Microsoft rips me off yet again.

[AveryMaurice]

I find this infuriating, but today I started my computer only to get a "genuine windows product" check dialog. Owning a 100% genuine Windows 7 Home edition, I clicked "check online". This brought me to a Microsoft support webpage that claims that my copy was "not purchased" and "not genuine" then proceeded to "remove or disable essential features until purchase of a valid license".

Angry, I went to Microsoft Support, entered my CD-Key and then it claimed that it too was not genuine and I had to pay 59.99 just to access support and get the issue resolved.

I paid 150$ for a product that doesn't work. Now I need to reinstall Windows and use an activator, have any of you had this issue or any similar stories?

[Aliotroph?]

When that kind of crap happens they will usually fix it if you call them. They had a lot of problems with Vista de-activating like that at one point.

[John Smith]

Calling Microsoft support will usually get the problem resolved adequately, providing you can give them some evidence other than the CD key. What's likely to happen then is you will be issued a new CD key, probably right there over the phone. Microsoft is a company, and like most companies when you have a problem with them, you actually have to initiate contact with a person to get something resolved, rather than simply look around a website.

[Technician]

CALL FOR HELP!

[Devalaous]

I had my XP deemed unofficial because I had an american XP on my NZ computer. It literally told me this. Then I had my right to use a wallpaper stripped away and a hundred popups till I found a way to kill the program. As far as im concerned, WGA is a legal virus, stripping away abilities on my own computer. No way am I paying TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS for a new CD key.

[AveryMaurice]

John Smith said:

you actually have to initiate contact with a person to get something resolved, rather than simply look around a website.

I have tried, and I still get this page saying I must pay for a support plan before even supplying me with help: https://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?&gprid=14496&&st=1&wfxredirect=1&sd=gn

Problem is it says my product key isn't valid for free support or whatever. I tried a number got with my product, called, they asked for my key and the same thing happened, said they couldn't help me. I'll try and call back again later and hope for a different person.

[Aliotroph?]

It told me to call this between 05:00 and 19:00 Pacific Time: 1-866-530-6364

[GreyGhost]

If Microsoft refuse to help before they've seen the colour of your money - take your complaint to the retailer, if they can't/won't help, contact your local Consumer Affairs office. You shouldn't be made to pay for their mistakes.

Ragnor said:

I had my XP deemed unofficial because I had an american XP on my NZ computer. It literally told me this. Then I had my right to use a wallpaper stripped away and a hundred popups till I found a way to kill the program.

Same thing happened to me a few months ago, I think it's just an underhand way to boost sales of newer OS's. Didn't work!

[AndrewB]

I'm using Windows XP on every computer I use and I'm surprised if I won't still be using it in 10 years.

[Technician]

AndrewB said:

I'm using Windows XP on every computer I use and I'm surprised if I won't still be using it in 10 years.

I've played with 7 and never had the urge to upgrade from XP.

[Devalaous]

Isnt 7 just Vista without the bullshit?

If so I'll just upgrade my XP/Vista dualboot to XP/7

[Technician]

Ragnor said:

Isnt 7 just Vista without the bullshit?

That may be an understatement.

[Ralphis]

AndrewB said:

I'm using Windows XP on every computer I use and I'm surprised if I won't still be using it in 10 years.

One of the few stances I'm right there with you on

[Gez]

Ragnor said:

Isnt 7 just Vista without the bullshit?

If so I'll just upgrade my XP/Vista dualboot to XP/7

The amount of bullshit present in Vista is generally overestimated.

The amount of Vista bullshit removed by 7 is generally overestimated as well.

[dew]

AndrewB said:

I'm using Windows XP on every computer I use and I'm surprised if I won't still be using it in 10 years.

that's what i kept saying about win2k while laughing at the clusterfuck of cute things for secretaries that is winxp. and then they stopped supporting 2k with patches and i bought a new computer... and i parted ways with the best win os and embraced mainstream. i will be surprised if this shift won't happen again in 10 years.

[Devalaous]

Gez said:

The amount of bullshit present in Vista is generally overestimated.

The amount of Vista bullshit removed by 7 is generally overestimated as well.

I like a lot of Vista's stuff, but I find so much of it over the top and intrusive. Havent had a chance to try out Windows 7 properly yet though, Amusingly theres a copy sitting in the next room that I cant use because its a 64bit version -_-

[The Lag]

win7 pro64 is fine. it's just shocking how many processes and services it runs by default and how much memory it uses as a result.
that's my laptop.

my desktop still runs XP, which is probably the most perfect version of windows.
before XP, i used normal 98 and before that i used 3.1 so basically i skipped all of the over-inflated versions (95, 2k, Vista) and the buggy mess that was Millenium Edition (ok i used it for a few months...uhg.)

[AndrewB]

dew said:

that's what i kept saying about win2k while laughing at the clusterfuck of cute things for secretaries that is winxp. and then they stopped supporting 2k with patches and i bought a new computer... and i parted ways with the best win os and embraced mainstream. i will be surprised if this shift won't happen again in 10 years.

The difference is compatibility. Of the three OSes mentioned (2K, XP, 7), the one with best compatibility for games and programs worth a damn is XP. By far.

2K never had satisfactory compatibility to the point that 98 was preferred for the gamers and casual home users. Windows 7 is incompatible with enough of the software I use regularly that even if I did dual boot, it wouldn't receive enough use to justify using it at all.

[Sharessa]

I find Windows 7 to be superior to XP in all aspects. And this is coming from someone who loved XP for years.

[Xeros612]

Let's not forget how XP is so virus and BSOD prone these days.

[Use]

That says more about the user than anything.

[Clonehunter]

Viruses or not XP I say is th better system. Best for gaming too. Vista (And the unrelated Mac) are gaming nightmares, especially to modding communities (I couldn't change text files in Carnivores 2 on Vista, as it wouldn't allow changes made to the games files. And mac doesn't really let you mod at all). I will be using XP far into the future. The only reason I'm using Vista now is because all my other computers are broken or in use.)

[Xeros612]

Use3D said:

That says more about the user than anything.

Right. I suppose it's just coincidence then that I've only had two instances of a virus on Vista and none on 7, while at least five on XP? I certainly haven't really changed my website visiting habits to any safer methods. Let's not forget that XP has been out long enough for any malicious program coders to know its ins and outs, making it ripe for the picking. Not to mention it BSoD'd more often than my old 98 did when it was 10 years old.

@Clonehunter I've been running x86 and x64 vista on my desktop for four years or so by now, and I've not run into any gaming issues: playing, modding, or otherwise. Ones that don't stem from the game being made before 2000, at least. Even then, aside from DOS and programs specifically gimped by the programmers to only run on certain OS's and block everything else, and the problems I have run into are graphics card based(compatibility), not OS based. Are you not an admin account on your PC? That might be why it doesn't let you.

[Use]

Xeros612 said:

Right. I suppose it's just coincidence then that I've only had two instances of a virus on Vista and none on 7, while at least five on XP? I certainly haven't really changed my website visiting habits to any safer methods.

Okay, so is this where I am supposed to endorse your claim that 'XP is more virus prone' because you don't know what you're doing?

[Csonicgo]

Xeros612 said:

Let's not forget how XP is so virus and BSOD prone these days.

MSE, MSE, MSE. And BSODs these days are pretty much all driver related.

[Xeros612]

Use3D said:

Okay, so is this where I am supposed to endorse your claim that 'XP is more virus prone' because you don't know what you're doing?

I'm fairly certain I know what I'm doing, considering with computers that aren't shite I extremely rarely have any sort of issue with program/OS functionality. Also considering that I just told Clonehunter that my Vista machine doesn't have any trouble with gaming aside from the specific events I mentioned, despite Vista being seen by the general public as "bad for gaming". Not to mention it's not just the XP my family has I'm basing this on, I'm also basing it on every XP-running computer I've ever used, Grandparents', High School comp lab/library, uni library/non-CS lab computers, you name it.

Nice of you to leave out the rest of the XP part of the post too, considering it gave out reasons why XP is a virus magnet. But defend a shitty outdated OS to your death if you must, sure to be fun for you. I mean, is it really striking you that hard that I'm saying XP is shite that you have to assume I "don't know what I'm doing" when I say other OS's work infinitely better?

[AndrewB]

The "don't know what you're doing" comment came from you saying you still use unsafe browsing habits.

The only time I ever got a virus on XP was when I took a chance on installing a program downloaded through Limewire.

[Use]

Xeros612 said:

I'm fairly certain I know what I'm doing...

Sure thing man, you've already had more viruses than me in my 16 years of using the Windows operating system. That includes my nearly decade of employment as a system administrator for a small business chain. A little bigger deal than grandma clicking on a banner ad accidentally.

Also nowhere in any of my posts am I 'defending' Windows XP, as I will typically always recommend the newest version of Windows for modern computers. I will however defend Window XP in light of stupid people saying shit because the computers in high school sucked.

[Bank]

Yo, Windows 7 is the best one yet and has made my computing more productive and hassle free, without making me sacrifice what I want to do with my computer.

[Graf Zahl]

Strangely enough I am still running the 3.5 year old original installation of Vista on my computer which has never given me even the slightest problem. I never had any computer that ran for such an extended period of time without ever screwing up beyond the point of recovery. Quite unlike XP on the 2 systems before which I had to reinstall countless times.

Yes, Vista must be really, really bad...