I'm having to contact MS to reactivate. After changing GPU!!!

[Gepetto]

I swapped my Graphics card last night and my Retail Windows 7 now requires re-activation!!

I thought the OS was tied to the Motherboard, and indeed, I did phone up to re-activate when I moved to my Shuttle. That's fair enough, but now it looks as if I'm going to have to contact them again for the Graphics Card.

What next? Dare I change my RAM, HDD's, or my PSU. It's becoming ridiculous!

 

[Gepetto]

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. You phone a freephone number and dial a few numbers into the automated system, you'll be activated in less than 5 minutes.

Its not a silly feature and its here to stay in one form or another, it would have taken longer to write the OP than to call MS and use the automated system or the text message system.

Everytime I've tried to use the automated system, where you enter the digits yourself, it hasn't worked. That's on four occasions now, twice with Vista and now twice with 7!

So five minutes or so to try that, and then 10 minutes or so on the phone afterwards. And it looks as if it's going to be every time you change a bit of hardware.

Thererfore it's hardly going to take me longer to type a sentence, or be less than 5 minutes! Don't be so bloody patronising!

It is silly, if not stupid, and intrusive. What can't MS recognise what has changed in terms of Activating it, instead of de-activating it? If the OS system knows I've changed the GPU it also knows I haven't changed anythging else.

 

[Gepetto]

Perhaps the issue lies with the user. I've used the telephone system numerous times and not once has it failed.

What could, or would, the issue be Paradigm?

 

[Gepetto]

Or the inability to read, listen, write, type... or a combination.

As there is an absence of any smiley, I'd like to ask how you surmise that from my typing/writing/reading? Is there anything I've typed, anywhere on this Forum, that would lead you to believe that I am incapable of following a few simple instructions?

Assuming that you can't find any justification for your comments in my posts, what possible reason could you have to infer that I am an idiot that cannot read/listen/write/type etc.

As I have stated, I have tried the automated system, and it has not worked for me, Therefore I have had to wait on an operator every time I have re-activated my OS. This has taken substantially longer than the "less than 5 minutes" it seems to take the superior, self righteous posters on this thread.



P.S. No, Nathan, it was exactly as Shootist has said. I've pretty much had to follow the system all the way through, trying the various options, and, in the end, having to phone and be told I'm X number in the queue.

Quite frustrating, especially if it's going to happen every time I change a piece in my PC.

 

[Gepetto]

Indeed, used this many times and it has worked 100% of the time.

Lucky you.

 

[Gepetto]

not being disrespectful here but having to re-activate is a good thing it stops potential copies and frauds ableit not 100% fool proof it still keeps numbers lower.

I'm well aware of the economics, thanks. I rather think Mr Gates does quite well, but my copies are all genuine and paid for.

I had no problem tying an OS to a motherboard, but now to tie it (it appears) to other items in the PC as well (SSD and GPU are both mentioned in this thread) kinda muddies the waters slightly.

Can you now sell your copy of 7 with your GPU, if your MB and CPU go breasts uppermost? Assuming OEM, is it now tied to the GPU?

My big bugbear with this issue overall, is that it should be able to work out for itself that it doesn't need re-activation when a GPU/HDD is changed. I was going to upgrade my RAM, but now I'm wondering if I'll have to go through this activation process again when I do.

If the simple internet activation worked (in my case) I'd have no issue at all.

 

[Gepetto]

Phone activation always works whether you're legitimately re-activating or not.

Errr. Have you actually read my posts? No, it doesn't.

If it did, I wouldn't have to speak to customer services. It's not the first option I chose. Why on Earth it does not work for me I do not know. But, then again, why doesn't the "Internet Activation" work for me either?

 

[Gepetto]

I changed my mobo, cpu, memory, and gpu...

Windows asked me to reactivate, I tried to do the internet activation, said it wasn't good enough and offered for me to either phone or re-enter my cd-key.

I chose the latter, retyped my cd-key, and bish bash bosh 20secs later all activated.

I wish, HeX. I did that too.

Maybe I should have just phoned customer services in the first place, and saved myself the frustration of trying the options that don't seem to work for me. But, hey ho, I always think that it'll have been sorted since I tried it last!

 

[Gepetto]

To the OP - The retail version isn't tied to the motherboard or any other component in the system but the OEM versions are.

That's a point I hadn't thought of Meths.

One of the earlier posts referred to a pre-built system which, I would imagine, would have an OEM OS. I wonder if a GPU change would trigger a re-activation need on an OEM system. Maybe not, if it is tied to the MB.

Anyway, I tend to agree with post 2, at this stage. It's a bit of a nuisance (nothing more) when it takes longer to re-activate my OS, than it does to change a Graphics Card.

I honestly believe that Windows 7 should be able to detect when a re-activation is necessary, and when it is not. And before the self righteous post that Windows obviously does deem a re-activation is necessary, it shouldn't be, not for a GPU change.

 

[Gepetto]

I must have phoned the automated service a hundred times, and not once has it not worked.

Lucky you. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Gepetto]

Well not forgetting a GPU change is a pretty big hardware change....without a GPU the system is essentially un-usable (ignoring potential integrated graphics or RDP etc). I don't think it's unreasonable for it to ask for re-activation after such a hardware change at all.

What exactly on the phone system failed out of curiousity? I've used it hundreds of times before and only once had to be put through to an actual person who might I add, was very helpful and got me activated pretty damn quickly

When I finished inputting of the 6 digit sequence it then reverted back to the re-activation page and told me that my code was already in use. Which, of course, it is. By me. No problem at all activating over the phone with a customer services advisor.

The only thing I can think of, is that perhaps my phone line has slight interference, as was mentioned earlier in the thread. My ISP says I'm on a 2MB line but the best I can achieve is about 1.2MB, and that's pretty much in the middle of the night. I really don't see how that can be affecting it though, although if there is a particular noise frequency that it doesn't like, then maybe.

 

[Gepetto]

ive hanged mobo, chips, ram, cards, hdd and always had no issues what so ever
i think they must have a set number of re activations per day
just call the number its an automated service and you will get a new code
easy peasy lemon squeezy

Gee. Thanks.

 

[Gepetto]

Does it, though? Like every DRM and activation system, the only people Windows activation affects are the genuine customers. Pirates have downloaded a version with the activation cracked/removed anyway.

I must confess that I tend to think (a little) like that as well. If times get tough for MS, it will be the law abiding they hammer more, not the people who don't care about licensing. Heaven forbid they decide that you mustn't upgrade your PC.

 

[Gepetto]

does win 7 have a limit on how many times you can re-activate it before you have to phone an MS representative like XP did?

I wonder whether you reached your limit if such a thing exists?

I had actually wondered it it was because, in this instance, the previous activation had been due to moving the OS to a completely new PC.

 

[Gepetto]

Well, having just spoken to the MS representative, he has basically got me believing that I cannot enter a string of numbers correctly.

I'm dubious, but faced with the fact that several members have used the phone system hundreds* of times and never had a problem, I'm forced to admit that I'm inept.

He did say to me that interference on the line and speed of connection would have no effect either, although it appears that the internet activation is not likely to work if you are changing items constantly. It should work for a first change and then probably won't thereafter.

Now, where are my Postit notes?



*I've told you a billion times, stop exaggerating!