Rumors About XP SP1 Product Activation Changes Not True

[ToBeMe]

Follow up to the prior thread.................

• Rumors About XP SP1 Product Activation Changes Not True
  A bizarre rumor about Microsoft making sweeping changing to its Product Activation technology in Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) is completely untrue, the company told me today. The rumor, which was started by a small technology enthusiast Web site, had Microsoft changing the product keys for all of its customers using volume licensing. This rumors has since spread across the Internet and been embellished in various ways, including a version I came across Thursday morning claiming that Microsoft was making the change so it could charge licensees yet again for SP1. Not so, says Microsoft.
  
  "There is no truth in this rumor," Allen Nieman, the Lead Technical Product Manager for Licensing Technologies at Microsoft told me Thursday. "We are not changing the way volume licensing customers install or deploy Windows XP. We are not issuing volume licensing customers new product keys. Volume licensing customers are not impacted by any of the changes we are making to activation in SP1. The only folks impacted by the changes we are making in SP1 are people with illegal copies of Windows."
  
  As I first reported back in May, the Windows Product Activation feature in XP SP1 will get two minor modifications, neither of which will affect any legitimate users. First, Microsoft discovered that the majority of pirated XP copies out there are tied to single volume license product key. So Microsoft alerted the company about the problem, changed their key, and disabled it for use after SP1. So anyone using this pirated key will be unable to upgrade to SP1 or any future updates via Windows Update. Also, Microsoft is adding a three-day grace period for people that use the same product key to install XP on two different systems; in the past, there was no grace period and the user had to immediately activation via phone in order to use XP on the second system. This will give users some breathing room if disaster strikes and you have to install XP on a new system.
  
  source: Paul Thurrott's Wininfomant
  

 

[LordJezo]

Well, they are still going to prevent you from updating it which might very well prevent you from running future applications.

 

[amnesiac]

So I guess those with the Devilsown key will have to find a workaround... hmmm.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: amnesiac 2.0
So I guess those with the Devilsown key will have to find a workaround... hmmm.

thats why there was a keygen.

 

[ToBeMe]

Originally posted by: LordJezo
Well, they are still going to prevent you from updating it which might very well prevent you from running future applications.

LOL! And why shouldn't they disable updates for illegal copies???????

 

[alm99]

I know the article is about those with the illegal copy with the FCXXX serial key. But I have another question

I am lost, can I install XP pro on two machines without having to pay for another key and update them, the copy I own is a legal copy, and I am getting a second computer and don't want to have to spend another ~$150 for the OS.

 

[AmigaMan]

Originally posted by: alm99
I know the article is about those with the illegal copy with the FCXXX serial key. But I have another question

I am lost, can I install XP pro on two machines without having to pay for another key and update them, the copy I own is a legal copy, and I am getting a second computer and don't want to have to spend another ~$150 for the OS.

Hey man check out the Hot Deals forum sometime. You'll see this for sale... (XP Pro OEM $39+shipping). I'm getting mine on August 1st.

 

[Rainsford]

Well duh!

This makes that huge thread about this topic really funny now.

 

[MrCodeDude]

So, the FCKGW key will be the only one who won't allow the SP1 update.
-- mrcodedude

 

[ToBeMe]

Originally posted by: MrCodeDude
So, the FCKGW key will be the only one who won't allow the SP1 update.
-- mrcodedude

Exactly............really much ado about nothing.............anyone using the FCKGW key should have pretty much figured on this.............

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: alm99
I know the article is about those with the illegal copy with the FCXXX serial key. But I have another question

I am lost, can I install XP pro on two machines without having to pay for another key and update them, the copy I own is a legal copy, and I am getting a second computer and don't want to have to spend another ~$150 for the OS.

No this is really what product activation was designed to prevent.

 

[Lucky]

Exactly............really much ado about nothing.............anyone using the FCKGW key should have pretty much figured on this.............

[/quote]


Exactly! I mean, if they were smart they would have switched over to the RKTTG-xxx corporate key months ago!

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: Lucky

Exactly............really much ado about nothing.............anyone using the FCKGW key should have pretty much figured on this.............

Exactly! I mean, if they were smart they would have switched over to the RKTTG-xxx corporate key months ago!

[/quote]



Is it even possible for someone to change a cd key without reinstalling?

 

[kami]

Originally posted by: Jhill

Originally posted by: Lucky

Exactly............really much ado about nothing.............anyone using the FCKGW key should have pretty much figured on this.............

Exactly! I mean, if they were smart they would have switched over to the RKTTG-xxx corporate key months ago!

Is it even possible for someone to change a cd key without reinstalling?[/quote]
Yeppers

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: kami

Originally posted by: Jhill

Originally posted by: Lucky

Exactly............really much ado about nothing.............anyone using the FCKGW key should have pretty much figured on this.............

Exactly! I mean, if they were smart they would have switched over to the RKTTG-xxx corporate key months ago!

Is it even possible for someone to change a cd key without reinstalling?

Yeppers[/quote]
How?

 

[kami]

Scroll down to "Change your XP cd key"...there is a utility that does it for you, or you can do it manually (it's pretty simple). I don't think this is against forum rules since theres no keys posted on that site or anything...if it is, sorry mods! don't hurt me

 

[her209]

I predict:

pirated XP SP1 Installers

 

[puffpio]

Originally posted by: ToBeMe
Also, Microsoft is adding a three-day grace period for people that use the same product key to install XP on two different systems; in the past, there was no grace period and the user had to immediately activation via phone in order to use XP on the second system. This will give users some breathing room if disaster strikes and you have to install XP on a new system.

EH?! When you reinstall on a new system you haven't installed SP1 yet so you are SOL once again!

 

[boyRacer]

Originally posted by: kami
Scroll down to "Change your XP cd key"...there is a utility that does it for you, or you can do it manually (it's pretty simple). I don't think this is against forum rules since theres no keys posted on that site or anything...if it is, sorry mods! don't hurt me

Uh huh.

 

[joemamma]

too slow...kami has enlightened me already..thank you!