Acivation

L

Lee

Guest
Don't have a problem with activating my M$ products, thought maybe this would be a good section to put this.

Most of you are familiar with activation as such! So I won't go down that windy boring road explaining it.

I want to, well, next Xmas sales, buy a PC which is 3 times better than my current XP machine (explanation for this question).

When before XP was released I read about activation, any main modifications that can cause you to reactivate if necessary. Only real major changes I have made is a new DVD writer, a new TV card stick of R.A.M, so so.

So only needed to reactivate 2 more times in 3 years due to formats.
I have another machine (my mothers) which she had installed teacher students parents office XP (her being a teacher).

First activation was fine over the net. She buggered it up and formatted, went to reactivate and it said already activated on another machine. The amount of ballcocks and 50 questions when she phoned to reactivate chessed her off so.

The big question is, I want to buy a decent PC 2005, new HD, use this one as a storage backup device. New PC new cards, more R.A.M , new motherboard basically a new tower and components etc...


Is there a way of deactivating my units (office,frontpage XP Pro, publisher) for the current machine, so when I transfer them to my new machine (with rest of files) I don't get the 50 questions and feel like a criminal. Does M$ have deactivation software and does it have a link for me to suggest this to them?

Hope you understand, thanks in advance, Lee
 
You don't deactivate anything. The activation that you went through when you first installed the software was to register that particular copy (serial number) to the signature of that particular computer.

If you install the software on another machine, when it comes to activating it on that new machine, MS will find that the hardware ID will be totally different to the one the software was first installed on. This would give MS the impression that the software and serial has been pirated and will ask those 50 questions that you have mentioned.
 
ming said:
You don't deactivate anything. The activation that you went through when you first installed the software was to register that particular copy (serial number) to the signature of that particular computer.

If you install the software on another machine, when it comes to activating it on that new machine, MS will find that the hardware ID will be totally different to the one the software was first installed on. This would give MS the impression that the software and serial has been pirated and will ask those 50 questions that you have mentioned.
Thought I made myself clear. My Mums machine never changed any hardware or ops. Just kept saying had been activated on another machine already. Thats why she had to phone M$ helpline.

As I said I want to transfer all my setting from this machine to a new machine and scrap this machine, maybe I never mentioned that.

That is why ia sked about links for deactivation and such.
 
Er.. that's what I meant. When the time comes to moving your stuff on to your new machine, MS will still think that the serial has been used before.

There is no way of deactivating because the whole purpose of this activation process is for MS to check to see if that particular copy is genuine and has never been installed on a computer with a different signature.
 
Prevent piracy of their software is the objective.
To a certain extent they have been successful in that more people are buying a genuine copy of the OS, but it hasn't stopped those who intend to make illegal copies from committing this very crime that the activation process was meant to stop.

However, you can think of it the other way. If it hasn't stopped piracy, then what has it done?!
You need to activate the OS or Office app when we first install it on the machine and as you should know already, only one machine per license.
Therefore, this is a way for MS to prevent the legitamate owners from installing the software on more than one machine so that they can make more money out of those who need to install on more than one machine.
 
Ming that doesn't work.

Just make all the machines the same MB and CPU series. It took me about 6 significant upgrades before I hit my first reactivation. I could easily do multiple machines in the house with duplicated disks if I wanted to.

What I have noticed is that tolerance for upgrades before activation drops significantly with each re-activation. The straw that kicked me into phone activation was REMOVAL of a DVD Burner for trouble shooting! The BSOD told me to remove it to troubleshoot. Their damn algorithm seems to be near insane.

What is unbelievably insane is that optical drives and CPU changes can cause re-activation.
 
The activation will be re-activated if you change more than 3 of the 10 items listed when initially activated. Google it and I'm sure you'd find the list of devices. I've changed PC's with the same copy of XP pro and not have to call it in, and I have had to call it in, seems random, but I've never had a problem with it. As long as you remove the OS from the previous computer, you are not doing anything legally wrong and M$ has never given me a hassle about it.
 
j79zlr said:
The activation will be re-activated if you change more than 3 of the 10 items listed when initially activated. Google it and I'm sure you'd find the list of devices. I've changed PC's with the same copy of XP pro and not have to call it in, and I have had to call it in, seems random, but I've never had a problem with it. As long as you remove the OS from the previous computer, you are not doing anything legally wrong and M$ has never given me a hassle about it.


I did mail microsoft. Did not receive a response. Just as I have said about grief, I want to use XP till support finally stops.

I hope by that time they sort the activation issue out. I can't understand why I can't deactivate my legal copies, buy a new pc with latest technology maybe in 12 months and just transfer files to that PC HD and then reactivate, with the knowledge of microsofts records I have done that.

It should be quite easy in my view, I log onto the net, deactivate the same way as I activated, transfer my files to the new HD in new PC and activate it.

I only did have one notion about it. I find it hard to understand that if I pay a lot of money for applications I should at least use them till they are totally cream crackered and technology has totally moved on.
 
50 questions ? there automated system must have been down then, so far i have reactivated about 70 pc's for customers at my former job, 9/10 times its automated, you put ur code in and they give you a new activation code back. the other times i have only ever been asked 2 questions,

1, whats your code ?
2, has xp accepted your code. ?

was probably cus it was a student licence, as theres such a problem with warez on campus etc.

personally, i have activated xp on this rig about 8 times, with several hardware changes inbetween, and office xp has been reactivated the same amount of times, never once had to call the m$ number for persoanl use :s

strange isnt it.
 
GoNz0 said:
50 questions ? there automated system must have been down then, so far i have reactivated about 70 pc's for customers at my former job, 9/10 times its automated, you put ur code in and they give you a new activation code back. the other times i have only ever been asked 2 questions,

1, whats your code ?
2, has xp accepted your code. ?

was probably cus it was a student licence, as theres such a problem with warez on campus etc.

personally, i have activated xp on this rig about 8 times, with several hardware changes inbetween, and office xp has been reactivated the same amount of times, never once had to call the m$ number for persoanl use :s

strange isnt it.

Well I activated on my PC three times, once when I bought XPPro and two further times for xp1 when it was released (before this is not understood I wanted a fresh install so a clean format) and when I had some real bad outage and some driver kept givin me real sheeet, even after trying everything possible to recover. That goes for office publisher frontpage (upgrade).

You probably didnt get the same crap I got from m$ activation service, on the phone.

Well I suppose though that you can run Pro on two systems, so maybe I will t try that first when it comes, it's just I fele less guilty, guilty you ask don't ask me why I feel that way, when using over the net.


I found this just now, Thailand will have M$ products that will not need activation atall.

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11058
 
To answer the question that was posted:

1. There is no way to deactivate Microsoft Products.

2. You pay for a license to use the software and must abide by the license. The license states that you can use one copy of Windows XP on one machine, one copy of Office XP/2003 on one machine, etc. If you are planning on buying a new machine (and are going to keep the old on in your possession, you will need a new COA for the new machine).

3. Reactivation is only for people who change more than the 3 listed changes within 174 days. You will then be prompted to reactivate, which will require calling Microsoft for a new activation code.

4. I have never went through 50 questions ever when talking to Microsoft directly. They ask me the reason for reactivation, I told them, they issued me a new activation key.

5. Thailand products do not have activation because of Thai law which prevents it. However, you can not export a copy of Windows from Thailand to the US legally, nor will it install on US systems.

I recommend that if you do decide to get a new PC in 2005, simply buy a Windows XP COA (this is the booklet and license key). You do not need new CD's since you should already have one. COA's are as much as 50% cheaper than OEM CDs and will work for you perfectly.
 
actually there is a way to deactivate windows which is posted somewhere on the microsoft site as I've seen it. Even if I did I know where to find it I would posted it as I'm not sure how OSNN staff would feel even though there is a legal reasons for using the information it like most information can be used for non legal purposes as well
 
Reg said:
3. Reactivation is only for people who change more than the 3 listed changes within 174 days. You will then be prompted to reactivate, which will require calling Microsoft for a new activation code.

Interesting. Thanks for that information reg :) - I've always been hazy on the exact XP activation rules, and was wondering why I didn't need to reactivate my copy of XP on my system despite making 3 changes to my system recently (more RAM, a new HD and a new graphics card) - now its turns out its because I didn't upgrade my computer for half a year before that.
 
Reg said:
To answer the question that was posted:

1. There is no way to deactivate Microsoft Products.

2. You pay for a license to use the software and must abide by the license. The license states that you can use one copy of Windows XP on one machine, one copy of Office XP/2003 on one machine, etc. If you are planning on buying a new machine (and are going to keep the old on in your possession, you will need a new COA for the new machine).

3. Reactivation is only for people who change more than the 3 listed changes within 174 days. You will then be prompted to reactivate, which will require calling Microsoft for a new activation code.

4. I have never went through 50 questions ever when talking to Microsoft directly. They ask me the reason for reactivation, I told them, they issued me a new activation key.

5. Thailand products do not have activation because of Thai law which prevents it. However, you can not export a copy of Windows from Thailand to the US legally, nor will it install on US systems.

I recommend that if you do decide to get a new PC in 2005, simply buy a Windows XP COA (this is the booklet and license key). You do not need new CD's since you should already have one. COA's are as much as 50% cheaper than OEM CDs and will work for you perfectly.

Duh, it says in their licence about running it through amount of procesors, furthermore, I have been told by a member of staff at the activation call centre you can run xp pro on 2 machines example a note book.
 
REG - my hero THANK YOU. The 174 days is the key. I did upgrades for 18 months with no trouble but I usually upgrade a part at a time. I splurged this winter and did 4 items at once (ram/mb/cpu/dvd burner). Then when I took the DVD out to trouble shoot 2 weeks later it nailed me.

I go back to peicemeal from now on. I used to do 1 item every 2-3 months. Of course now I'm screwed unless I cahnge serial numbers on my legal copy...

PS Exactly where in the liscence does it say making "excessive upgrades" as arbitrarily defined by M$ requires you to go through intrusive additional work. I could not find that part. I get paid enough money for an hour of my consulting time to buy a copy of windows. If I have to spend that time telephone activating I am getting royally ****ed.
 
So how do buy just the COA? USA location?

Let me rephrase that.

Where in the USA can you get the Win XP PRO COA from a legitimate supplier?
 
I usually buy from distributors, but I have bought COA's from SuperDealOnline. They even include free "hardware. (to ensure Microsoft OEM licensing)" The hardware is usually something silly like a CD-ROM analog cable or something.

Windows XP Home COA - $57

Windows XP Pro COA - $86
 

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