Windows XP activation phone call -whats the point?

kaaloo

I dont get it! Why do Microsoft make you phone up to activate XP?

How does it prevent piracy?

spook

Well, they will only allow to you activate your copy once. Hence you can't sell copies of it.

kaaloo

Well the reason I ask is that i reinstalled XP on to my pc and phone up and they activated it no questions asked (not that I had anything to hide - all genuine etc) but it made me wonder what the point was as I could have been installing it to any pc surely. Or am I missing something here!

weemee

No you couldn't.

The generated key refers to hardware, if the key changes to much without reason, they won't activate it!

valiant

It's actually a very myopic policy. They think that if they make it difficult to pirate a 'bought' copy of Windows XP then they'll reduce the number of pirate copies out there. That's true to some extent but it has to be balanced by the number of potential customers they lose who can't be bothered with all the hassle and just download a pirate copy from the net, which needs no phone validation and can be installed where you like.

The same is happening with DRM protection on ITunes et al. You can only play the songs you download on 'approved' devices. The result is that they lose lots of potential customers who are normally honest but who download pirated music so that they can have full control over it.

It might have been a good strategy before the days of broadband......not now. Give it another year or so and the penny will finally drop!

spurs1234

Well, they will only allow to you activate your copy once. Hence you can't sell copies of it.

Windows Xp can be Activated Online 6 times after this they make you phone, also if the system spec changes alot they have the right to say no to the activation, this happened to a friend of mine a couple of weeks ago when he brought a new motherboard ! he phone microsoft only to be told that his windows is for 1 machine therefor now he has a new motherboard he's basicly got a new machine so he would have to buy a new windows key.(at which point he told the microsoft employee that he'll just download a copy instead :beer:)

kaaloo

I heard that this doesnt apply to XP professional as no activation code is needed. T

hanks for the replies - it will be interesting to see if Vista has similar red tape attached to it too.

Bad-Boy-Button

The new Vista that is due for release soon will only allow one re-activation after the initial activation. Microsoft say its because pc's have a longer life these days.
B o l l o c ks. I recently had a knackered motherboard that 'ate' three hard drives, each new hard drive needed a re-install, which I was able to activate the product over the phone to Microsoft. Imagine forking out nearly 200 Quid for Vista, then having a hard-drive/ Motherboard/ Virus problem six month down the line that requires a re-install? Thats your nine lives gone, and another wedge to Microsoft Inc.

Little_John

Loads of incorect stuff on here.

4 items can change in a PC before online activation fails, a motherboard change usually breaks the 4 especially if it has onboard video, sound network ect but microsoft will normally reset the key to allow the activation to take place. I have replaced my whole pc in the past and told them it was a new board and they have reset the key.

Phoneing for activation does get round the multiple install. I have done it a few times with mates that are develpers and "play" with stuff microsoft dont check the phone call against the automatic/online activations. not sure about office but it is the case for windows XP.

XP pro does require activation, the corporate version that is usually the downloadable one doesnt.

As for why they do it? they dont. most pc's can be done online but not every pc is connected to the internet belive it or not. So microsoft came up with another way of activating windows.

esuhl

I don't know if it helps, but my firewall reported WGA trying to connect to IP address 131.107.115.40 on port 443. I just blocked this, so hopefully Microsoft won't be degrading the bandwidth that I pay for with their pointless spyware.

superscaper

esuhl wrote:

I don't know if it helps, but my firewall reported WGA trying to connect to IP address 131.107.115.40 on port 443. I just blocked this, so hopefully Microsoft won't be degrading the bandwidth that I pay for with their pointless spyware.

That doesn't change whether the copy of windows itself is activated or not, as for saving bandwidth, the amount of data sent is very tiny and insignificant in terms of average internet usage.