Vista won't activate

Dwindle

I bought this Gateway last month, have made no alterations on it, but from the start, the product key won't work. So, I call Microsoft, do the 50 digit exchange thing with the Hindu guy, and the computer works. Then, 20 days later, It wants a new key again.

Funny thing is, it never actually disables anything - it just keeps bugging me. The other day it was saying I had 0 days until activation, now it says 21.

Gateway, of course, can't help me with this at all.

Zelig

I'm assuming you haven't made any hardware changes?

Nothing gets disabled until the activation timer runs out. Reduced functionality mode is also removed from SP1 (not sure if they changed it in the betas, maybe someone can confirm).

Probably just time for another call to MS, not much else you can do.

Dwindle

Well, I've done it three times through MS. The biggest problem is, naturally, the guy on the other end barely speaks a word of English and says there's nothing they can do about it.

Gateway is willing to sell me a new key for the low, low price of $250.

ChaosMinionX

How old is the gateway?

cozumel

I can sell you some spectacles if you PM me.



@Dwindle - You're just going to have to keep hassling MS for activation codes and both MS/Gateway if the problem persists.

ChaosMinionX

My bad, it was even at the very beginning of the post

Anyways, I would return the Gateway if they will not give you a working activation, and gateway wont help. I would ask for my money back and get a different company.

Tipstaff

Windows Genuine will never ask you to activate again unless 1 of 3 things happen: 1) you made a major change to your system parts wise (in some cases a bios upgrade can trigger WGA), 2) you reinstalled your operating system, or 3) the CDkey is being used on more than one system.

My bet is that you will never get that key to work, cuz someone else is using that key too. My guess is that someone that either handled the Windows keys, or that works closely with putting the machines together copied down the key, and is either using it, or gave it to someone.

Your best bet would be to call Gateway up, and complain to them directly (forget Microsoft... it's not their problem when it comes to OEM keys). Tell them that you have had issues with the systems activation since you bought the machine, tell them exactly what happens, and ask them to fix it.

EcPercy

Why not report them to Microsoft? I believe (if I am not mistaken) that once you activate a key, if someone else activates the same key the first copy is deactivated.

I would report it to Microsoft as being a pirated copy.