Microsoft W7 activation nightmare!!!

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wreck90

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Topic # 67478 2-Sep-2010 15:41

1.5 hours on phone to activate legally purchased version ?of windows 7.............................

What rubbish.

{MOD EDIT : SP : Removed reference to piracy from thread title}

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BDFL - Memuneh
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Reply # 375814 2-Sep-2010 15:41

Was this the first time this copy was installed?

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Linuxluver

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Reply # 375819 2-Sep-2010 15:49

wreck90: 1.5 hours on phone to activate legally purchased version of windows 7.............................

What rubbish.

The answer is obvious: linux

Better than ever.

I'm not trolling...

It's a valid answer to this and many other issues...and I embraced it more than a decade ago. It was a hassle at first at times....but distros like Ubuntu make Windows look too hard.

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oxnsox

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Reply # 375832 2-Sep-2010 16:05

Mere bagatelle... you want to try transferring a legit MS-Off to a new machine. Single copy only so must delete all from old machine BEFORE installing on new one or can't complete install... multiple emails & phone calls and ultimately give-up

scottjpalmer

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Reply # 375834 2-Sep-2010 16:08

Let's keep this is on-topic, please don't run off on an anti-MS bender!

richms

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Reply # 375837 2-Sep-2010 16:14

1.5 hours? What were you doing?

Just say no when they ask if its on any other computers, and away you go?

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Reply # 375841 2-Sep-2010 16:17

What was the error it gave when you tried activating online ? (If you remember)

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khull

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Reply # 375847 2-Sep-2010 16:23

Funnily enough the other day, my genuine copy (obtained from MSDN from our business unit) decided to throw a "this copy is of windows is not genuine" error and that came with the ugly black background et al - presumably because it was not activated in time. I was so upset having to spend time to activate it over the phone due to connectivity issues.

I am in a way glad I did not pay for it (directly) as Microsoft seems to treat legit users like criminals. Personally i use Snow Leopard which is a stark contrast in user experience I would never pay for a copy for Windows as long as my MSDN subscription is valid - And will stop using windows altogether if my subscription lapses.

CYaBro

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Reply # 375868 2-Sep-2010 16:47

Not as bad as one of my customer's Vista Home Premium OEM install.
Had been running fine for about two years then all of a sudden it changed the background and said that it wasn't genuine.
Trying to activate again would bring up an error saying you need to put in the DVD and reinstall the operating system!
Managed to find a fix for it and then put in the product key again, from COA sticker on the case, and it was fine again.

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robbyp

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Reply # 375871 2-Sep-2010 16:50

CYaBro: Not as bad as one of my customer's Vista Home Premium OEM install.
Had been running fine for about two years then all of a sudden it changed the background and said that it wasn't genuine.
Trying to activate again would bring up an error saying you need to put in the DVD and reinstall the operating system!

Managed to find a fix for it and then put in the product key again, from COA sticker on the case, and it was fine again.

Thats not as bad as my legal adobe software. Whennever I start photoshop, it alsways comes up with a license error. I have to restart it again, and it will then startup without the error. I have resinstalled, but it continues to do it. It is always the legal owners than suffer, and the pirates can just get get around these things.

Nety

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Reply # 378137 9-Sep-2010 09:46

@wreck90 you have still not told us why it took 1.5 hours? I have dealt with activation many many times and have never had significant issues. Usually as mentioned by richms if it does not work off the automated system normally just confirming that it is not on any other machine is enough and they will provide the correct code.

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muppet

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Reply # 378142 9-Sep-2010 10:05

Linuxluver:
wreck90: 1.5 hours on phone to activate legally purchased version ?of windows 7.............................

What rubbish.
?

The answer is obvious: linux

Better than ever.?

I'm not trolling...

It's a valid answer to this and many other issues...and I embraced it more than a decade ago. It was a hassle at first at times....but distros like Ubuntu make Windows look too hard.?

Man, I love Linux as well, but these sorts of replies piss me off.
Can you run Outlook under Linux? No. Yes, I know you can run it under wine and other sorts of stuffing around, but does it just install and work? No.
I know there's alternatives, but then other tools people like and use, such as Xobni or X1 don't work.

MS Visio? Remotely manageable Antivirus software? Decent power management for new laptops? Graphics card drivers that don't require patches and hassles?

Linux is great and I'd never use Windows on a server, ever. But as much as I love Linux, it's not a magic bullet that'll work for everyone.

You don't even know wreck90's situation. Maybe he's a Windows developer?

Right, sorry to hijack the thread. Linux isn't the answer to everything (nor is Windows, OSX, OS/2, *BSD etc)

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eXDee

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Reply # 379138 12-Sep-2010 21:17

Hardest ive had is follow the prompts, yes this the only PC its installed on, yes its within the licence conditions, etc - get 64 character code from the automated system or the guy on the phone, and you're done.

For a temporary fix for activation problems
start > cmd (run as admin)
slmgr.vbs -rearm
Will reset activation and give you 30 days to sort it out. You can rearm 4 times, for a total of 120 days.

lchiu7

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Reply # 380329 15-Sep-2010 21:22

I recently was involved in the installation of 8 copies of Win7 Pro using MAK keys.

4 of the 8 authenticated ok, 3 failed authentication online and I had to do the phone thing and enter the string of numbers and one even failed that. I was bounced from Australia to the Phillipines and then got a callback from China! We then get into an e-mail exchange and was given instructions on how to run some command line program to reset something (sorry to be vague here) and then run the command slui 4 from the command prompt which then gave me the selection to choose the call centre.

Puzzling thing is all machines used the same key (MAK of course) and all machines were Internet connected via a proxy that IE was using.

Maybe I should invest in a KMS?

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wreck90

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Reply # 380337 15-Sep-2010 21:39

freitasm: Was this the first time this copy was installed?

I had a 3 pc family pack. I installed this on 3-pc's only.

I had to reinstall the same version on one of the machines a while ago, and w7 activated with no problems.

The other week, I sent my laptop away for repairs. It seems they replaced my motherboard.

On starting the notebook, it says my W7 version is no longer activated. I tried activating, but then I get an instruction to phone activate. I try the phone activation, which fails and I get handed around 3 different people in total, explaining the situation each time, and having to read out long series of activation codes and serial numbers to foreigners with barely adequate english.

Then, they said I was running on more than 3 machines, which I am not as I only have 3. I had to argue for some time with them. They kept on maintaining that I was reinstalling W7, but I was not. For some reason, something the laptop servicing caused my machine to lose w7 activation status.

Really, whats the point of legal software when they treat you like you don't own it?

wreck90

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Reply # 380338 15-Sep-2010 21:46

Nety: @wreck90 you have still not told us why it took 1.5 hours? I have dealt with activation many many times and have never had significant issues. Usually as mentioned by richms if it does not work off the automated system normally just confirming that it is not on any other machine is enough and they will provide the correct code.

The automated system did not work.

They forwarded me to someone, took about 20 minutes to go through their questions, and they decided I needed to speak to someone else.

Re-explained the issue to the 2nd person, had to spell out the license code several times to them (took 10 minutes to get the correct serial number to the non-native english speaker), they put me on hold for large periods of time, then , decided it was ok for me to re-activate and I think they gave me a long reference number. They put me through to a 3rd person.

This 3rd person became difficult. They demanded to know why I was running on more than 3 pc's, and why i was reinstalling (i already explained the 2 previous people that I was not reinstalling, when the notebook came back from a service center windows 7 was no longer activated, seems replacing the motherboard causes w7 deactivation).

He kept repeating questions that I already answered, then, said he needed to contact another department (activations??) putting me on hold for quite some time, then saying that he could not reach anyone and put me on hold for longer.

Then, he eventually gets back to me with some long code, which I had to type into the phone activation window and that worked.

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