registering twice?

[yc-han]

Hi, I have installed windows XP Pro at one occassion and registered the copy.
However, I reformatted the drive again and reinstalled the XP. In such case do I have to get reactivation from Microsoft?

[Philip1952]

Yes you will.

If the second reinstall has been within a 3/4 month period. You might have to call M$ to get a new number.

[rangeral]

Activation is mandatory but registration is voluntary.

[miggetyMike]

I was kinda in the same situatio and yes i had to activate it again,,,,,when i tried to it said i had activated it too many times. But all it took was a 2 minute call to m$ and all was fine....really not a big deal.

[CrimZon]

Not a big deal?
Depending on how you look at it, it is.

How about having to install a system where a phone is nowhere around. (you either relocate the entire system, write the number down and leave the machine on, or do a complete reinstall ever few weeks).--- Try switching a laptop to XP in the middle of NOWHERE, where it will be for weeks. No cell phone coverage in many areas, my friends. Only to find out that you CANT get work done because MicroSoft feels that you no longer have the right to use software that YOU PURCHASED! Hindsight is 20/20. (BTW, that field laptop now runs 98se).

Other times, I have gotten a bit of a runaround asking me why I was putting it on another computer (change out a motherboard and it thinks its a new system (and yes the make/model was the same - probly had a different series of chips mfd).

A Soundblaster Audigy has numerous components in it (upgraded from a Live to Audigy): Audigy chip, 1394 controller, gameport, IR device, MSDOS emulator, and then some. Easily at or beyond the "allowed" change of up to 6 devices, just with one card.

All this with a LEGAL, store-bought copy.

The only reason I went to XP was for stability.
I found some stability, but also massive resource consuption, slower load times, program incompatibility, REDUCED security, etc.

Anyone read the EULA? I'm sure many of you have. Not allowed to network to more than 10 computers - well, that technically kills the internet. No more than one processor - even if you define the 'processor' as a true CPU and not as just a 'processor' then the Audigy chip AND the NVidia GPU are also processors technically and legally. If you read the EULA as an actual legally-binding document, it's well, unrealistic at best.

Then there's licensing things such as, can't get a student discount unless I purchase 5 or more copies. Even better, by the EULA, if you purcahse a computer and then sell/give it to someone else... that's fine, however, if THEY decide to sell/give it away, you MUST purchase another licence (has nothing to di with reinstalling the system). Under such requirements, Microsoft is in full violation of inter and intra-State commerce, as well as property rights, and indeed labor laws (eg. I buy a PC, use it fer a while, give it to you, you use it for a couple of months, you decide to sell it to a friend, and Microsoft deems that they must either pay Microsoft for another licence to USE THEIR PC (private property) or uninstall the OS and destroy any copies they have (demand of uncompensated / involuntary labor aka slavery).

But it even gets better, how do you like spam? How do you like pop-up advertisements? I find email in my Hotmail account commenting how to "fight spam" and that Microsoft is commited to insuring that it's users do not recieve uncolicited advertisements. HOWEVER, I routinely get pop-ups that circumvent the firewall (intentional breaching of secured computers systems, especially over State borders, is a Federal felony) to somehow entice me into purchasing WindowsXP, OfficeXP, BloatwareXP, etc etc.

Of course there's always the Sherman Anti-Trust Act... gee.



Egad! this 'reply' has certainly taken off topic a bit. :eek:
I guess I can say, don't get me started of Micro$oft! :D

I'm going Linux now (Xandros Linux w/ Crossover Wine). :p


Yeah.... just call 'em up and tell them to give you the auth. number, and when they ask if its another PC, just say, "no." :t

[miggetyMike]

O man......feel better Crimzon?? Sometimes you just gotta get those things out. Yer def right about the whole thing. I got weird feeling when I saw that windows could tell i upgraded my system and decided I wasn't allowed to use windows......its almost like someone's spying on me......erie concept.