Activation-How do I stop the insanity?

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.

Bull ****
"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.

----- Original Message -----
From: "BigJIm"
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11:01 AM
Subject: Activation-How do I stop the insanity?


Bull ****


All my phone calls are taped. I will soon be putting a copy of the phone
call online. Stay tuned.

BTW, thank you for your professionalism and intellectual response.

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"

Product Activation Facts
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx

Windows XP Product Activation
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"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.
|
| 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.

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:

Product Activation Facts
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx

Windows XP Product Activation
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

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

Thanks,

Alias

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

"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.

"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.

Mark Smith wrote:

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.


done it and its all b/s.

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!.

Oh, and if he had a cracked OS, not a genuine one, he would never have
had to activate. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Cody

"Alias" wrote in message
...
Alias wrote:

Oh, and if he had a cracked OS, not a genuine one, he would never have had
to activate. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.


Man you're good. I never thought of that one.

Got to go watch the game. CU.

Alias wrote:


Oh, and if he had a cracked OS, not a genuine one, he would never have
had to activate. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.



Done it. Cracked OS would probably not work on his system considering
he has PnP requiring re-activation! This says it all!

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
Product Activation Facts
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/activation_faq.mspx

Windows XP Product Activation
http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

I was all set to upgrade to XP from ME, just bought the CD from Walmart
the day before yesterday. However, given the fact that modern large
volume hard drives fail so often and the fact that I too use a USB
digital camera, I believe I'm going to install XP on a separate hard
drive and only use it for testing purposes.

When I got this computer, it was supposed to come with XP. After
considering the pros and cons of XP Product Activation, I told the
vendor (ABS) to install M.E. on it instead. After reading those two
links, I can see that my concerns were well justified.

I'm all for Microsoft protecting their product from piracy and think
that product activation is a good way of doing that. What I don't like
though, is the way that Microsoft has implemented this strategy. Horror
stories like Mark Smith's demonstrate that the system is flawed and unfair.

Also, honestly... *THREE VOTES* for a stupid NIC? Whatever was MS thinking?

--
Regards from John Corliss