OS Deal at Microsoft

dirtydog · 29 Apr 2006 at 08:20

PinkPig said:
The offer is aimed mostly at people who've been scammed and have already paid a high price for something that they thought was a genuine copy of Windows - or perhaps it came with their computer.

AFAIK if someone has been scammed then *they* do not have to pay a penny to get a legitimate license from Microsoft. If you cannot provide proper proof to MS then that's when you have to pay, and pay a price which is identical to what the equivalent OEM license costs which seems a bit of a coincidence.

Anyway maybe you're right, I really don't know

Sputnik II · 29 Apr 2006 at 09:53

If it is a full unrestricted retail version of XP then it has to be a bargain surely?
I have to wonder, is Microsoft just being nice or are they milking XP for all its worth before introducing Vista?

VeNT · 29 Apr 2006 at 12:29

XP Pro OEM is like £75 some places, so tbh its not worth it.

sfx · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:23

Sputnik II said:
If it is a full unrestricted retail version of XP then it has to be a bargain surely?
I have to wonder, is Microsoft just being nice or are they milking XP for all its worth before introducing Vista?

Microsoft have been doing this for ages now. They are not trying to milk XP at all because if you can provide proof then they will give you a copy of XP for free. It is only if you have no proof that you are required to pay.

sfx

-Mike- · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:30

Thats a very fair deal if I have got this right? Say you buy a computer from somewhere and you joe average know nothing about software assume your xp is all fine and dandy.... MS tell you its not and you have a receipt for your pc - They give you the OS free?

joroma · 29 Apr 2006 at 14:52

"Perhaps you could try a third time and try asking like this...

Will I get a full retail license, exactly the same as if I purchased the boxed retail version of Windows XP in a store? If I build a completely new PC in future, will I be able to use this disc to install Windows or will I need to buy another license?"

Its looking to me like its a full retail version but I have posted a question based on the above and will post here when I get a reply.

sfx · 29 Apr 2006 at 16:06

-Mike- said:
Thats a very fair deal if I have got this right? Say you buy a computer from somewhere and you joe average know nothing about software assume your xp is all fine and dandy.... MS tell you its not and you have a receipt for your pc - They give you the OS free?

Correct.

kkelly · 29 Apr 2006 at 16:14

well thats me £92 less than i planned to be this month

joroma · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:13

kkelly said:
well thats me £92 less than i planned to be this month

You have to be able to send them the illegal XP Disk that came with your PC as well as the receipt and it must look genuine ie have a fake MS Hologram on it.

PinkPig · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:23

joroma said:
You have to be able to send them the illegal XP Disk that came with your PC as well as the receipt and it must look genuine ie have a fake MS Hologram on it.

He's saying that he just spend £92 that he didn't expect to have to spend!

joroma · 30 Apr 2006 at 13:07

Well Guys here is the question I asked:

"Will I get a full retail licenced version exactly the same as at a Microsoft Retailer? If I build a new PC in the future, replacing my current PC, will I be able to use the disc and licence to install windows or will I need to buy another licence??"

and here is the reply direct from Microsoft:

"I guarantee you it is a full retail version (the WGA Kit). Its the exact same thing, except it comes with a nice letter from our Director (Dave Lazar, as said earlier).

In addition, we distribute the Product Key and a special WGA Kit specific update tool so you can update your Windows to a legitimate version while the physical CD is in the mail.

-----

In regards to your new PC replacement - yes. I must warn you though, that you will have to go through Product Activation (probably through telephone) to verify that you have only installed on one PC. If you check the FAQ (on www.microsoft.com/genuine) , it will give the highlight of what Product Activation is, and the checks in hardware changes and tolerances we allow before we request a phone activation."

This seems like a genuine reduction to me.

dirtydog · 1 May 2006 at 09:33

Sounds good then :eek:

I have a feeling you have already taken advantage of this offer by now

joroma · 1 May 2006 at 10:25

Gonna do it this morning!

Shackley · 22 May 2006 at 10:36

About 18 months ago, I bought what I believed to be a legal copy of Windows XP Pro. I installed it on a home-built PC and 'Activated' it. For some time now if I try to download updates, the 'Genuine Windows Advantage' program runs and tells me that I don't have a legitimate copy of Windows XP Pro.

I haven't ever installed this on any other PC and nobody else (that I know of) has ever had access to the CD-Key.

I 'phoned Microsoft and they were incredibly unhelpful. Basically told me that if they said it wasn't legit, it wasn't. They told me to go back to my original supplier and demand a refund.

Anyone else moved to SuSE Linux ? Novell don't start hobbling your PC on a whim.

PinkPig · 22 May 2006 at 10:44

Well, to be fair, if it *is* an illegal copy (and you don't sound particularly certain) then what more do you expect them to do?

VaderDSL · 22 May 2006 at 10:47

I took MS up on this offer and I was told that it is a full retail copy

so for £92 it's quite a good price.

joroma · 22 May 2006 at 11:01

I got my email with link to tool to sort out my counterfeit copy within two days of paying the £92 and the CD arrived about 10 days later. It is the Retail Version not OEM.

stoofa · 22 May 2006 at 13:01

Shackley said:
About 18 months ago, I bought what I believed to be a legal copy of Windows XP Pro. I installed it on a home-built PC and 'Activated' it. For some time now if I try to download updates, the 'Genuine Windows Advantage' program runs and tells me that I don't have a legitimate copy of Windows XP Pro.

I haven't ever installed this on any other PC and nobody else (that I know of) has ever had access to the CD-Key.

I 'phoned Microsoft and they were incredibly unhelpful. Basically told me that if they said it wasn't legit, it wasn't. They told me to go back to my original supplier and demand a refund.

Anyone else moved to SuSE Linux ? Novell don't start hobbling your PC on a whim.

You bought what you believed to be a legal copy.
If I may ask:

1. Where did you buy it from?
2. How much did it cost you?
3. What exactly did you get for your money?

Answering those three questions alone should enable you pretty quickly to tell if what you purchased was legal or not.
If the word "Ebay" appears in your first answer or a price a lot lower than £95 (for XP Professional as you say) appears in your second answer then I question just how much you believed it to be legal.

Shackley · 22 May 2006 at 15:55

stoofa said:
You bought what you believed to be a legal copy.
If I may ask:

1. Where did you buy it from?
2. How much did it cost you?
3. What exactly did you get for your money?

Answering those three questions alone should enable you pretty quickly to tell if what you purchased was legal or not.
If the word "Ebay" appears in your first answer or a price a lot lower than £95 (for XP Professional as you say) appears in your second answer then I question just how much you believed it to be legal.

1. Web-site, something like 'WinXPProOEM.com'
2. Can't remember exactly, about £90 ?
3. Disk (with hologram), Booklet & ID Key label - exactly as other Win XP Pros

If it was legal when first I installed it, how come it has subsequently become illegal ?

Shackley · 22 May 2006 at 16:01

PinkPig said:
Well, to be fair, if it *is* an illegal copy (and you don't sound particularly certain) then what more do you expect them to do?

I don't have any reason to believe that 'it *is* an illegal copy'.
As to what I expect Microsoft to do - I would expect them to explain whay it *was* legal and now isn't. Seems a fair request to me.

The point I am trying to make is that Microsoft have implemented mechanisms that without explanation can make what the purchaser believes to be a genuine purchase worthless - without explanation.