Probably one of the most hated parts of Windows are its anti-piracy measures - product activation and Windows Genuine Advantage. While most people acknowledge Microsoft's right to implement these measures, many have also been bitten by the measures' shortcomings, such as server outages or false positives. Microsoft blogger Ed Bott has been monitoring WGA since its inception, and in 2006 and 2007 he didn't give a passing grade to WGA ("a big fat F"). This year, the situation has improved somewhat, earning Microsoft a passing grade - barely.
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Member since:2005-06-29
I've had vastly differing experiences with activation in the past. I've had XP (Pro OEM, legit) allow a motherboard change without a need to reactivate. Then again, I've had it force a reactivation on adding a hard drive controller card (ATA, not RAID) along with a video card, both installed at the same time. I was tempted to simply download a cracked copy (I personally refuse to use the word "pirated" to describe anything that doesn't involve a man with an eyepatch and cutlass stealing goods in international waters). I was tempted, but instead I decided to go back to Unix-derived operating systems since the only appeal Windows held was a wider selection of video games.
Apart from a laptop that came with XP preinstalled, I've only dabbled with Windows when necessary in the past few years. What little gaming I do can be done in OS X and Linux, and I've gotten so comfortable with the workflow on the Mac that I feel lost on a Windows box now. I have yet to find an email program that comes close to the balance of simplicity and usefulness of Mail.app, and I'll approach nirvana when the rest of the Unix world obtains the equivalent of Disk Utility.
Member since:2005-07-24
Activation id's a computer by numerous devices in the system, according to Microsoft when WPA first came out.
I have had only one time when a computer changed enough during an upgrade that the original Windows CD did not activate, and it actually wasn't even the same computer anymore, and the previous had been upgraded about 2 years prior - so that is 2 transfers.
I think one change of any magnitude is permitted, while a second change of anything serious is not. Jives with the EULA at least...
--The loon
Member since:
2008-09-08
Actually, just 2 days ago (because of hardware failure) I replaced my Asus motherboard for a EVGA motherboard and replaced all of my RAM (Patriot for OCZ); I kept the same CPU and hard disk. I did not "deactivate" windows or anything. After re-installing Vista (Home Premium 64-bit OEM) (a clean install / formatted the disk) on the machine I was able to successfully activate the system. Zero problems with activation.
I've read several times that if you replace your main board or some major component like that then you cannot reactivate, but I did not run into this problem. I did have to reactivate, but that was a minor inconvenience... it only took 10 seconds. I imagine that if you replace only a few components (such as in my case: a motherboard and all of the RAM), then the system is intelligent enough to figure out that since you have some of the other same hardware that you are still on the same computer.
Does anyone have a link to a Microsoft page that explains how the activation system / rules work in detail? I'm a bit curious after my experience.