F.Y.I Microsoft Closes Activation Loophole

Question

Microsoft Closes Activation LoopholeBy Nate Mook and David Worthington, BetaNewsFebruary 24, 2005, 8:05 PM

Microsoft is closing a loophole that enabled unscrupulous resellers to use Windows XP product keys that were stolen from large OEMs. The result: customers who purchase Windows on a new PC will not be able to activate, nor reinstall their operating system without first calling Microsoft.

The problem lies in the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) labels on PCs, which often contain unused unique product keys because OEMs preinstall Windows and bypass product activation.

These keys could easily be copied and sold by a smaller computer dealer complete with a counterfeit COA. Because the product key was never actually used by an end-user, a customer would have no trouble activating Windows via the Internet and never know the difference.

But Microsoft plans to change all this. Starting February 28, Microsoft will indefinitely begin to disable Internet product activation on OEM keys used by the top 20 worldwide PC makers.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Closes_Activation_Loophole/1109293194

osprey4 · Answer

That's a slightly different story than this one:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=136912

I guess we'll have to wait and see. As always, legitimate customers have nothing to worry about.

msgale · Answer

I don't know and I have been wrong before,  But it is the evening of the 27 of February 2005 and not one official source, i.e  nor mainstream new publication has reported this yet.

msil217 · Answer

Yes, but why would all these other sources make this up? They would look awfully foolish, and lose their credibility if they was wrong. But I hope they are.

msgale · Answer

I doubt that they are making it up, but rather they are reading more into something than theres is, maybe that date is wrong, or maybe it was a trial ballon.  Still may be true, and I still wait  P.S. It is now 7:32AM EST 28 Feb 2005, I have just checked online the N Y Times, CCN, FoxNews and MSNBC and not a peep.

msgale · Answer

March 3rd and still waiting.

-Dummy- · Answer

what if you dont have a phone or arent online.? kinda like dells rebates, have to go online to print mine, didnt have internet for a little while either, had to wait on phone, be tranfered, hung up on, re directed, then they told me to goto an internet cafe to download as they couldnt guarantee id get the papers in the mail on time and might lose my rebate,
i love my 2400 and XPS though.
XPS support rules....actually have gotten the same guy 3 times out of 5 calls.
And he speaks english fluently and it doesnt sound like im talking via soup cans and strings.

dont worry, soon youll just scan your thumb and microsoft will make sure only you use yoursoftware.and some 14 year old Romanian will crack the new protection in about 5 minutes.

-Dummy- · Answer

so everytime i reinstall i have to call microsoft. lol.

Windows General

F.Y.I Microsoft Closes Activation Loophole

Was this post helpful?