Automatically activate Windows 7

stockhausen · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:16

If you chose to Automatically activate Windows when I'm online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows 7 three days after you log on for the first time. (LINK)

Last week I started to build a system based on Windows 7. I did nothing on it over the weekend. This morning I got WiFi working on it. When I had established a connection to the Internet, the damned system went and "activated" itself without bothering to ask.

Well I didn't knowingly choose Automatically to activate Windows 7 on a current system build which is partially complete :mad:

I suspect that it is one of those little Micro$oft gems that you only learn about after the event - I wonder what else thay have tried to "grab" of fmy system? God, I hate those interfering, arrogant sods at Micro$oft.

agw_01 · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:20

What's wrong with automatic activation? As long as you have a genuine copy you have nothing to worry about

linktoinsanity · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:20

You can easily turn this off either when installing or just after installatuion is complete. Why didn't you change this option if it botheras you that much? :confused:

bledd · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:24

if you don't want it to activate automatically, then just don't enter the key during setup

Deleted member 77746 · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:28

What was the problem with it automatically activating, it's what you want isn't it?

stockhausen · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:30

bledd. said:
if you don't want it to activate automatically, then just don't enter the key during setup

Thanks for that, I didn't know that that was an option - this is my first system build under Windows 7

agw_01 said:
What's wrong with automatic activation? As long as you have a genuine copy you have nothing to worry about

Just occasionally, when you are building a new system, you want to install your genuine copy of Windows, check out some things and then do a fresh installation, perhaps after adding or changing components. I have usually done this in the past unless I am building multiple identical systems. I suspect that this automatic activation will at best make this "tuning" a wee bit "tricky" :mad:

LinktoInsanity said:
You can easily turn this off either when installing or just after installatuion is complete. Why didn't you change this option if it botheras you that much?

Because I didn't know that they had gone from asking you politely if you wanted to go ahead and activate Window for the first 30 days before insisting that you did so - as they used to do with earlier versions of Windows :confused:

iDroid84 said:
What was the problem with it automatically activating, it's what you want isn't it?

No, it wasn't.

paradigm · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:30

You could have just unticked the box that says "activate automatically when I'm online".

Or are you one of those people who never actually reads what they are clicking?

Memphis · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:46

stockhausen said:
I suspect that it is one of those little Micro$oft gems that you only learn about after the event - I wonder what else thay have tried to "grab" of fmy system? God, I hate those interfering, arrogant sods at Micro$oft.

You sir, are an utter dipstick

.

mrk · 29 Nov 2010 at 12:53

I didn't even read the Op's name but the moment I read Memphis' reply I thought "damn, sounds like a lolstockhausen thread" and oh my god, I scrolled up.... and it was!

No offence

Knubje · 29 Nov 2010 at 13:22

Khaaan! said:
lolstockhausen thread

SiriusB · 29 Nov 2010 at 13:33

If you regularly reinstall Windows after farting about with it, why did you even bother putting in a Product Key?

Why would it activating make changes tricky? If it is Retail just activate it again the next time you install it. If it is OEM you might have to make a 2 minute phone call.

I am not sure how it makes Microsoft arrogant or interfering if you failed to spot an option. An option I might add that the vast, vast, vast majority of Windows users will find perfectly reasonable.

So much rage over a non-issue.

Deleted member 77746 · 29 Nov 2010 at 14:44

stockhausen said:
No, it wasn't.

Why?

apatia77 · 29 Nov 2010 at 15:52

bledd. said:
if you don't want it to activate automatically, then just don't enter the key during setup

+1, probably the best option to choose.

Then you get 30 days or up to 90 if you know the console command to fully use and test your windows installation.

stockhausen · 29 Nov 2010 at 16:20

iDroid84 said:
Why?

Just occasionally, when you are building a new system, you want to install your genuine copy of Windows, check out some things and then do a fresh installation, perhaps after adding or changing components. I have usually done this in the past unless I am building multiple identical systems. I suspect that this automatic activation will at best make this "tuning" a wee bit "tricky".

As to sundry other posts of varying value

I was not aware that you could install Windows 7 without a producy key
I must have missed the box that says "activate automatically when I'm online" which Microsoft had so thoughtfully ticked on my behalf
I'm afraid that I do not know the magic "console command to fully use and test my windows installation"
I am using an OEM version of Windows 7

The point of this thread is that Microsoft appears needlessly to have changed their policy on activation in a manner that doesn't immediately appear to help them and that in at least one case has proved somewhat tiresome.

I still wonder what other information Microsoft has surreptitiously plucked off my half-built system :confused:

Blue160 · 29 Nov 2010 at 16:50

Am I missing something here? Windows being activated doesn't stop you reinstalling it so where's the problem with it happening automatically? What problems does it cause you?

stockhausen · 29 Nov 2010 at 16:56

Blue160 said:
Am I missing something here? Windows being activated doesn't stop you reinstalling it so where's the problem with it happening automatically? What problems does it cause you?

I believe (but may well be wrong) that you can not activate Windows repeatedly, even on exactly the same hardware :confused:

I once had problems with this in the past when reinstalling XP on a system where the user had been affected by a virus (or in some other way corrupted their installation). I ended up having to get it activated over the 'phone.

Blue160 · 29 Nov 2010 at 17:11

Some people reinstall every three or six months as a matter of course. I don't read about them having problems. Anyway all it would take is a short phonecall to sort out. I've reinstalled OEM Windows several times on a few different machines and never run into a problem.

apatia77 · 29 Nov 2010 at 17:12

It appears you can get up to 120 days and not 30. You need to use "slmgr -rearm" command at end of each 30 days.

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-7/extend-the-windows-7-trial-from-30-to-120-days/

I've used this before and it worked just fine.

thingemajib · 29 Nov 2010 at 17:35

i had an xp oem copy that eventually did spazz out and decide not to activate online, despite being the same machine (solved by a phone call however). This was after about 4 years and 30-40 reinstallations.

nuff said really

james.miller · 29 Nov 2010 at 17:40

stockhausen said:
I believe (but may well be wrong) that you can not activate Windows repeatedly, even on exactly the same hardware

I once had problems with this in the past when reinstalling XP on a system where the user had been affected by a virus (or in some other way corrupted their installation). I ended up having to get it activated over the 'phone.

of course you can. and even if you do need to phone up, its a 2 minute phone call.

Molehill > mountain.

thingemajib said:
i had an xp oem copy that eventually did spazz out and decide not to activate online, despite being the same machine (solved by a phone call however). This was after about 4 years and 30-40 reinstallations.

nuff said really

thats XP, irrelevant. the op is using 7.

Automatically activate Windows 7

Capodecina

Capodecina

Capodecina

Capodecina