----- Original Message -----
From: "FORC5" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "The Hardware List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 10:37 AM
Subject: Re: [H] Need XP COA
isn't activation a PITA, about a month ago, against my better judgement, I
replaced a PSU and MB in a E-Machine, > matched up the chipset
perfectly with a Tyan MB and the system booted right in. Of course the
installed key was not
I toss in a new Enlight case along with power supply jobs by moving the
computer to a new case for the same money others charge to simply change the
power supply.
kosher according to activation but it activated fine with the COA sticker
( they are never the same ) came back this week
There is no excuse for a computer manufacturer to insall Windows XP with a
different Product Key than the one shown on the COA that they affix to the
computer. They do. They do not care what happens after the warranty expires.
phone call to MS who eventually said I had to call E Machine and they have
the ability to activate their crap, called them > but when they figured
out I changed the MB it was FU, told me it needed to be replaced with
genuine emachine and after
I know the ropes on this from experience. I always call Microsoft who allows
me to authenciate when I rebuild etc. My results of "Can Do" rhyme with what
the computer manufactur says when you ask them for cooperation. The
similarity ends there. Once I do my thing, the COA is offically mated to the
Product Key I installed Windows XP with.
I will NEVER work on proprietary crap again :-\
I am glad others concur with my opinion of the feasability of owing one of
those things.
Did the hardware upgrade recently, blue screened on me so I went the
reinstall route. Could not find my XP disk at the > time so I borrowed
a dell recovery disk from a neighbor (I knew they had it because I have
assisted them a few times > with spy/virus crap) Anyway, I have 13 days
till activation and still no luck in finding it. Anyone know of a source
for a > new disk, COA, etc? This is not what I wanted for xmas but.....
I know I will be called a crook for saying this, but it is the COA that is
not free and who cares what Windows CD of the same version of Windows that
you use? I would not use a proprietary reinstall CD. I like the plain ones
that come with white boxes. When they jail me for tearing a tag off of a
mattress, they can go ahead and include the charges, "Illegal copying and
distribution of Microsoft copyrighted software, also, as I feel I am doing
no wrong as long as I do not kick in a Product Key to go along with it.
Microsoft has always backed me on the following:
As long as you use the Product Key that came on the COA affixed to the
computer by its manufacturer (not the Product Key the computer manufacturer
used when they installed Windows) you will get full cooperation from
Microsoft when you call them for assistance in authentication. You have to
use the same version (OEM, Upgrade or Full) of Windows, of course.
Chuck
