Activation-How do I stop the insanity?

Mark Smith wrote:
About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it was
fast and easy. Well guess what.

I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that before
the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I rebooted, I got
the Activation popup saying I my hardware configuration had changed.

Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I
don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
dial-up by the way.
Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for 4
minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would have
to reactivate.

She lied. Activation isn't supposed to work that way, but Activation
doesn't always work the way it is supposed to.


I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer coming,
so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't want to
have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives from
newegg.
She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out my
60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I had
to enter to reactivate.

This whole process took exactly 10 minutes. And I am going to have to
go through this every time I connect a USB camera? Are you kidding me?

The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it into my USB hub it says
found new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take effect.

Will MS pay for me to get a card reader so I don't have to keep
disconnecting my camera? I can't believe I am going to have to go
through this again when my video card gets here. I am going to make
damn sure I do the DVD writer at the same time.

How much money is MS saving by doing this activation?

I would guess that it costs MS and its stockholders more than it saves
from piracy.

I am telling
you that I am actually thinking about getting an illegal copy of XP
now!!!!!

Many people use the "Corp Edition" to bypass PA problems, even though
they own a legit copy.

When I bought this XP from Circuit City, you guys should have had this
disclaimer on it:

WARNING: Microsoft now makes it very inconvenient for you to use XP
if you are going to build your own computer.

And actually have the truth on the box?! ROFL!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

BigJIm wrote:
Bull ****

We have a deep thinker here!

"Mark Smith" wrote in message
...
About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it
was fast and easy. Well guess what.

I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that
before the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I
rebooted, I got the Activation popup saying I my hardware
configuration had changed. Before that I switched HDD's around and
put in a new cd drive. I
don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
dial-up by the way. Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my
activations. I then
realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for
4 minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would
have to reactivate. I told her I had a new video card coming and a
new DVD writer
coming, so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't
want to have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives
from newegg. She said I could not wait and that I was going to have
to call out
my 60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I
had to enter to reactivate.

This whole process took exactly 10 minutes. And I am going to have
to go through this every time I connect a USB camera? Are you
kidding me? The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it into my USB
hub it says
found new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take
effect. Will MS pay for me to get a card reader so I don't have to
keep
disconnecting my camera? I can't believe I am going to have to go
through this again when my video card gets here. I am going to make
damn sure I do the DVD writer at the same time.

How much money is MS saving by doing this activation? I am telling
you that I am actually thinking about getting an illegal copy of XP
now!!!!! When I bought this XP from Circuit City, you guys should
have had
this disclaimer on it:

WARNING: Microsoft now makes it very inconvenient for you to use XP
if you are going to build your own computer.



--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

Mark Smith wrote:
Thank you for replying, but I have to be honest. This process below
will take just as long as doing activation online.

"Peter" ex-brit AT rogers DOT com wrote in message
...
How to get around the activation problems:
How to format/reinstall Windows without having to Register or
Activate. Keep your activation status intact when reinstalling XP

Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows
XP on a system but you did not want to mess around with Microsoft's
Product Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you do not have
to. As long as you are not making any hardware alterations, you can
back up the activation status files before you reformat the hard
drive and then restore them after you reinstall the operating system.

To perform the backup, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD.

To perform the restore, follow these steps:

1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation
procedure, and restart Windows XP.
2. During boot up, press F8 to access the Windows Advanced Options
menu. 3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option.
4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to
Wpadbl.new and Wpabak.new.
6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk
or CD to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.
7. Restart the system.




And it only works if the hardware stays exactly the same!

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

Ron Martell wrote:
"Mark Smith" wrote:

About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it
was fast and easy. Well guess what.

I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that
before the effects could take place I had to reboot. When I
rebooted, I got the Activation popup saying I my hardware
configuration had changed.

Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I
don't know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the
activation automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on
dial-up by the way.

Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said
screw it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for
4 minutes. When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb
camera. She explained that everytime my hardware changed I would
have to reactivate.

I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer
coming, so I had better wait before reactivating now because I don't
want to have to go through this again when my new hardware arrives
from newegg.

She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out
my 60 digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I
had to enter to reactivate.


Have you read the article on activation by the late Alex Nichol MVP at
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm ?

That explains how the activation process works, and indicates which
specific hardware components are monitored for changes.

It is important to realize that the hardware changes are cumulative
since the last actual activation, so that it can be a single,
seemingly quite trivial, hardware change such as adding more RAM or
replacing the CDROM drive that can trigger the need to reactivate.

Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

And the one thing that is missing in that article is the acknowlegement
that PA doesn't always work the way it is supposed to.

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com/mscommunity
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"

"kurttrail" wrote in message
...
Mark Smith wrote:

Many people use the "Corp Edition" to bypass PA problems, even though they
own a legit copy.


Wait a minute. You telling me if I have XP Pro I don't have to fool with
this activation?

Alias wrote:

Just goes to show, once again, that activation only inconveniences the
paying customers whilst the crackers just go about their cracking and
laughing the whole time.



NO. Just goes to show, once again, that activation only inconveniences
people with low intelligence.


USB are all PnP and you don't need to reboot when you hook any device
these days. I have Canon camera (A95) and I too download pictures from
it but I don't need to reboot everytime. My PC is only PIII - about 7
years old. Modern systems are even better.

The OP hasn't got anything better to do. His taped conversation cannot
be genuine or reliable as digital voice can be manipulated in the same
way as digital pictures.

Alias wrote:

According to your links, the OP shouldn't have had to activate. Can you
explain why he had to?



You don't know whether he has a genuine OS. Just because he said so
does not prove anything!.

ANONYMOUS wrote:


Alias wrote:

According to your links, the OP shouldn't have had to activate. Can you
explain why he had to?




You don't know whether he has a genuine OS. Just because he said so
does not prove anything!.

If you say so ...

Alias

ANONYMOUS wrote:


Alias wrote:

Just goes to show, once again, that activation only inconveniences the
paying customers whilst the crackers just go about their cracking and
laughing the whole time.




NO. Just goes to show, once again, that activation only inconveniences
people with low intelligence.

It insults the intelligence of people who have paid for a product to
prove they did not once, but twice. There is no reason why paying
customers should be forced to take their time and help MS catch the "bad
guys" who just go about their cracking and laugh at dummies like you who
fall in line and say, "activation? Yes sir, yes sir, three clicks full,
sir".



USB are all PnP and you don't need to reboot when you hook any device
these days. I have Canon camera (A95) and I too download pictures from
it but I don't need to reboot everytime. My PC is only PIII - about 7
years old. Modern systems are even better.

The OP hasn't got anything better to do. His taped conversation cannot
be genuine or reliable as digital voice can be manipulated in the same
way as digital pictures.

Are you openly accusing the OP of being a liar? You're kinda like
activation: guilty of piracy until you prove otherwise.

Alias

"ANONYMOUS" wrote in message

NO. Just goes to show, once again, that activation only inconveniences
people with low intelligence.


Your post just goes to show that anonymous posters use their personality
problems to try to confuse and inconvenience sincere posters.

And if I have such low intelligence, then how did I get the thing activated?

USB are all PnP and you don't need to reboot when you hook any device
these days.

The name of the camera is Mercury S-550v (not cybershots). I am telling you
that as soon as XP installed it I got a pop up telling me I needed to
reboot before the change would take effect. I never said the camera would
not work otherwise. Basically you are saying I am lying. I am not even
hiding my IP, and you have the audacity to call me out?

The OP hasn't got anything better to do. His taped conversation cannot
be genuine or reliable as digital voice can be manipulated in the same
way as digital pictures

You hipocrite. How is your post any different? The same thing can be said
about you.

And what purpose would it serve for me to fake a phone call to MS? My phone
has a built in recorder--like all the expensive ones do at Walmart. As soon
as I pick up the receiver it starts recording automatically. All I used the
recorded call for was to show the length of time the call took. And of
course there are the webcam shots of the activation code I entered as the
lady on the phone called them out to me. I had her on speaker phone, so the
webcam picked that up to.

And what do you mean I have nothing better to do? If I were not on vacation,
I would not be spending any more time on you, that is for sure, but as soon
as the B-ball game comes on, I will be turning off the comp. So I do have
something better to do.

"ANONYMOUS" wrote in
You don't know whether he has a genuine OS. Just because he said so
does not prove anything!.

Why do you assume I don't? There you go again displaying your personality
problems. Try www.psychology.com. Click on the self-help link.

"Alias" wrote in message news:uOYjZo5%
Alias wrote:

According to your links, the OP shouldn't have had to activate. Can you
explain why he had to?

You don't know whether he has a genuine OS. Just because he said so
does not prove anything!.


If you say so ...

Alias

LMAO! Good one Alias.

Alias wrote:

It insults the intelligence of people who have paid for a product to
prove they did not once, but twice. There is no reason why paying
customers should be forced to take their time and help MS catch the "bad
guys" who just go about their cracking and laugh at dummies like you who
fall in line and say, "activation? Yes sir, yes sir, three clicks full,
sir".

I agree there is no reason for paying customers to have to go through
this process but we don't know whether the OP's problem was just because
he hooked his camera to a usb port that triggered the re-activation. It
sounds incredible to be true!



Are you openly accusing the OP of being a liar? You're kinda like
activation: guilty of piracy until you prove otherwise.


I am not accusing anybody. i am simply highlighting the flaws in the
story. It is incredible! Have you had an instance of plugging anything
to a USB port that triggered a re-activation?

We always advice people to disconnect everything from the system when
installing an OS. This includes cameras, printers, scanners etc. The
only thing that is attached is a keyboard and a mouse. Now when you
plug your printer, scanner etc, are you telling me this requires
re-acticvations?

RUBBISH or somebody said B/S.

I have plugged in thousands of USB devices into many hundreds of different
computers. The next time doing so causes me to have to either reboot or
reactivate a computer, will be the first time that I have seen this
phenomenon.

I would call this an anomaly, not a standard occurrence. Deal with it and
get on with your life. It is inconsequential, at best.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Mark Smith" wrote in message
...
About three days ago I posted a message here or in the hardware group
defending MS Activation because it took me less than 3 clicks; it was fast
and easy. Well guess what.

I hooked up a USB camera last night. I got a popup saying that before the
effects could take place I had to reboot. When I rebooted, I got the
Activation popup saying I my hardware configuration had changed.

Before that I switched HDD's around and put in a new cd drive. I don't
know how I could have exceeded anything. Anyway, I let the activation
automatically dial me into their 800 number. I am on dial-up by the way.

Then I got disconnected saying I had exceeded my activations. I then
realized I was going to have to enter a 60 digit number, so I said screw
it and opted out to talk directly to a rep. I was on hold for 4 minutes.
When she came on, I told her all I did was connect a usb camera. She
explained that everytime my hardware changed I would have to reactivate.

I told her I had a new video card coming and a new DVD writer coming, so I
had better wait before reactivating now because I don't want to have to go
through this again when my new hardware arrives from newegg.

She said I could not wait and that I was going to have to call out my 60
digit number and then she would reissue me a new number that I had to
enter to reactivate.

This whole process took exactly 10 minutes. And I am going to have to go
through this every time I connect a USB camera? Are you kidding me?

The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it into my USB hub it says found
new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take effect.

Will MS pay for me to get a card reader so I don't have to keep
disconnecting my camera? I can't believe I am going to have to go through
this again when my video card gets here. I am going to make damn sure I do
the DVD writer at the same time.

How much money is MS saving by doing this activation? I am telling you
that I am actually thinking about getting an illegal copy of XP now!!!!!

When I bought this XP from Circuit City, you guys should have had this
disclaimer on it:

WARNING: Microsoft now makes it very inconvenient for you to use XP if you
are going to build your own computer.

Mark Smith wrote:

And if I have such low intelligence, then how did I get the thing activated?

You followed the rules properly laid out by Microsoft otherwise you
would have struggled!


USB are all PnP and you don't need to reboot when you hook any device
these days.

The name of the camera is Mercury S-550v (not cybershots). I am telling you
that as soon as XP installed it I got a pop up telling me I needed to
reboot before the change would take effect. I never said the camera would
not work otherwise. Basically you are saying I am lying. I am not even
hiding my IP, and you have the audacity to call me out?


No it isn't . you said "The camera is a cybershot and when I plug it
into my USB hub it says found
new hardware but you must reboot before changes can take effect." Read
your original message. So you are lying then?

Are you always like this making up stories as you go along?


The OP hasn't got anything better to do. His taped conversation cannot
be genuine or reliable as digital voice can be manipulated in the same
way as digital pictures

You hipocrite. How is your post any different? The same thing can be said
about you.

I am retired now after 40 years service with a top university in
London. I am an emeritus professor of Computing and Artificial
Intelligence.


And what purpose would it serve for me to fake a phone call to MS? My phone
has a built in recorder--like all the expensive ones do at Walmart. As soon
as I pick up the receiver it starts recording automatically. All I used the
recorded call for was to show the length of time the call took. And of
course there are the webcam shots of the activation code I entered as the
lady on the phone called them out to me. I had her on speaker phone, so the
webcam picked that up to.


There are lots of Microsoft bashers on this NGs and you can't be ruled
out for coming out with such an incredible story.


And what do you mean I have nothing better to do? If I were not on vacation,
I would not be spending any more time on you, that is for sure, but as soon
as the B-ball game comes on, I will be turning off the comp. So I do have
something better to do.


Talking of ball game, Manchester United have been eliminated from
european championship of this makes any sence to you.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...pe/4494936.stm