MS tech support was HELPFUL?!?! AND FAST?!?! BEHOLD ALL, THE END IS NEAR!

Geminiwave · Jan 18, 2005, 11:02 PM

So I have XP installed on my desktop, my laptop, my dads computer for a bit until it broke down, and now my mother's computer. At the moment, we all live in the same house so its pretty much legit(there is a law about licenses being for households and not just one computer...but i think MS got around that somehow. anywho)

anyway the point of this story.

I called up MS...and I got someone who was extremely helpful, patient, fast, and helped me activate XP in a jiffy. I've been on HOLD with MS longer than that entire phonecall took.

the funny part is that she kept asking questions as to why I was using the phone to activate now when I had activated it via internet before. I explained that the internet activation wasnt working. after several more questions she said "How many computers have you installed that copy of XP to?" I paused for a minute and said "...3..." she goes "just a second" she comes back 2 minutes later and says "Alright here is your activation code. Thank you for purchasing this product and I hope you continue to be happy with it" she gave me the activation code and now I have it on 4 computers. Its REALLY bizzare.

I got it from CTI, so maybe its the corporate edition and just has several activations or something? I'm not sure. but anyway it was all very plesant.

pr0digal jenius · Jan 18, 2005, 11:10 PM

*goes to buy satan a parka*

No_Style · Jan 18, 2005, 11:12 PM

I've never called MS before so I don't know their track record for helpfulness. Nor have I activated a copy of XP. Yes, believe it or not there are people who are helpful on the service desk side.

No_Style · Jan 18, 2005, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr0digal jenius

*goes to buy satan a parka*

Could I have it instead? It's -40 Degrees Celcius here!

Sargentwhitey · Jan 18, 2005, 11:45 PM

I've gone through that call plenty of times.. it's always an Indian person too... hmmm

Razgriz · Jan 18, 2005, 11:47 PM

you can only activate XP a maximum of 3 times i believe. So yeah, ifyou call em and prove that you do LEGALLY own a copy of XP, then theywill give you a new one

TJ- · Jan 18, 2005, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasNemesis

you can only activate XP a maximum of 3 times i believe. So yeah, ifyou call em and prove that you do LEGALLY own a copy of XP, then theywill give you a new one

ive activated xp about 6 or 7 times in the 3 months i bought this comp....so what are you talking about...all of them were over the phone on the free 1800 number where you talk to a machine...

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Jan 19, 2005, 01:21 AM

i have hung up on MS when they told me "your Windows 98 key looks like it's in use by a number of people"

let's just keep it at that.

Geminiwave · Jan 19, 2005, 01:24 AM

its 3 times a month actually. every month you get more activations. I know this cause I've had to format the harddrive and reinstall windows several times...but it was always on the same computer.

Now I have it installed on a few computers.

and yeah it was definatly a call to india.

Callandor · Jan 19, 2005, 01:29 AM

Call me weird, but I've actually never really felt a "need" to call MS. Dunno why, but I actually just can't bring myself to do it.

Geminiwave · Jan 19, 2005, 01:30 AM

yeah but what do you do if XP wont activate?

crack it? XD thats what I use to do.

Callandor · Jan 19, 2005, 01:57 AM

Yep. Me too. What else can you do?

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jan 19, 2005, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geminiwave

At the moment, we all live in the same house so its pretty much legit(there is a law about licenses being for households and not just one computer...but i think MS got around that somehow. anywho)

after several more questions she said "How many computers have you installed that copy of XP to?" I paused for a minute and said "...3..." she goes "just a second" she comes back 2 minutes later and says "Alright here is your activation code. Thank you for purchasing this product and I hope you continue to be happy with it" she gave me the activation code and now I have it on 4 computers. Its REALLY bizzare.

I got it from CTI, so maybe its the corporate edition and just has several activations or something? I'm not sure. but anyway it was all very plesant.

Actually i'd be worred!, I'm lucky enough to have alegit no activation version of XP Corp and w2k.... But you relise they RECORD you phone calls...

THE LAW IS ONE COPY OF WINDOWS ON ONE MACHINE AT ANY TIME! other wise it's illegal, a breatch of thier licenceing agreement....

unless you own 4 licences.... useally a book with a cdkey and autenticaion label on it.... other wise it will state a multiple licence version and it will cost like $1,000 for 4 licences

they could do anything from invalidationg your windows key all togeather. Sending that info / confessionto their lawier meintion who could sue you for 4 X $199 or some un godly amount....

basically you handed microsoft and taped confession.... your name and adress and phone number.....

maybe i'm paranoid but i'd be afraid

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jan 19, 2005, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiGBrOwNPimpsta

i have hung up on MS when they told me "your Windows 98 key looks like it's in use by a number of people"

let's just keep it at that.

ROFL 98 doesnt no activation that was a long before the stated adding the crap unless maybe you recently bought it of something wich would be nutz

I have windows 95/98/me/2k/xp pre "activation" BS versions

md5 · Jan 19, 2005, 11:13 AM

the activation procedure only exists in Windows XP and 2003

YAYitsAndrew · Jan 19, 2005, 12:06 PM

I called to reactivate when I upgraded to athlon64. The indian guy got pissed off when I couldn't understand the numbers he was giving me.

Fuck off shore help desks.

Chubby_C · Jan 19, 2005, 05:39 PM

Had to call them once to get a hotfix I needed, they had it on the site but password protected, they were very helpful and didn't have to wait on hold for a long time

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Jan 19, 2005, 09:29 PM

i don't really see a purpose in the activation process

1. tech support is limited, when your out of the period outrages fees
2. i doubt it has reduced piracy, i want see statistics on if it really does work

Geminiwave · Jan 19, 2005, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiGBrOwNPimpsta

i don't really see a purpose in the activation process

1. tech support is limited, when your out of the period outrages fees
2. i doubt it has reduced piracy, i want see statistics on if it really does work

fees? what fees? its free to activate

The_Neon_Cowboy · Jan 19, 2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BiGBrOwNPimpsta

i don't really see a purpose in the activation process

1. tech support is limited, when your out of the period outrages fees
2. i doubt it has reduced piracy, i want see statistics on if it really does work

It takes a whole 2 seconds to defeat activation...

legitimate users have more trouble with activation then priates ever do

Judas · Jan 19, 2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No_Style

Could I have it instead? It's -40 Degrees Celcius here!

aww.... it was colder here the other week... broke some records... hit a low of -60 and lower *C

wuss

**dj_stick** · Jan 19, 2005, 10:25 PM

hey judas, try alt 0176 for the ° (degrees) symbol

No_Style · Jan 19, 2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

aww.... it was colder here the other week... broke some records... hit a low of -60 and lower *C

wuss

Thread-Jacked! (Hope Gemini doesn't mind

)

I'm not a hardened Canadian like you Prairies folks!

Judas · Jan 19, 2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by No_Style

Thread-Jacked! (Hope Gemini doesn't mind

)

I'm not a hardened Canadian like you Prairies folks!

bah, if we had trees, and it got as cold as it did, i'm sure we'd be complaining. Damn wind.

btw, dj, i'm lazy, and i used to know the alt command.... but frankly the * works nicely for me....gets the idea across