XP activation limit reached!?

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:02

I hit this silly artificial limit last time i did a reinstall, where you have to go through that whole annoying process of sending/reciving numbers, anyway i thought that would be the end of it but the time had come again where i've had to reinstall and im met with that **** screen with all those numbers, i thought it was a one off thing but it seems it not?

I don't want to have to do that every time, can i request a fresh key or something because why the heck should paying customers have to put up with this sort of rubbish, i also would be concerned if their servers ever go down or worse, what do we do then i wonder?

bledd · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:09

what you should do..

slipstream sp3 into your xp disc, install with that, install nothing else (just network drivers, to activate), take an acronis true image shot of this

-disable system restore first to save space

now when you want to format, just restore this image instead of going through the whole install/activate process

YorkshirePadd26 · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:13

Good but will probably only work on the same hardware,

I may have to do this,

Burnsy2023 · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:14

Radiation said:
I hit this silly artificial limit last time i did a reinstall, where you have to go through that whole annoying process of sending/reciving numbers

I don't see why you're complaining, it takes maybe 3 mins max and you have to do it once everytime you reinstall which shouldn't be that often. It's not exactly a huge effort is it?

Flukester · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:14

only takes a few mins to ring the 0800 microsoft number... they don't even bother with putting you through to ms employee any more if you have activated several times recently.

seems weird you've hit limit as they seem to of relaxed things abit recently, you sure your not installing with same key on multiple machines ?

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:30

bledd. said:
what you should do..

slipstream sp3 into your xp disc, install with that, install nothing else (just network drivers, to activate), take an acronis true image shot of this

-disable system restore first to save space

now when you want to format, just restore this image instead of going through the whole install/activate process

That's a good idea, is there any good free software that can do this?

Burnsy2023 said:
I don't see why you're complaining, it takes maybe 3 mins max and you have to do it once everytime you reinstall which shouldn't be that often. It's not exactly a huge effort is it?

It's the principle of it, i mean i find it pretty annoying any software having activiation in the first place as DRM is intrusive and wrong for reasons everyone knows but having to now also phone up is really taking the **** tbh even if it is once or twice a year on average.

Flukester said:
only takes a few mins to ring the 0800 microsoft number... they don't even bother with putting you through to ms employee any more if you have activated several times recently.

seems weird you've hit limit as they seem to of relaxed things abit recently, you sure your not installing with same key on multiple machines ?

I've had it for years and it has been trough one full system upgrade a few years back if that counts, only asked for this type of activation last year though.

Burnsy2023 · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:34

Radiation said:
It's the principle of it, i mean i find it pretty annoying any software having activiation in the first place as DRM is intrusive and wrong for reasons everyone knows but having to now also phone up is really taking the **** tbh even if it is once or twice a year on average.

This type of DRM has reduced Windows piracy significantly. MS have a right to protect their software. I'd like to hear your arguments to why activation is 'wrong'.

YorkshirePadd26 · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:40

Might not have a landline so it would cost him, also will probably get messed around by Indian call centre worker etc.

I've used this 20+ times and each time I get a different service.
Sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes only the automated service.

Normally takes 5mins at least ! and thats if they give you the correct code.

Burnsy2023 said:
I don't see why you're complaining, it takes maybe 3 mins max and you have to do it once everytime you reinstall which shouldn't be that often. It's not exactly a huge effort is it?

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 15:56

Burnsy2023 said:
This type of DRM has reduced Windows piracy significantly. MS have a right to protect their software. I'd like to hear your arguments to why activation is 'wrong'.

This is not the thread for it, im sure you can find all the reasons its wrong in any number of drm related threads here or elsewhere, theres nothing to argue.

YorkshirePadd26 said:
Might not have a landline so it would cost him, also will probably get messed around by Indian call centre worker etc.

I've used this 20+ times and each time I get a different service.
Sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes only the automated service.

Normally takes 5mins at least ! and thats if they give you the correct code.

Yeah, there are countless reasons why we shoulnd't have to go through this for something we have bought, yet would be pirates won't have any problems but then it's all been said before and the points have been made, it's really the principle of it, its wrong and an intrusive insult to paying customers!

Burnsy2023 · 5 Mar 2009 at 16:28

Radiation said:
This is not the thread for it, im sure you can find all the reasons its wrong in any number of drm related threads here or elsewhere, theres nothing to argue.

Fancy linking me to these threads?

stoofa · 5 Mar 2009 at 16:34

Radiation said:
This is not the thread for it, im sure you can find all the reasons its wrong in any number of drm related threads here or elsewhere, theres nothing to argue.

Yeah, there are countless reasons why we shoulnd't have to go through this for something we have bought, yet would be pirates won't have any problems but then it's all been said before and the points have been made, it's really the principle of it, its wrong and an intrusive insult to paying customers!

Nothing to argue?
So basically your opinion is gospel - DRM and any form of software protection is just wrong?

Damn - guess I should just go and change all of my opinions then to match yours.

Brian Stuart · 5 Mar 2009 at 16:41

YorkshirePadd26 said:
Might not have a landline so it would cost him, also will probably get messed around by Indian call centre worker etc.

I've used this 20+ times and each time I get a different service.
Sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes only the automated service.

Normally takes 5mins at least ! and thats if they give you the correct code.

0800 018 8354
Same automated service every time.
Haven't spoke to a CSR for I don't know how long.
5 min max
It's not exactly life changing is it?

demonix · 5 Mar 2009 at 16:43

Flukester said:
seems weird you've hit limit as they seem to of relaxed things abit recently

Actually I thought MS cleared out all the data on the activation servers every few months so the so called limit never gets reached (unless the OP has activated the same key several times within that duration that the activation limit has maxed out).

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 17:10

Burnsy2023 said:
Fancy linking me to these threads?

No, im sure you're capable of searching, after all you're the one who's so bothered about it.

stoofa said:
Nothing to argue?
So basically your opinion is gospel - DRM and any form of software protection is just wrong?

Damn - guess I should just go and change all of my opinions then to match yours.

No nothing i want to argue in this thread, anyone who's bothered enough about the drm subject can search for it on google, that is all.

Brian Stuart · 5 Mar 2009 at 17:30

Radiation said:
No nothing i want to argue in this thread, anyone who's bothered enough about the drm subject can search for it on google, that is all.

Why mention it then?

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 17:53

Brian Stuart said:
Why mention it then?

Why not?

Fire Wizard · 5 Mar 2009 at 17:56

Radiation said:
This is not the thread for it, im sure you can find all the reasons its wrong in any number of drm related threads here or elsewhere, theres nothing to argue.

I'm sorry but you're being extremely childish Radiation.

Why isn't this the thread for it? I'm sure we are all grown up enough to have more than one discussion on a given subject in a single thread. Especially since the topics that people are talking about in this thread are so closely linked.

No nothing i want to argue in this thread, anyone who's bothered enough about the drm subject can search for it on google, that is all.

Again, why not in this thread?

Radiation · 5 Mar 2009 at 18:12

How is it childish to not want to get into a pointless discussion that's been done to death before?

I asked whether it would do this every time and if i could request a key, it has yet to be answered though i presume it will keep doing this so i want a new key from microsoft or a way around this annoyance if possible, i also expressed my views on the matter of drm which you can agree with or not and if you want to discuss or find out more you can go elsewhere, this is a help thread and so far only bledd. has really been helpful and i thank him for that, seems a few on these forums are only ever interested in petty arguments etc but i really shouldn't expect much else from those sort we see all to often on these forums, help or move on, thanks. :rolleyes:

Fire Wizard · 5 Mar 2009 at 19:38

Radiation said:
How is it childish to not want to get into a pointless discussion that's been done to death before?

It doesn't matter if it's been done to death before. Forums are about having discussions and hearing other people's views on a particular subject.

I asked whether it would do this every time and if i could request a key, it has yet to be answered though i presume it will keep doing this so i want a new key from microsoft or a way around this annoyance if possible

I apologise for not answering your initial question. To answer it now though, as far as I'm aware, no, I don't believe you can request a new key to avoid having to ring up to reactivate your copy of Windows every time you reinstall and/or change a piece of hardware.

i also expressed my views on the matter of drm which you can agree with or not and if you want to discuss or find out more you can go elsewhere

Yes but then when Burnsy asked you to expand on your views, you simply pushed it to the side and simply said this isn't the thread for it which I'm still not understanding. Like I said, I'm sure we are all grown up enough to have multiple discussions on certain things in a single thread.

You are also saying that if you want to find out more, find another thread but I'm not sure why we would do that. We are having a discussion or trying to with you and we would like to hear your opinions on the matter not everyone else's. Since everyone is bound to have a slightly different view on things.

seems a few on these forums are only ever interested in petty arguments etc but i really shouldn't expect much else from those sort we see all to often on these forums, help or move on, thanks.

First of all, there's certainly no need for the roll eyes emotion.

Secondly, the reason why I commented was because I wanted to have a discussion about DRM with you and not because I wanted to get into some form of petty argument. I am not the sort of poster to post random rubbish to start trouble.

We are trying to have a mature discussion with you but you don't seem to be having any of it which is a shame.

Burnsy2023 · 5 Mar 2009 at 19:45

Radiation said:
I asked whether it would do this every time and if i could request a key, it has yet to be answered though i presume it will keep doing this so i want a new key from microsoft or a way around this annoyance if possible

No, MS will not give you a new key.

As for the DRM topic, I have seen many threads on DRM but none of which are MS Activation specific and most of the normal DRM arguments don't necessarily translate.

I was trying to raise a discussion/debate not argue.