peeved- new pc, vista key already activated on another pc

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haze23

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#17019 8-Nov-2007 13:35

So i got vista home premium 64bit with new pc. When the company sent pc they emailed to say ill need to activate the product key once pc arrives. So i did so- "the product activation key is already loaded on another pc" message. SO i contact pc guy and he says they had it activated but had to replace motherboard which is why i needed to reactivate as he forgot before sending and to call microsoft as they have had this prob before (what??? are they that forgetful!?!), SO i call microsoft and they say as i thought- if you replace motherboard the key needs to be replaced with a new one too.
Next i contact pc guy again and explain this to him and ask him to send me new key and ill send this one back to him- but no! wtf! no!?! he wants pc back and to try reactivating this key- microsoft said no and also to be careful as it sounds suspicious- so i tell him if he wants he can call the guy i spoke to at microsoft but im not losing the comp for a week for you to do something that should have been done and is paid for- that he should send me new key. his response:

No haley, We’ve don’t this many times it can be easily reactivated just by explaining.

As long as the copy has been removed/uninstalled on prevous hardware they will issue a new activation key.

I apologise for the inconvenience but I would like to have your PC and sort that out for you.

wtf!

so i sent:
why cant i send you this cd and the key thats one it and you send me one that hasnt been loaded on the other software?
Its not my fault that the key was installed before the software replaced and that it wasnt loaded before i recieved the goods i paid for- i shouldnt then not have what ive paid for unless i send comp back for a week when a new key can be sent given microsoft said that i need new key as old one was loaded on other software and can only be loaded once. if you call **** on 0800800004 (microsoft tech support) he can explain to you

getting peeved now and losing trust in this company.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#94270 8-Nov-2007 13:41

It does sound strange. Check "How to tell" for more information.

Usually key can be activated a couple of times and it may be needed if you changed something - more memory, different HDD. But when you buy OEM the key is linked to the PC - which is the motherboard, CPU combination and a bit more stuff.

If the guy won't provide you with a new key how can you guarantee this is a unique install? I am not saying this supplier has done this, but many times I read of suppliers buying a single OEM copy and installing in all machines.

If you have problems, contact Microsoft and ask to check the authenticity of the certificate (you got a sticker on your machine, didn't you?)

haze23

32 posts

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#94272 8-Nov-2007 13:44

its a oem copy which is why they should have put new key on when motherbroard was faulty

haze23

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#94273 8-Nov-2007 13:50

he finally agreed after 10 emails back and forth to send me new key. If i have same prob ill take it to a lawyer as ive lost trust in the company now.

Nightwyrm

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#94283 8-Nov-2007 15:30

Damn, which cowboy operation is that?

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bradstewart

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#94355 8-Nov-2007 21:38

As long as the copy has been removed/uninstalled on prevous hardware they will issue a new activation key.

This does not apply to OEM software, however in the case of faulty hardware no new key is needed, just ring Microsoft and explain the Mobo died within days of being installed. However my problem with that is that if it was just the mobo replaced then that would not deactivate Windows

Sounds to me like the OEM is trying to get away with using a single key to activate multiple copies.

The other thing is with the exception of the big brands, HP etc, OEMs never activate Windows for the customer. It just seems very dodgy.

Bung

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#94360 8-Nov-2007 22:06

bradstewart:
As long as the copy has been removed/uninstalled on prevous hardware they will issue a new activation key.

This does not apply to OEM software, however in the case of faulty hardware no new key is needed, just ring Microsoft and explain the Mobo died within days of being installed. However my problem with that is that if it was just the mobo replaced then that would not deactivate Windows

Haze23 didn't get very far with MS, maybe it wasn't made clear enough that the motherboard was a replacement for a faulty part rather than an upgrade. Changing the motherboard would change the ide adapter and the network adapter, that probably would force reactivation.

bradstewart

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#94361 8-Nov-2007 22:12

If it is the same model board it shouldn't matter, all the changes is your MAC address and that alone is not enough to force reactivation. As an OEM this (faulty hardware) is something we come across all the time. The response of the seller is something of a concern.

Thats why buying purely on price is never a great idea. Always go to somebody who has a good reputation and long standing record.

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haze23

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#94362 8-Nov-2007 22:14

i did go thru an actual company/store. his response worried me too but i finally got it sorted anyway, hes sending me new cd and new activation key

Bung

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#94364 8-Nov-2007 22:26

bradstewart: If it is the same model board it shouldn't matter, all the changes is your MAC address and that alone is not enough to force reactivation. As an OEM this (faulty hardware) is something we come across all the time. The response of the seller is something of a concern.

Thats why buying purely on price is never a great idea. Always go to somebosy who has a good reputation and long standing record.

I was basing my response on an article quoting MS that activation was points out of 10 with a hardware change retaining 7 points of similarity being OK. The same article gave as examples, MAC address = 3 points, IDE adapter = 1 point so you're down to 6 with a MB change.

How long would an NZ PC dealer get away with customers ringing MS with activation problems. A dodgy dealer would possibly be more careful.

haze23

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#94388 9-Nov-2007 08:32

it was just more annoyping than anything.All the calls I had to make and the way the dealer was rude about it, and then he wanted me to lose the pc for a week just to get what can be sent to me in the post. Its not my screw up- its his, which even aside from that what happened to customer service????being polite, and the customer is always right ect. It would be much simpler if he just got it all right before releasing- or once he realised he had forgotten then he should just send me the new key- not say I have to send this one back with a courier that needs signature first- im not paying for courier when it his mistake. Finally he agreed though and apologised and is sending new one out with a courier bag to return the one i have here.

Bung

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#94391 9-Nov-2007 08:52

haze23: It would be much simpler if he just got it all right before releasing- or once he realised he had forgotten then he should just send me the new key- not say I have to send this one back with a courier that needs signature first- im not paying for courier when it his mistake. Finally he agreed though and apologised and is sending new one out with a courier bag to return the one i have here.

You seem to be losing sight of the fact that a new key shouldn't be needed. The original should be on a sticker stuck on the outside of the PC. This can't be reused and the disk itself has minimal value. If it was substitution because of a fault why didn't MS allow activation?

haze23

32 posts

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#94392 9-Nov-2007 09:01

they say its because the oem software attaches to the motherboard. I got the guy i spoke with at ms name and number for the dealer so he could call but he wouldnt. He just wanted the pc back to sort it. he got rude about it in the ten emails that went back and forth and refused to call them which was very suspicous to me. I wasnt happy sending comp back as it woud take 4days to get it back and its could be fixed by sending me new key. He wasnt happy to call ms to sort with them reactivation so the next best whould be new key. I shouldnt lose my comp for 4days when he nopt only forgot to reactivate and left that up to me, then he wouldnt explain it to ms and then gets rude to me.

riahon

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#94398 9-Nov-2007 09:17

I'm a little confused. If they diagnosed then replaced a faulty motherboard, how did they reinstall windows again. How could they have entered an OEM key that should have been assigned to a different MB. I would have thought that the instal would have failed if they used the wrong OEM key?

I suspect foul play.

freitasm

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#94403 9-Nov-2007 09:49

My advice? Visit the link I posted before and tip Microsoft.

The guy doing the activation over the phone doesn't care, his job is just to get a key and give you back a code.

The guys on that site I linked before will investigate tips and determine if there was any reason to be concerned. For example (I am not saying this guy's done this, I don't even know who is the supplier) some OEMs know a key can be activated multiple times via phone by saying "oh, I changed something" and simply reuse the keys in multiple computers instead of having a key for each PC.

This is called piracy and it happens a lot - even in New Zealand. Users buy PCs without knowing this, and many won't find out because most of the times they never reinstall Windows and never need to use the activation process again.

So as commented before, I suspect foul play - and when the problem came up the supplier asked for your PC so he could add another key that he can reuse.

I would not buy from this supplier again. And I would notify Microsoft of this incident and ask for clarification.

Bung

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#94409 9-Nov-2007 10:10

Riahon - You are confused. Small OEM builder keys aren't assigned to hardware like that. Large OEMs like Dell have a licence system where their tailored version of a MS OS is BIOS linked to a particular type of motherboard built for them.

Mauricio - If the activation guy was so disinterested why didn't haze23 get an activation code? Searching other forums (because MS hasn't specifically addressed this for Vista in the KB) MS MVPs stress that the important thing to do is make sure that MS know that it is a repair not an upgrade or transfer. Some posters have been told by MS that the dealer being the OEM builder has to contact them.

In your scenario where are all the COA stickers coming from?

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