i bought vista basic and premium 64.I install it alot,now every time i install i have to use the phone,it says its already being used.Both worked fine for like 1st 50 installs.So i have to crack or rearm my own bought copies because i'm fed up with paying for phone calls and long call.Am in uk with only mobile,so not free call.Is stupid.With normal software,u can normally contact company and get them to reset your installation. Obviously you only get so many installs even on the same machine.And no,i haven't changed hardware,is same sid.Cant find a way to contact microsoft about it without paying.Have checked discs,are genuine. Have pre-ordered win7,but i hope same thing doesn't happen with that or i will not be happy. Ridiculous eh??? Wasn't sure to put this in vista or windows 7-but it's win7 i'm worried about now,so i put it in here
Not totally correct. If you have to re-activate it will give you a set of characters you will have to supply to MS (UK), which is normally a free number (sorry if you have a mobile), you'll most likely have to speak to a rep, just tell them you had to re-install for whatever reason. Enter the characters they give you, activate and you're ready to go. For further re-installs you can again use your original key.
@rhrauwerda i'm not sure what u mean.I have to enter a number that they give me when i phone an automated system and enter my computer id,then i can activate.You would of thought i could enter the same number the next time,but i can't.I have to go thru the whole thing again. If i put the same long number they gave me again,it says it's not correct for my computer. If i try to activate with my bought serial,it says that it's already being used,even though it isn't.I can't speak to a real person on the phone,i wish i could
Well that's strange, I live in France and have an OEM key, one day I couldn't active after a fresh install of Vista SP1, Vista then gave me a phone number to call and some kind of code. I called that number, a person respond, I told him the situation, gave him the code and he reseted the activation limit and gave me an activation code and everything was fine, I was able to activate Vista.
Your key is only good for about 3 or 4 online activations and then about 3 or 4 phone activation. After that you have to get the activation code from a CSR. I have a Server 2008 MAK key that I have used on a lot of different installs, it won't activate automatically anymore so I have to call MS to get the activation code. This usually only takes a few mins and then I am good to go. If people didn't pirate software so much then online activation would not exist. People make products and put in software protection for that reason to protect their software from pirates. I don't really feel sorry or feel that this is stupid or ridiculas if you CONSTANTLY reinstall your software like you said then you need to just make an activated image and be done with it. The other option is to backup your activation files.
Do you know where the activation file is? I can find the office 2007 one and the XP one but not the Vista one.
Microsoft's own recommendation (as stated in their MSDN subscription help area) is that if you reinstall often (once every 30 days or more), then you shouldn't try to activate: just let the 30-day grace period carry you through to the next reinstall. From MSDN:
I bought years back a copy of win xp and each time I reinstall the OS I have to call microsoft too.The only way to go biosmod and after you make your own oem dvd, no more calls to microsoft.
Hello gentlemen, I'd like to add my 2 pennies to this conversation if you don't mind . Ever since I got introduced to Acronis I forgot how long and painful re-installation of Windows + all your programs is. Once I did fresh Windows install I made an image of my system partition with Acronis and saved it. Next time I needed fresh install I would just use that image - 10 minutes and you are ready to rumble . I still think it's the most useful application i have on my machine - saved my ass a million times since i like to experiment a lot P.S. Of course the image is made with Windows activated.
Re:Image I honestly didn't know if u made an image of an activated installation that it would be that way when u restored it,or i would have done that in the 1st place.Thanx for the info.Will try backing up my token file 1st.
PROTIP: Your offline activation code stays the same as long as your hardware does. You can use the offline telephone code they give you again and again and again.
Each time you try to activate there is a different code that windows gives you, so when you try to put the activation code from the previous install it doesnt work, well thats how it is with word, not sure with windows. Well it has been everytime ive tried.
Thats what i'm trying to say,the telephone code doesn't work again and again.I haven't changed any of my hardware,but it only lets me use tel. act. code once,then i have to get another.That's what i'm moaning about.