Windows XP OEM activation changes

[joea64]

I've heard that as of February 28th, Microsoft changed its activation policies on OEM copies of Windows XP to require activation/re-activation over the telephone instead of the Internet.

This bothers me because I bought an OEM copy of Win XP Pro with a bunch of hardware yesterday (for building my new system). This copy is clearly legit - it's shrinkwrapped, has the hologrammed COA and everything - but I'm worried about just what to do because the articles I've read state that the MS reps will ask a series of questions to determine the origin of the copy. I thought that the activation process needed to check "internal" serial numbers and such inside your machine. I'm hearing-impaired so I would have to disconnect the modem and switch it over to the telephone that has my TDD to call Microsoft, so I don't know how that would affect the activation process either. Does anyone have any advice?

-Joe-

[PrntRhd]

It SHOULD bother you as the people at MS will read you off a long and specific code to enter. I would contact MS and raise heck about what this change in policy does to the hearing-impaired.
:mad:

BTW, in your signature you have two exposed e-mail alternate addresses that harvest bots can reap to send you spam, is this exposure OK? We generally recommend you change the "@" to something else to force human interpretation.

[joea64]

I didn't know that (about the email addresses). I'll change the profile. (Actually, I hardly ever use the Comcast address and Yahoo has Spam Blocker turned on, which helps a good deal).

As to activation; aside from contacting MS and unleashing fire and brimstone at them, I was already considering taking the box to a local shop to have them do the installation, or get the techies at work to help me. This will require me to write out a very specific set of instructions for them because I need to partition the primary HD so that I can install Linux later for a dual boot (I have a separate thread going about that, and I found out about the new activation policy in fact while googling for instructions on how to set up an XP/Linux dual boot). Any ideas?

-Joe-

[classicsoftware]

I think this is OVERBLOWN.

What is going to happen is for DELL/Gateway/ACER and those companies that PRE-Install AND activate Windows for you. The machines I sell from my distributor are PRE-ACTIVATED. If I need to re-install, I will have to go through the activation process.

This is the only change in the activation process that I am aware of.

[pop pop]

I agree, raise h^%%. I'm a capitalist and believe M$ is entitled to every penny that's rightfully theirs but this is utter stupidity. They should fire the nitwit who came up with the idea.

[joea64]

classicsoftware: The point is, this isn't a pre-installed copy. I bought the shrinkwrapped OEM yesterday along with a wheelbarrowload of hardware (hard drives, RAM, video card, DVD burner and the like) that were intended for my new homebuilt. As I said, this is a legitimate/genuine copy of WinXP Pro right down to the hologrammed COA, but I'm still nervous about the questions MS is going to ask because I might not even know the answers to some of them.

-Joe-

[pop pop]

This is where I respectfully disagree, Classic. In a perfect world, the average person could buy a system with the OS pre-installed and activated and NEVER have to worry about it again. It's not a perfect world and when the average user calls tech support or tries to solve a complicated problem themselves, the first and seemingly simplest solution is "reinstall Windoze". Dell does that to people all the time (the woman I just helped among them).

At the very least, for people who buy the OS OEM like this gent (DIY builders), it's an inconvenience and a waste of time and money -- for everybody. Sure, the issue for M$ is the unscrupulous (OEM'ers and others).

There's got to be a better solution. I would say open source but old habits die hard. M$ IS like a drug dealer. They have the market almost locked up and all their clients are addicts that have to go to them. Until the consumers come to grips with and break their addiction, when M$ says jump, you will jump. And you will like it.

[classicsoftware]

Unless you got the OS from an unauthorized source, you will have NO issue activating the OS. I'm sure they have the tty lines for the hearing impaired.

Pop-Pop: It's not M$ fault Dell gives poor tech support. The problem is unscrupulous people who sell the license multiple times. The answer is diskless OS software, that is the future for OEM software.

[Paul Komski]

I agree with Classicsoftware. You should have no problem and it's not that hard to see if the install will go through on the internet or not; you then have 30 days to sort out how to make the phone call should that for any reason fail.

The problem is not Microsoft's but those OEMs, who have used and distributed cloned preactivated installations with one product key and distributed another unused product key which could be "sold on". When you buy a genuine OEM installation CD all you are doing is becoming an OEM yourself and just as Dell, or whoever, had no problem activating their factory installation and then distributing their clone; so neither should you except that you will only have one product key to "play with" and not a volume licence with a number of product keys to distribute. Dell and co can only do this because they are distributing the same actual key (the one in the installation) with virtually identical computer hardware.

P.S. You don't need to be on-line at the same time you activate by phone. Just have the PC near the telephone so you can read and write any information. Some PCs never go on-line and can still be activated.

[joea64]

Well, we'll see how it goes tomorrow. I did the basic WinXP install this evening and put in the mobo chipset, network, audio and video drivers; tomorrow I'll install the modem drivers and see if I can activate over the Internet (I assume it's a direct call to Microsoft so I won't need to set up for my dialup ISP at this point).

[joea64]

Well, after all _that_ fuss, it was pretty much as easy as 1, 2, 3. I installed the modem drivers, then hooked up the phone line and clicked "Activate Windows". The process went without a hitch (though it would probably have been a bit faster if I had had the new system connected to my cable modem, but that'll come in due course). Guess it was a case of much ado about nothing as Paul and ClassicSoftware said. :D