006	Top \| #2
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 297	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? I think Microsoft should do prevent access to features if someone doesn't validate or if validation fails. Good call Microsoft.

October 12th, 2006	Top \| #3
fitz *XPista7eopardix Joined: April 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 4,028 Reputation: 2947 Power: 168**	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? Originally Posted by madmatt I think Microsoft should do prevent access to features if someone doesn't validate or if validation fails. Good call Microsoft. That's all well and good except for all the problems it can (and has) caused with some people. Things like the "daily check" that was built into previous versions of the "windows geniune advantage" tool.. Or people that have had valid licenses come up and say they are running a pirated version.. or the many people that run pirated versions that still pass the check. Or what happens when a former employee releases a volume key that gets flagged as a pirated key and now all the computers at the old employer no longer have full functionality. I'm all for trying to protect your rights, but there has to be a better way. Hee-hee! Evil makes my buttocks tingle.

October 12th, 2006	Top \| #4
madmatt Bow Down to the King Joined: April 2002 Location: New York Posts: 13,312 Reputation: 4090 Power: 297	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? You live, you learn. That's one thing Microsoft does better than most companies. I know I have made mistakes that were once a great idea (or so I thought at that time).

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #5
chastity OSNN Veteran Addict Joined: July 2002 Location: Arizona near the Grand Canyon Posts: 2,109 Reputation: 613 Power: 147	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? to me they are going about the problem from the wrong side. Now I'm for protecting your rights etc, however I don't agree with paying the increase cost of the product so you can "spy" on me. A OEM version of Windows XP Home at Fry's Electronics runs 99 dollars and Pro 150 dollars. The retail versions are double those prices. Instead of charging 200 or more dolalrs lower the cost to say 50 dollars and I bet they would actually sell more. Well there doesn't seem to be much to cause me to upgrade to vista. Still interesting reading

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October 13th, 2006	Top \| #6
Electronic Punk The Last High Joined: December 2001 Location: London Posts: 18,510 Blog Entries: 51 Reputation: 3652 Power: 349	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? How sneaky is it if it appears on Nick's blog?

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #7
fitz *XPista7eopardix Joined: April 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 4,028 Reputation: 2947 Power: 168**	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? It's sneaky because who really reads the license agreements? Some more interesting changes that affect Vista Home/Home Premium versions.. Can only transfer the license once to a different computer.. so, if I replace my computer with another home built one more than once, I have to buy another license? Software Other than Windows Anytime Upgrade. The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the “licensed device.” Vista Home/Home Ultimate: Can only connect to 5 devices (10 for Home Ultimate) to network services (IIS/FTP) Can't use Remote Desktop (only Remote Assistance) *Can't install in any Virtual Environmnet edit: And what's with "Validation" The software will from time to time validate the software, update or require download of the validation feature of the software. Validation verifies that the software has been activated and is properly licensed. Why does it need to revalidate from time to time? If you activate it using the proper key when you first install it, is it suddenly going to become a pirated version of windows? Or are they checking to see if the hardware changed, move it to a different machine (more than once) via imaging? sheehs. Hee-hee! Evil makes my buttocks tingle.

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #8
Grandmaster Electronica Addict Joined: February 2002 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 10,574 Reputation: 2960 Power: 260	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? The whole validation scheme will be cracked with in a few weeks. People who have pirated will continue to pirate. *So why make life harder for people who are actually honest?*

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #9
lancer There is no answer! Joined: October 2004 Location: FL, USA Posts: 3,087 Blog Entries: 3 Reputation: 1430 Power: 137	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? I think after reading all this, that i'm not going to be upgrading to vista, even now i never use it at home, i still use XP. "The world has just got smaller now, but people have got further away."

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #10
X-Istence * Joined: December 2001 Location: USA Posts: 6,496 Reputation: 2808 Power: 220	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? Connect to only 5 devices? Keyboard, mouse, Speakers, Monitor we are four down already, someone plug in a printer and it is done with. Neat, even more reason to stay away from it. An engineers technical notebook

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #11
fitz *XPista7eopardix Joined: April 2004 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 4,028 Reputation: 2947 Power: 168**	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? Originally Posted by X-Istence Connect to only 5 devices? Keyboard, mouse, Speakers, Monitor we are four down already, someone plug in a printer and it is done with. Neat, even more reason to stay away from it. 5 remote devices can connect to services running on the comptuer (ie: IIS/FTP). Vista Home can support 5 connections to these services.. Vista Home Premium will allow up to 10 connections to these services. Devices such as PDA's, phones, cameras,printers are not included in this. This is not that dissimilar to XP (which I believe allows 10 connections). Badly worded in the previous post.. goes to edit post Also, did a little more digging in the "running in virtual software" piece of it.. and the way the license agreement is worded seems to indicate that you CAN run it in virtual environment. What you can't do is run a copy of Vista Home/Home Premium on a physical computer, install VWMare/VirtualPC/etc, then take that SAME license and install it in a VMWare session on that same physical computer. You would have to buy a seperate license to install it in VMWare. Now.. this means that the Vista Ultimate edition which does not have this restriction means you can take your Vista Ultimate edition, install it on a physical computer.. then isntall VWMare and take that same Vista Ultimate edition and install it into a virtual machine running on the same physical machine and still be in compliance. Hee-hee! Evil makes my buttocks tingle.

October 13th, 2006	Top \| #12
mlakrid OSNN BASSMASTER Joined: February 2005 Location: Land O Lakes, YES, JUST LIKE the CHEESE! Posts: 2,338 Reputation: 1410 Power: 126	Re: A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement? Originally Posted by fitz What you can't do is run a copy of Vista Home/Home Premium on a physical computer, install VWMare/VirtualPC/etc, then take that SAME license and install it in a VMWare session on that same physical computer. You would have to buy a seperate license to install it in VMWare. LOL... RIIIGHT good luck enforcing this... they are on shaky ground, the first time Microsoft gets a challenge in court for this they will lose... It is STILL ONE INSTALL FOR ONE MACHINE... They cant enforce the install behind VMWare without trying to hack into it and find out... Quote: "Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity." R.I.P. the best comedian of our time; GEORGE CARLIN.

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