Final word on Vista and activation???

[Imagination]

Hi,

Just wondering, after the whole flap on Vista a couple months ago about activation and porting it to another machine... Whats the final word? I remember an article saying that 1 PC would ahve to be "unregistered" but nothing more then that.

Thank you....

 

[jshupp872]

If you purchase the retail version, you can move to as many PCs as you want (1 at a time) and/or change pieces of hardware.

If you purchase or receive OEM with a new computer, it will be linked that one computer (or the first one you install to) and you cannot move it or change the motherboard (or possibly HDD) because that might constitute a new system. Supposedly you can change the HDD and call for reactivation, since they can fail and need to be replaced.

Better explaination here - http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=34&threadid=1993711&enterthread=y

 

[Tom]

I'm pretty sure nobody at Microsoft knows what the heck the policy is. I think the entire Vista project is governed by quantum mechanics, someday another Einstein will come along and decipher it for us, but 'til then you might as well consult your astrologer.

 

[fyleow]

..

 

[Arkaign]

Originally posted by: Tom
I'm pretty sure nobody at Microsoft knows what the heck the policy is. I think the entire Vista project is governed by quantum mechanics, someday another Einstein will come along and decipher it for us, but 'til then you might as well consult your astrologer.

I hear Stephen Hawking is making significant progress in deciphering the mysteries and vagaries of Vista activation, though he mentioned something about Chaos Theory at one point.

Vista = teh black hole?

 

[greylica]

I hear Stephen Hawking is making significant progress in deciphering the mysteries and vagaries of Vista activation, though he mentioned something about Chaos Theory at one point.

Vista = teh black hole?

Degradation is the black hole, for money...
They spend millions of dollars to put in the hardware a futile tool and we have to pay for it even we knowing that we don't need it.

 

[Cardio]

I have Vista Premium OEM. I changed motherboard. It needed to reactivate. It did so online in about 10 seconds. Same as with XP as far as I can tell. This happened yesterday.

 

[harpy82]

Originally posted by: Cardio
I have Vista Premium OEM. I changed motherboard. It needed to reactivate. It did so online in about 10 seconds. Same as with XP as far as I can tell. This happened yesterday.

So the rumor that it can only be activated again one more time may be true.
Do you kindly care to try reactivating one more time for us?? Many will appreciate that 😀

 

[Cardio]

I did reactivate. Just clicked on reactive and it did so online in a few seconds. No problem. I had installed with a P965 MB and decided to change 680i, reactivated. Then changed changed from 1 HD to 3 and changed video card from 7900gto to 8800GTX it had to reactivate again. So it has been activated 3 times. Works for me.

 

[Damn Dirty Ape]

Originally posted by: Cardio
I did reactivate. Just clicked on reactive and it did so online in a few seconds. No problem. I had installed with a P965 MB and decided to change 680i, reactivated. Then changed changed from 1 HD to 3 and changed video card from 7900gto to 8800GTX it had to reactivate again. So it has been activated 3 times. Works for me.

Yea, for sh!tz and giggles, try swapping the mobo back... You've had the one freebie on the mobo transfer w/ OEM according to all I've read about it..

 

[ozziegn]

this is obviously great news for those of us that like to upgrade our machines quite frequently.

I think I'm going to go the OEM route w/ Vista Home premium.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ozziegn
this is obviously great news for those of us that like to upgrade our machines quite frequently.

I think I'm going to go the OEM route w/ Vista Home premium.

Microsoft was going to restrict RETAIL verions of Vista from being moved more than one time. If MS allowed the OEM versions to be moved back and forth at will, then nobody would ever buy the Retail version. I wouldn't count on it being that easy.

Microsoft has ALWAYS considered moving an OEM version from one PC (now, motherboard) to a different PC as being against their EULA. There's absolutely no reason to expect a major change in MS's OEM transfer policies with Vista. If MS is going to allow one move, then that's great. But I wouldn't expect a second move of OEM Vista to be looked upon quite so kindly.

 

[QuixoticOne]

Also if you use "Anytime Upgrade" (which really should be called
"Anytime Forever DOWNGRADE") and you previously had a RETAIL license,
you will:

a) LOSE the right to your original license
and
b) LOSE the right to transfer the OS to a replacement / new machine more than once ever.
and
c) LOSE the ability for transfers of the OS license (give/sell) to someone else more than
once ever, and then only if you TRANSFER YOUR PC AS WELL!

Complain to microsoft and spread the word; they really need to get rid of this
"UPGRADE IS A DOWNGRADE" nonsense!

http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/default.aspx
Windows Vista_Business_English.pdf

13. UPGRADES. To use upgrade software, you must first be licensed for the software that is
eligible for the upgrade. Upon upgrade, this agreement takes the place of the agreement
for the software you upgraded from. After you upgrade, you may no longer use the
software you upgraded from.

15. REASSIGN TO ANOTHER DEVICE.

a. Software Other than Windows Anytime Upgrade. You may uninstall the software
and install it on another device for your use. You may not do so to share this license
between devices.

b. Windows Anytime Upgrade Software. The first user of the software may reassign
the license to another device one time, but only if the license terms of the software you
upgraded from allows reassignment.

16. TRANSFER TO A THIRD PARTY.

a. Software Other Than Windows Anytime Upgrade. The first user of the software
may make a one time transfer of the software, and this agreement, directly to a third
party. The first user must uninstall the software before transferring it separately from
the device. The first user may not retain any copies.

b. Windows Anytime Upgrade Software. You may transfer the software directly to a
third party only with the licensed device. You may not keep any copies of the software
or any earlier version.

c. Other Requirements. Before any permitted transfer, the other party must agree that
this agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software. The transfer must
include the proof of license.

 

[QuixoticOne]

Another (IMHO) HUGE problem with the activation / licensing system
as it is is that is seems likely to really screw you if you plan to multi-boot.

You're allowed to use your license on your "licensed device" e.g. single computer with
two processors or less. And you have to activate it when you install it.

However what happens if you want / need to have different configurations of the same
OS selectable via different boot-time configurations on the same PC? In the best
case this would be explicitly permitted, detected, and it would "just work" sharing
one activation for that machine regardless as to what configuration you boot that same
system in.

What happens with 32 bit and 64 bit versions?
One Vista retail license allows you to use either 32 bit or 64 bit software
versions on your licensed computer only saying you must use one at the same time
e.g. not have one PC running 32 while a different PC runs 64 at the same time.
There is no stated restriction about switching between 32 and 64 bit versions on
your licensed computer as often as you'd like; e.g. dual-booting between them.

Some software and hardware you may acquire or already own will be incompatible
with 64 bit mode, so you'll have to run it under VISTA 32 bit.

Some hardware and software likewise will not work with VISTA 32 bit, but will require
VISTA 64 bit.

Ot-Oh- so if you set up 2 disk partitions and dual boot between VISTA 32 on one
partition and VISTA 64 on the other, again, they'll very likely each want to activate
distinctly and you could get into problems with your product key being revoked
just for switching the same exact machine back and forth between 32 & 64 bit
versions by frequently (and necessarily due to incompatibilities) booting between
them!

But wait it gets worse; what about application software like Microsoft Office?

Say I have these disk partitions on the SAME PC:
c: XP 32 bit
d: XP 64 bit
e: Vista 64 bit
f: Vista 64 bit alternative boot configuration
g: Vista 32 bit
h: Vista 32 bit alternative boot configuration
o: Microsoft Office is *INSTALLED HERE*.

The OFFICE license says you may install and use it on a single PC; fine, and on my
single PC it is installed to O drive.

On that same legitimately licensed PC and I have various legitimately licensed
operating systems that I may want to select from at boot at any given time and
yet be able to use my legitimate Office application regardless of which OS I happen
to be running at the moment.

Office is installed on O drive and I can certainly try to launch Word or whatever
programs from that drive whatever OS I happen to have booted, and Office hasn't
been deinstalled or activated on any other PC, so everything should work fine and it
should have no need of reactivation or reinstallation.

However I think it's very likely that it'll fail to work properly on most of those
configurations due to the bad design of the software and Office licensing, so
I'll need to do something like "repair installations" or whatever on EACH of the
*boot partitions* even though I told it to install ONLY to "O" drive, and I further
bet it'll claim to have 6 different OFFICE ACTIVATIONS even though it's the
SAME PC! This will certainly all cause much annoyance for the user that just
wants to be able to use their legitimately licensed/purchased software on their
PC in whatever configuration they choose.