Ok i really need to clear this up

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:43

csmager said:
It would be stored on the MS servers. Hence when the new checksum isn't the same as the old one, you fail online activation.

This forces you to ring Microsoft, so as soon as they answer the phone they know without asking you've installed it on a different PC, or you wouldn't've failed activation.

You can only activate the 1st few times online then you have to use the phone anyway or if you don't have the internet so they don't know that you have changed hardware simply because you are ringing them up.

stickroad said:
Sorry could you please explain this Checksum to me?

Surely if the Checksum is created when you install O/S on your pc and your hard drive is wiped you wont be able to get that specific info back?

When you 1st activate you send them a checksum of the time and date and the motherboard you have. When you activate the second time the checksum is different in a way other than expected so it doesn't let you activate.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:44

Unless you have the Retail version

And why did they not do this for XP?

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:47

stickroad said:
Unless you have the Retail version

And why did they not do this for XP?

They did.

csmager · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:48

stickroad said:
Unless you have the Retail version

And why did they not do this for XP?

They did. You would ring up, be told it was OEM and told you couldn't have another code.

Or you'd lie and say your motherboard broke, and they might give you another one.

If not, you'd ring back again, get an operator who didn't know/care what was going on and they'd give you another one. But as has been pointed out many times here, activation doesn't mean you're legal.

Rumour has it MS are going to be enforcing this much more strictly this time.

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:48

They did?

Ive done that thousands of times so has a lot of other people, rang up and said this and that

Energize · 22 Jan 2007 at 22:49

stickroad said:
They did?

Ive done that thousands of times so has a lot of other people, rang up and said this and that

Microsoft helpline employees most likely aren't bothered and will just activate it to avoid hassle, it's only the higher up people that are going to care about it really.

drunkenmonkey · 22 Jan 2007 at 23:03

buachille said:
won't be buying it for a while.

can't run alcohol on it, and i like my virtual drives.

you can run daemon tools on it which is prob better than alcohol

stickroad · 22 Jan 2007 at 23:41

Dam

Ill be upgrading in about a months time to a core 2 duo setup but want to try out VISTA now on my athlon so should i take the risk in buying the Home Premium OEM Version and install it on my current machine.

Then hopefully ill have some luck and when i ring up Microsoft then will give me another activation key?

z0mbi3 · 23 Jan 2007 at 07:09

csmager said:
If not, you'd ring back again, get an operator who didn't know/care what was going on and they'd give you another one. But as has been pointed out many times here, activation doesn't mean you're legal.

Just to point out that MS have the automated phone activation lark now. Don't see how they could get this checksum info from that.

csmager · 23 Jan 2007 at 11:03

z0mbi3 said:
Just to point out that MS have the automated phone activation lark now. Don't see how they could get this checksum info from that.

You still have to type in the code on the screen in front of you. That will tell them its OEM.

If that key has already been registered to a different machine, then you'll be put through to an operator. Or told to get lost.

P4boy · 23 Jan 2007 at 16:29

so how does the retail version differ in this respect - you can use it more than once?

Energize · 23 Jan 2007 at 16:31

P4boy said:
so how does the retail version differ in this respect - you can use it more than once?

You can move it to a different computer, ie if you change the motherboard.

tripitaka · 23 Jan 2007 at 16:40

lol well i still need to decide what to get the Retail Home Prem and dual boot the 32 and 64bit

The retail license does not entitle you to do this, you are licensed for either the 32bit OR the 64bit version at any one time.

I very much doubt you would be able to activate both simultaneously, although you are free to remove one and then install the other.