A relative approached me about helping to repair their computer. They have an old IBM Netvista. It had just stopped booting up, and the way that they described the problem to me over the phone, it sounded like the CPU may have died.
When they brought it over, though, it actually was booting to the BIOS screen, but crapping out after when it tried to start the operating system. This machine had an originally installed copy of Microsoft Windows XP Home edition. The license key was on a sticker on the computer case, which is completely normal.
After a bit of research, I found that others had this same problem, and it had been something that might go wrong with some versions of this model. The solution was to reinstall Windows and claim your machine back. So, I sourced out a copy of Windows XP Home Edition, as I don’t run Windows on my computer at all. A friend lent me his XP Home CD and I proceeded to install the operating system.
I chose a “repair”, as I wanted to try and save the data on the hard drive, since my relatives are perfectly normal and don’t have backups (I bet they’ll make one this time).
As usual, the installation took over an hour to do, but it went without much of a hitch. I got to the screen where Microsoft wants you to enter the license key for your purchased product and it wouldn’t accept the valid key on the computer sticker. This made me angry. Why would they not accept a paid for license key?
I was able to proceed with the installation without the key, with a message about having to activate the product with Microsoft within 30 days. I got to the activation screen and decided to try an online activation and see if it would accept the license key this time.
Of course, it was a no go. I had heard and read of this often, but never experienced it, as had long ago found that Linux was just a lot more fun for me to run. What to do?
Since I had allowed a lot of time for the installation, expecting to have to go search for drivers on the net to complete the install, I decided to contact Microsoft to solve this problem. Their website produced a phone number for me to call about activation problems. **as a side note, I found the Microsoft Activation website to be very intuitive and clever in its design. They got this right** I called the number.
The first thing that I encountered was an automated attendant. I entered the information on my computer screen with the keypad of the phone and was promptly told that this machine had failed activation and the attendant suggested that I contact my PC vendor to have them correct this problem (this is code speak for YOU ARE A THIEF). I chose the option to talk to an agent. I got “Chris” on the phone. Microsoft seems to require their agents to adhere to a prepared script. I complied and was told that the activation was invalid. I advised “Chris” that I was using the key on the sticker on the side of the computer. He told me that I needed to contact Microsoft Technical Support to get a new key and he gave me their number.
I called the technical support number and followed the prompts. I was asked if this copy of windows came on the computer or whether it was installed after. When I selected the option indicating it came with my computer, the call was abruptly terminated.
I called back. This time, I did not select that option and I was connected with “Melvin”. He asked me what he could do to help. I explained that I had reinstalled Windows on this computer and that the product key was not being accepted. Once it was established that I was trying to use a product key that was on the side of an IBM machine to validate a copy of Windows that came from a Microsoft CD, he informed me that I would have to contact IBM, as they have installed this copy of Windows and they would support it.
WTF? Microsoft, the maker of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, whos sticker is prominently displayed on the side of this computer, won’t suport Microsoft Windows. Apparently, this license key was granted by IBM, according to “Melvin”. Melvin provided me with a phone number for IBM.
**I should note that I am doing this as an exercise to find out what would happen. I would have given up and installed a free operating system for myself**
I called IBM and selected software support. This was the wrong option, as it is for supprt of IBM software, not Microsoft. You have to select hardware support for this software issue. The agent I got was helpful, though. Lafongi (I may have misspelled his name) advised me that I could not proceed with the Windows CD install with the IBM key, so I’d need an IBM recovery CD. Out of warranty, this would be a $45CDN investment for the operating system that came on the computer. In addition, it would wipe the drive and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows. It would also carve up the drive into two partitions and create a hidden recovery partition for future problems. This was not the original setup, but it is now, apparently. He suggested that I back up all data first and then call in to order the CD, if necessary.
So, Windows is reinstalled on this computer, but activation is destined to run out in 29 days. I have four options. I can convince my relative to install Linux, which won’t ever cause this problem. I can convince them to pony up the $45 for the product that they already had on their computer. I can convince them to buy a retail copy of Windows or get someone to provide them with a license key that they haven’t used for their purchased copy. Or, I could hunt around and find one of the many cracked copies of Microsoft Windows out there and they can run with an invalid license key. I am convinced that the money machine is set up to force people to do the last thing.
That’s commerce for you.
perhaps there is a reason why the Microsoft employees used psudonyms. The IBM employee certainly didn’t.
The serial you have on the computer box is probably for a version before service pack 2, and the install CD you borrowed is SP2 or higher.. I know this because I ran into the same problem and discovered that a serial from SP2 or higher won’t work with SP1.
You should try and call back but lie and say you purchased the thing a long time ago.
Use the Number from the activation screen too BTW.
LOL @ Having to talk to Hardware for Software support because software support doesn’t handle MS Software support.
I have had this experience before with Microsoft. Essentially nobody takes any responsibility for OEM software:
1. Call Microsoft they will direct you to the OEM vendor.
2. Call your OEM vendor and they will tell you that they don’t support reinstallation.
To be fair, if the OEM has provided a recovery CD, this does the trick on most occasions without needing activation.
You’re right though. Microsoft tech support could be dubbed as a service for voluntary confessional statement. Because you are a thief when you request them for an activation key that is already in use and they will assume that you have pirated the disk or using it without license.
Oh yes, the OEM models’ license key definitely won’t work with a boxed version. That is a certainty.
So if you lose the original installation or recovery disk, you’re out of luck.
Oh god, I definitely do not miss (the new) Microsoft. And say what you will about Apple (yes, they are expensive, but I know I’m going to have my Macbook Pro for years and years), at least I have a 100% legal, bonafide OS X disc in a well-designed box, kept safely from any possible harm. With that, I know that, no matter how many times I must reformat, I will be fine.
Microsoft used to be this way, why the change? Years ago, I could say the exact same thing about Microsoft (and probably would’ve bashed anyone saying Macs were better), but now, I just shudder at the thought of having an OS without an actual install disk. Don’t give me those stupid “recovery” cd’s. I’ve dealt with those before, and they are not my cup of tea. I don’t even like tea. I like my OS disks black, with an actual company logo on the front, and a serial key taped/printed on that box.
And not being thought of as a thief or liar. Here’s to never having to pirate an OS!
Jordan, recovery disks are better than nothing.
Many computers don’t have them included.
And where it’s provided it’s near useless.
Did you try to download one of those “cracked” keys? I am sure that will work properly. Sometimes Microsoft makes us jump through so many hoops that being a legitimate customer involves more hassles than simply obtaining a cracked version.
@hari – I am aware of and capable of how to get past this problem. I wrote this story to illustrate my frustration with this broken system.
You can overlay this same issue on music purchases online as well. What happens when your hard drive craps out and you haven’t backed up your 1000 songs that you’ve downloaded from iTunes, or other drm-laden music store. Sure,they say that you can get another copy. But, where’s the guarantee?
My mom is an avid Mac and itunes user and she did manage to somehow delete her directory with all her downloaded music by accident and she hadn’t made a proper backup! To itunes credit, after giving her a lecture about the importance of backups they allowed my mom to redownload all the music she had originally paid for!
Getting back to the original story, it is amazing how many laptops and computers come with the Windows OS installed but without the Microsoft CD! Isn’t that illegal? But either way you look at it, Microsoft has a very hostile and distrustful license and this is the real problem for those honest users who are having legitimate issues. My advice for all those unlucky users is to migrate to Ubuntu Linux which is easy enough to survive without resorting to the command line and have an expert friend install and configure VirtualBox and/or WINE for you if you still require some Windows applications which you can’t bear to part with!
And by the way, Jordan, I do like tea!
Yes, MrCorey, I can well understand the frustrations of Microsoft “support”.
Best way to put a computer to use is Linux at the moment.
LOL!! I love it! You know me Corey- I’d of hit eMule right off the bat but I understand what you mean about having your curiosity piqued. I just bought a new computer at Fry’s- a Lenovo and was quite surprised to find it came with both a drivers disk and a Vista OS disk. I figured like most others it would give me an option somewhere in the start menu to make backup disks, but we bought little John a new computer for his birthday- a gaming computer no less so I don’t have to mention what THAT cost and the damn thing didn’t come with any disks at all and when I went to make the disks for him because I knew he’d hit WOW or Aeon right off the bat and forget to, it kept spitting the disks back out at me and wouldn’t make any but I had used it to copy and burn some movies before so I KNEW the drive worked. (HOME movies of course;)
I haven’t gotten around to calling the company yet and bitch about it but I need to soon before “I” forget. LOL
I must also say that I like Vista. Of course that might have something to do with being so used to my iMac. Steph is usually on it though and what the hell, I just wanted a new computer. It’s quite a bit like Leopard and amazingly fast.
But more to the point on tech people, I went through that the other day with my sister-in-law’s cell phone which had stopped receiving messages etc. She was merely trying to find out about an upgrade because her phone was a dinosaur and it ended up with me taking the phone from her and asking to speak to a supervisor which did no good either— until the next morning right outside the AT&T store when miraculously her phone rang and she had about 30 messages. LOL She upgraded the phone regardless but I was tickled that her old one started working after a few words to a supervisor about switching to Verizon and they had a crappy way of running a business.
Ubuntu to you my friend.
OK. Well here’s a good one for ya. I have a 6 year old Dell that I wanted to format. With the original XP disk that came with it. With the serial key on the computer. Ok should be good to go. Pop the CD in and because of service pack 2 it tells me it can’t install this “Older version” of windows over the new one.
So I say I’m just gonna wipe the drive first then install windows. But dell has it set up so that you can’t get to the screen to do that, no matter what. No F8′s or F12′s or Esc’s or anything while it’s starting will get you there. I tried every suggestion I could find on Google. Nada. The thing is trash.
Well clearly you don’t know what your doing. I’m sure you accidentally picked up the Windows CD instead of the Linux one. We forgive you though.
I’ve been in therapy for it. Its going well. Its going well. Its going well. Its going well.