Comments on: True tales from the WGA front http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/07/true-tales-fom-the-wga-front/ I write stuff. Mostly about Windows. Sometimes I get paid for it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:55:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: m.scott http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/07/true-tales-fom-the-wga-front/comment-page-1/#comment-153563 m.scott Thu, 02 Nov 2006 05:17:29 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1406#comment-153563 My experiences with XP are the same. I have 2 Dell Diimenson 8100's and I have replaced the Hard drive on the original one at least 2 tmes XP too many tmes to mention. Calling Microsoft isn't all that bad, whatever makes them happy! The thng is in the last 5 years I have a few extra versons that I purchased of Wndows XP.........Thats all for now......take care... My experiences with XP are the same. I have 2 Dell Diimenson 8100′s and I have replaced the Hard drive on the original one at least 2 tmes XP too many tmes to mention. Calling Microsoft isn’t all that bad, whatever makes them happy! The thng is in the last 5 years I have a few extra versons that I purchased of Wndows XP………Thats all for now……take care…

]]> By: Pete C http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/07/true-tales-fom-the-wga-front/comment-page-1/#comment-95469 Pete C Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:13:03 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1406#comment-95469 Got the original XP retail CD on I believe, 10/27/2001, the release date. I've installed it on 3 new home built machines. All 3 times required a call to MS with no problem, other than the 10 minute bother of trying to type 55 numbers first.(Active only on each new machine.) I also have 2 other machines with OEM versions and have had no problem with hardware replacements, even with a Mobo replacement I fessed up to. I'm still looking for the "other nagware" associated with WGA Brian Livingston referred to in his newsletter. he hasn't responed and I haven't seen any. Got the original XP retail CD on I believe, 10/27/2001, the release date.
I’ve installed it on 3 new home built machines. All 3 times required a call to MS with no problem, other than the 10 minute bother of trying to type 55 numbers first.(Active only on each new machine.)
I also have 2 other machines with OEM versions and have had no problem with hardware replacements, even with a Mobo replacement I fessed up to.
I’m still looking for the “other nagware” associated with WGA Brian Livingston referred to in his newsletter. he hasn’t responed and I haven’t seen any.

]]> By: Jon Daley http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/07/true-tales-fom-the-wga-front/comment-page-1/#comment-94574 Jon Daley Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:42:29 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1406#comment-94574 A friend recently had a bad sector on her hard drive, and she could only login with a "temporary profile", since the ntuser.dat hadn't been properly shut down. After hours of working on it, we eventually were able to do a system restore to a couple of days before, and apparently that did the trick, as she could then login normally. But, WGA reported that the copy wasn't activated, which is strange since it is a SLP OEM version. I assumed it was a BIOS virus that had overwritten her SLP key, but we then did an "undo" of the system restore, but no such luck, but then system restored to a more recent day, and then validation error went away. I guess it is okay, but strange, and certainly gave my friends a scare when the error told them they had an illegal copy of the software, since it had been pre-installed by IBM, and they weren't given a recovery method to re-install. A friend recently had a bad sector on her hard drive, and she could only login with a “temporary profile”, since the ntuser.dat hadn’t been properly shut down. After hours of working on it, we eventually were able to do a system restore to a couple of days before, and apparently that did the trick, as she could then login normally. But, WGA reported that the copy wasn’t activated, which is strange since it is a SLP OEM version. I assumed it was a BIOS virus that had overwritten her SLP key, but we then did an “undo” of the system restore, but no such luck, but then system restored to a more recent day, and then validation error went away.

I guess it is okay, but strange, and certainly gave my friends a scare when the error told them they had an illegal copy of the software, since it had been pre-installed by IBM, and they weren’t given a recovery method to re-install.

]]> By: Ken http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2006/07/true-tales-fom-the-wga-front/comment-page-1/#comment-94474 Ken Thu, 20 Jul 2006 03:33:02 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1406#comment-94474 Funny...I had reinstalled XP professional a few times on this computer in the last two years or so. I bought and used a retail copy, not an OEM copy. I had made no hardware changes to this computer. The last time I did it a few months ago, I got a message saying that I had "reinstalled" Windows XP too many times on the same computer. I had to reactivate Windows by phone. I liked the old way much better. I am now wondering if this was WGA-connected. It certainly was an annoyance. Funny…I had reinstalled XP professional a few times on this computer in the last two years or so. I bought and used a retail copy, not an OEM copy. I had made no hardware changes to this computer.

The last time I did it a few months ago, I got a message saying that I had “reinstalled” Windows XP too many times on the same computer. I had to reactivate Windows by phone. I liked the old way much better. I am now wondering if this was WGA-connected. It certainly was an annoyance.

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