A Sneaky Change to Microsoft Licensing Agreement?

kcnychief

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

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