A scary thought....

[legionaire45]

Im sure a lot of us know about how Microsoft will allow you to install Vista on 1 and only 1 computer, and then you can not activate it anymore, which essentially means if you switch over to a new machine or your mobo dies your screwed. Microsoft also does to with MS flight Simulater X (a friend said he installed it on his computer, it fuxxored up windows and when he tried to install his $50 game on another computer it said that he had activated it too many times. In order to play for more then 30 minutes you need to activate..). What if Microsoft does this with H2V? I would be pretty pissed personally, hell, im pretty pissed at the current activation regime they have with vista, it makes you a slave of your hardware, and im pretty sure no one will like having $450 for Vista Ultimte go down the drain. If this happens with Microsofts $50-60 games, that will make things even worse.

[DaBillyBob]

yeh, I was reading something on this too. I personally thin MS should think this over and allow people to install it a few times at least on our multiple PCs at home. I understand pirating is an issue, but I dont think alowing only 1 install will fix it.

[~ZMT~Trace]

Oshi-!

man, i hope it is like Halo PC. even tho u have to have more then one key code, at least you get to put it on other computers

[jcap]

If you call them and tell them your sob story, they'll give you a new activation number, or at least clear your history. I've been through it MANY times in the past with all of the Microsoft application installations I have gone through. They won't give you a new CD key, but they'll let you activate it. A lot of the things you hear about these things are pure rumors from Windows haters, stretched out and overexadurated. All they want to do is stop the pirates and corporations from installing the same license on hundreds of computers, not the individual consumer who's motherboard or hard drive just died and is in need of help.

[[gx]Shadow]

Going along with what Jcap said, as long as you buy MS's products legally, they will try and help you with problems you have with it more times than none. All you have to do is be honest with them, MS is not out to get you like many people make them out to be.

[StankBacon]

fuckin a.

people overeggagerte way too much when it comes to ms.

[ejburke]

Yeah, people are freaking out over the Vista EULA, oblivious to the fact that it's essentially the same as the XP EULA. I wouldn't worry about it.

[PlasbianX]

In XP, i think you were supposed to put it on only 1 PC. Doesnt stop me though. Ive installed it on about 20 PCs now. Just call in and tell them your Mobo fired, or you got a new graphics card, and they will activate.

[[gx]Shadow]

MS really is very nice. So far they have replaced my copy of Halo two or three times-can't remember how many :X

[TheGhost]

The point is that it's preventing people who are trying to do this illegally. This prevents you from passing around an install disc and key to friends, which you aren't allowed to do. However, if you legitimately need to install it on your computer after you say formatted it or whatever, you just call MS and they're perfectly fine with it. They're not out to get you.

[legionaire45]

If it sounded like I was trying to make MS look evil, I wasn't, I just was afraid of the fact that if anything went wrong with my system I would be out of several hundred dollars worth of software. I find it fairly time consuming to actually call them up, mainly because on average I have to wait close to a half hour on the phone to finally get through to someone. I have to reinstall Windows on the same computer a lot, so I think it would be very inconvenient if I have to call them up every time I want to install Windows. At least with XP I got roughly 5 before it said that I had installed it on too many computers and that my key wasn't valid anymore, but now I need to do it everytime I want to install.

[TheGhost]

Well I know I've used my XP install CD to install XP on my computer at least 4 times (I've reformatted quite a few times), and I've never had a problem with it. If I ever did though, I know I could call them and they would take care of it.

[Boo Diddly]

ya, i've used my xp cd-key so many times... and there is only 1 computer with that key! sure i've had it on a few "diffrent" computers, but its always because the previous one died/reformatted.

although on the sticker of the cd-key it says "Windows XP Home Editon Tech Upgrade *new line* Hewlett-Packard" its that old >.>


i just don't get why "everyone" hates Microsoft. Half of them probably have no reason other than "everyone else" says that they are evil.
*notice the quotes*

[Zeph]

The one computer thing pretty much applies to the machines that allready come with Vista. If you buy a retail copy, your definition of computer is much more vague and leniant.

[demonmaster3k]

yeh, I was reading something on this too. I personally thin MS should think this over and allow people to install it a few times at least on our multiple PCs at home. I understand pirating is an issue, but I dont think alowing only 1 install will fix it.
:eyesroll: *thinks*
here's an idea:
buy the current parts for computers at dirt cheap prices
make sure every computer in your house (that you want vista on) has the same specs. buy vista when it comes out. then create a ghost image (yea i said ghost--an operating system installation method that big businesses use which involves creating a ghost image of the operating system to be able to deploy to other computers tied to the company's network) set up a wireless network with every computer in your house (using the wireless network wizard) MAKE SURE you have file and printer sharing established. install the ghost vista to every computer in your youse (THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME SPECS) activate... ta-da you've established a network and sucessfully distributed a VALID operating system throughout the network... (ps, when you want new programs on every computer, you're going to have to ghost it)


...it's amazing what u can learn off of the internet these days

(it's a proven method that works with xp, but i'm not too sure with vista)
btw, you have to have symantec ghost or some other ghosting program to setup ghost partitions on your hardware in order to install a ghost operating system (if it wasnt illegal, then how come it's used in corporations)


*ps i'm pretty sure that validation is done by isp or computer serial on the standard installation of an operating system

[jcap]

Just a little clarification...

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/10/26/Microsoft_clarifies_Vista_activation_to_bit-tech/


Should you change the hard drive and another piece of hardware - for example for a major upgrade such as a motherboard change that requires a re-installation - Microsoft will allow you to re-activate up to 10 times. You will not, however, be able to have more than one machine activated concurrently.

Should you wish to activate more than 10 times, you could be busted, or Microsoft could choose to let you activate again at its discretion.

[demonmaster3k]

Just a little clarification...

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/10/26/Microsoft_clarifies_Vista_activation_to_bit-tech/

does this mean no ghost copies allowed?
no deploying the same os to multiple rigs?
WE NEEED HACKERS!!!
we have the will, now we need the way!

[jcap]

does this mean no ghost copies allowed?
no deploying the same os to multiple rigs?
WE NEEED HACKERS!!!
we have the will, now we need the way!
It never said that, nor did it infer that in any way that I noticed.

Plus, doing that is illegal. If you want to install Windows on multiple rigs, you need multiple licenses. Reading that long document written by lawyers for lawyers, the End User License Agreement (EULA) would help give a better understanding of the matter. If you are going to ghost a hard drive for the sole purpose of starting from scratch easier, it is going to work just fine.

[legionaire45]

That article clears up a lot and makes me actually want to buy Vista now. Although the Flight Simulator thing still leaves me a little bit worried. Then again MS might not do that with H2V. I dont mind Reinstalling the OS, just if I have to go through the hour long process of having them get me a keycode I will be a little annoyed. Thankfully I wont have to deal with that probably.

[iam8up]

If you call them and tell them your sob story, they'll give you a new activation number, or at least clear your history. I've been through it MANY times in the past with all of the Microsoft application installations I have gone through. They won't give you a new CD key, but they'll let you activate it. A lot of the things you hear about these things are pure rumors from Windows haters, stretched out and overexadurated. All they want to do is stop the pirates and corporations from installing the same license on hundreds of computers, not the individual consumer who's motherboard or hard drive just died and is in need of help.

Exactly the same experience here. I have had to reinstall Windows XP Home for family members, friends and others many many times over and over. Just tell them that you're installing this on one computer (and only this computer) and you'll be fine.

[Patrickssj6]

Happened to me too.I bought XP Home and I installed it on a custom computer and an old crappy Laptop cause I wasn't aware that I could only use the product key twice.

I create a new custom computer for myself and had to take a different Product ID.But from where?

I looked at the old comps I had and realized that the company in this case Compaq used the Product ID twice already when manifacturing the computer. :/

I got one from a friend and had to find a way to Genuine avoid it.

I hope my computer will upgrade to Vista even though the system is not genuine.This is my biggest concerne.:confused:

Is there any way to unsubscribe from a Product ID?:eyesroll:

[legionaire45]

The retail version of XP lets you install it on 5 "differant" computers at a time (at least the one that I got at the Microsoft store in Washington). Differant is in quotes because I think it checks it based off your MAC address, although im not positive (considering it only does it in XP when I change out a motherboard).

[demonmaster3k]

if you're a pirate, then they're out to get you
bill gates=the boogey man for pirates
(then again, they'd probably wanna pee on his face)