----- Original Message -----
From: "Hugh Gundersen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 12, 2006 4:58 AM
Subject: Re: Windows XP phaseout
I must take issue here. If a user does not have the sticker (COA)
attached to the machine, they do not have a valid Windows licence !
The only legal course of action is to sell them a genuine licence, with
Some of you entered or posted various issues that I never see. Most of my
repair business comes from name brand computers that have their COA with the
Product Key. If a customer has convincing evidence that their Windows is
legal, I will install it with the understanding that Microsoft has the final
say when it comes to authentication. In fact I make that clear even when
there is a COA with the Product Key. I inform them that if I have to call
Microsoft, their decision is final. My job is done, even if I get cut off
while updating Windows because I can not clear authentication. My money did
not purchase their computer. I infom them that I am not even authorized to
work on name brand computers and if they have authentication issues, they
have to contact their computer manufacturer (after my call to Microsoft
fails which it rarely if ever does.)
or without a CD. As far as I am aware it is no different in the USA !
I incorrectly explained my policy on selling Windows or Windows CD's in the
past in reference to Windows 98 etc. Back then everyone did not have a CD
burner. I offered to copy data to a CD for a modest copying fee of ten
dollars per CD. If somebody asked me for a copy of a Windows CD and I copied
it, I did not furnish a Product Key. Over the years I had only a handfull
(less than 5 estimated) requests for a copy job. I guess they wanted it for
nothing and were too cheap to pay a ten dollar copy fee. All it would take
for them was some savy in getting around on a computer. I copied the cabinet
files for Windows 95, 98, or Me (whichever one I installed on their computer
using their Product Key) to the D Drive (the 2nd partition I made for them
on thier hard drive) and installed from there. I did not start installing
Windows from CD's until XP came along. I only changed methods then because
my first few attempts to copy the I386 folder to a hard drive and install
from there failed. Now I am glad I changed over. There is far less of a
chance of file corruption from files on a CD than from files in a I386
folder on a hard drive partition.
So if charging somebody ten bucks for coping a Windows CD that does not
include a Product Key is selling Windows, I may have sold Windows 3 or so
times over the years. Note that I did not make this offer to the general
public, but only to customers who ordered a partiton, format and reinstall
job and furnished their own Product Key. All who purchased a new computer
from me received the Windows OEM CD kit from Microsoft which they paide me
$90.00 for along with COA and Product Key.
Strictly! If you carry out any work on a Windows machine that is
without a valid licence then you are aiding and abetting a felony !!
At this point I do not know who I am responding to (above paragraph) but I
will tell you when I smell a rat. When a potential new customer calls me I
ask the following questions:
What kind of computer do you have?
What Windows came on your computer (when new, not what Windows is on it
now)?
How old is your computer?
If they bought a Dell, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, eMachine, Gateway etc. and
it is 4.5 years old or less I know it will have had a COA attached when they
bought it. None remove these --- so far. When the manufacturer uses a
different Product Key than is on the COA is when I have to call Microsoft,
even when there are no hardware changes. Hewlett Packard is most famous for
this.
When they have upgraded to XP I ask where they bought it. Around here
(Albany, GA) over 90% say they got it from a friend.
When it was a built computer many do not have a COA. You would be surprised
at how many builders still pirate OEM Windows XP. If built on a buddy's
kitchen table, look out! I ask further questions to ascertain if they have a
legal copy of Windows. I could work on them with the understanding that if
it does not clear authentication, the updating process will end at that
point and my job has been done and I expect full pay. I strongly prefer to
avoid working in that environment.
Chuck
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