question on microsoft

RoyalMarine

why do microsoft only allow you a certain number of install's with your copy of windows??
several times ive formatted a machine, and when validating the copy on win xp, i get the message that this copy as exceeded its allowable number of goes...

is it to stop people sharing the c.d's around?

that i can understand..

but when i rang microsoft and told them ive wiped my HD, they basically said and i quote "sorry sir, thats not our problem, thats yours"

now, forgive me if im wrong, but what the hell did i spend 100 quid on when i can only use it a few times?? so what if i wipe my harddrive, and re-install something which i paid for?
is that a crime?
NO.

so why do microsoft get to do this to me? im going to ring them again on tuesday and ask for the department manager or someone who i can file a complaint with.

any advice on this at all?
thanks.

drdre

its because people copy the cd and sell it on and other fraud like that.
i agree with you that if you pay for something you should be allowed use it as many times as you like.
but thats microsoft for you and they wont change there way of business as they are making millions

aidan_walsh

You could always read the EULA, and then say No. You're not bound to anything then, but of course the installation won't contine either.

What I've always liked is that if you buy a new computer with the OS preinstalled, you're never presented with the EULA at all...

RoyalMarine

aidan_walsh wrote:

You could always read the EULA, and then say No. You're not bound to anything then, but of course the installation won't contine either.

What I've always liked is that if you buy a new computer with the OS preinstalled, you're never presented with the EULA at all...

technically speaking so, you dont accept any terms and conditions in that case...
several computer shops around europe have been fined large sums of money for not providing the installation c.d with the computer that has a pre-installed version of windows on it. but then again, the consumer still doesnt see the terms and conditions that way either...

but back to my problem, i did accept the eula, and what not, but i still believe im entitled to a new c.d key since i have verified that i purchased the c.d, and i still have the reciept and all...
i could understand that if i lost the c.d, i know microsoft charge about 20 euro's for a replacement one, but i didnt loose anything...

DublinWriter

RoyalMarineComm wrote:

any advice on this at all?

Sure. It's Microsoft. They're evil. Suck it down.

You could always plump for a copy of XP Pro, costs a bit more, but doesn't have the activation requirements. Or it that the Corporate edition? Either way, it costs more.

delly

DublinWriter wrote:

Sure. It's Microsoft. They're evil. Suck it down.

You could always plump for a copy of XP Pro, costs a bit more, but doesn't have the activation requirements. Or it that the Corporate edition? Either way, it costs more.

XP Pro does anyway

seamus

DublinWriter wrote:

Or it that the Corporate edition? Either way, it costs more.

'Tis the volume licence edition. Basically, you can buy a volume licensing agreement from Microsoft. What happens is that MS supply you with your very own keys for all/most of Microsoft's products. They also supply you with their entire software catalogue. If you choose to install anything, you let them know, and pay them for it. You get three benefits from this:
1. You can install the software straight away without having to go out and find a supplier and so forth. In theory, you can also install the software for testing purposes for a day or two, then remove it afterwards. Strictly speaking you're not supposed to.
2. Each licence is considerably cheaper because you've bought so many
3. You don't require activation.
You may think that it's an easy one to bypass, i.e. buy a volume licence, then just don't declare any extra licences. But if MS find out, your business will owe them shedloads, and so in the interests of keeping your business afloat, it's assumed you'll do the right thing. Generally a company will know that they have, say 300 possible machines and so will buy 300-350 licences to cover themselves, instead of declaring each new one.

To answer the OP's question, yes they can do this. What you have paid for is covered in the EULA, which is presented to you for your agreement before installing the software. Generally speaking, while you'll eventually be told you have no activations left at some point, speaking to someone directly will usually get you your activation code. What you pay for is a licence to use this software. The licence allows you to install the software on one machine which you own, and sometimes one other machine of which you are the only user. Now, if you dispose of, or change your original machine, then you are within your rights to re/install the software on that machine, since the original copy is gone, and you are still within the licence agreement. The activation limit is to prevent people installing on multiple machines.

If you buy a machine with the OS preinstalled, you should be presented with the EULA when you first boot up the machine. If you're not, then your machine has either been used as a display machine, or the OS was installed manually (i.e. in the shop).

Sir Random

RoyalMarineComm,
I fix/upgrade PCs for a living, and this often means re-installing 'XP Home' on an entirely new machine. I am aware of M$'s policy, but I have never had a problem re-activating XP Home on an upgraded/new machine.

My own version of XP Home is on it's 3rd motherboard, 3rd harddrive & 2nd graphics card. The only components that haven't changed are my Audigy 2 soundcard and a Plextor DVD/CD drive.

How many times have you activated your copy of XP, and how many hardware changes have you made?

subway

call the activation hotline,
thye can issue a new key for a non oem version

jimmycrackcorm

I've never any problem ringing them up to get a re-activation key multiple times.

netwhizkid

I never knew this was a problem; I have formatted three times and used the same CD twice. The first time my local computer technician did it for me and I don't know what disc he used (he took all my drivers and installed everything) so I presume he used the same windows disc that came with it also. (Which would make three re-installs off the disk.)

Last month I formatted and re-installed, however I made a dogs dinner of it and had to format again and reinstall. Anyways everything worked fine and I wasn't asked to register the thing or anything. This was on the Windows XP installation CD that came with my Dell Dimension 8400 in Jan 2005 it is Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600).

However I got no license issues or anything, and wasn’t asked to register. Can anyone explain this? Anyway how would the disc know if it was re-installed before?? Would the drive burn something to it? Anyways this is a total rip-off as once you buy software you should be allowed install it as often as you want on your own machine.