Free Windows XP O.S. to some !

TheTurk

Member
Jun 21, 2003
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Is this a hot deal?

MICROSOFT is offering US Americans compensation if they bought a dodgy copy of Windows, in exchange for information on its source.
The compensation will be in the form of a handy little product activation key by email, followed by a nice new legit copy of Windows XP in the post.



Article about the offer
 

Devistater

Diamond Member
Sep 9, 2001
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This goes along with MS now begining to REQUIRE validation (differant from activation) on all windows XP including volume liscense, in order to manually download updates such as direct x. Of course you can always leave automatic updates on and have it automatically install that SP2 you've been putting off.
 

mscdex0

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2003
2,868
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Just sign up and tell them you "got it from the Internet" and don't have a receipt. :p
 

marvdmartian

Diamond Member
Apr 12, 2002
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Not sure what the problem is with those companies being sued, I've used a couple of them with no problems. Unless they continued selling the COA's after the first of this year, when it was illegal to do so, then I don't know what MS has against them (of course, all I ever bought was windows coas, for my own builds), and never had any problems with activation on any of them. In fact, the most dodgy windows version I ever bought was from another company, not listed in the article, that came in a sleeve with the keycode printed on it, and no coa. I used it on my file server, so don't care about the lack of a coa, but that was closer to pirated software than anything I got from #9 software or eastoutlet.

 

hifi

Senior member
Jan 22, 2004
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dang MS trying to monopoly the XP OS. but in another thought there's no one out there to compete them fairly. sad.
 

policy11

Senior member
Aug 20, 2001
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Originally posted by: hifi
dang MS trying to monopoly the XP OS. but in another thought there's no one out there to compete them fairly. sad.

What are you talking about? MS trying to monopoly XP? Uh, it is their OS after all.
 

Nick5324

Diamond Member
Aug 19, 2001
3,267
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Originally posted by: ryanv12
Who gives a receipt when they sell a dodgy copy of software?

Agree. I'm willing to bet a lot of bootleg WinXP was not purchased at all, but just passed around either in person on CD's or online. No sale involved, no receipt. Although, the whole point of this "program" is to bust people selling illegal copies of the OS, maybe some of them gave receipts.
 

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
14,597
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Originally posted by: AnandtechPirate
Microsoft has no way of telling if a copy is illegitimate unless they find two cd keys being used at different computers. another thing with cd keys are that they are determined on some algorthim and Microsoft provides instruction on how to change your cd key on its website.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q328874

With a name like that, you will be banned soon :)
 

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
14,597
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Originally posted by: butlafer
not gonna help me... i never bought it though i would like a legal cd key

Then buy the XP Home edition OEM. (Cheaper)
 
Jun 14, 2005
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Originally posted by: ariafrost
Originally posted by: AnandtechPirate
Microsoft has no way of telling if a copy is illegitimate unless they find two cd keys being used at different computers. another thing with cd keys are that they are determined on some algorthim and Microsoft provides instruction on how to change your cd key on its website.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q328874

With a name like that, you will be banned soon :)



Noo I won't, I have talked with the moderator before about the name. While he did have concerns about me choosing the name, nowhere did he say I couldn't use the name.
 

ScrapSilicon

Lifer
Apr 14, 2001
13,625
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Originally posted by: AnandtechPirate
Originally posted by: ariafrost
Originally posted by: AnandtechPirate
Microsoft has no way of telling if a copy is illegitimate unless they find two cd keys being used at different computers. another thing with cd keys are that they are determined on some algorthim and Microsoft provides instruction on how to change your cd key on its website.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q328874

With a name like that, you will be banned soon :)



Noo I won't, I have talked with the moderator before about the name. While he did have concerns about me choosing the name, nowhere did he say I couldn't use the name.

a screennick is just that ..a nick..I see nothing wrong with it..mine agitates Intel fab employees ;)
 

xfosx

Senior member
Jun 30, 2004
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I actually own a copy of windows xp pro, but for some reason, it always gave me more trouble. For instance, the other day, I bought another 512 mb of ram & it made me reactivate it. I wasn't near an internet connection for a week so the activation thing freakin expired on me!
 

HuzorDaddy

Member
Aug 1, 2001
136
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0
Originally posted by: xfosx
I actually own a copy of windows xp pro, but for some reason, it always gave me more trouble. For instance, the other day, I bought another 512 mb of ram & it made me reactivate it. I wasn't near an internet connection for a week so the activation thing freakin expired on me!

They have a phone number you can call too, winner.