XP License Key Revoked, No Recourse?
 

About a year ago I purchased a Windows XP SP1 cd from an online retailer which seemed legit enough. They claimed that the XP was legitimate, and yeah the disc is authentic and all that. Has the hologram bullcrap and whathaveyou. The problem is that after working fine for a year, during most recent reinstallation Microsoft rejected the cd key provided on the sleeve that the cd came in, based on that the key was either pirated, or part of a set of VLKs that were no longer in use.

Interesting. The online retailer states their refund policy lasts for only 30 days past purchase. However nowhere on their site does it mention that they are selling copies of XP which last only for a year. Had I known I was renting XP, I wouldn't have spent 90 bucks on it.

Is it seller beware with these retailers? Do I have any right to request a replacement, at all? Can they legally do this?

you can always rat them out to MS...

I might, in fact am tempted to.

On the website I got directed to when XP's activation failed, there was something about how some consumers who bought a disc which is authentic but the license isn't, may be eligible for a complimentary copy from MS... You had to send the disc in etc. But I can't find that page now.

Maybe I dreamt it...

you said this happen during a reinstall... by any chance did you reinstall after a hardware change? I think microsoft only allows 3 big hardware changes percopy now just to keep people from using that copy of windows on many diffrent computers.

Plaid is correct. If you call Microsoft they will usually give you a new reg key if you explain to them what's happening.

Vista is going to be even worse - only 1 significant hardware change before the license is yanked, which IMO is total bullshit. I'll tell ya, Linux is looking better and better.

Something like this happened to me when I reinstalled after an upgrade. I couldn't activate XP over the net. So I tried to activate over the phone, and after failing the automated activation I got transferred to a person. I just told the guy that I was reinstalling after an upgrade. He then asked me how many machines I have this copy of XP installed on, and I told him (truthfully) that it was only on this one. He then gave me a working authorisation code.

This is why I have never paid for a copy of Windows in my life, and never will.

Actually, not true anymore. There were so many people complaining about this that they changed the policy.

And perhaps this is why Microsoft makes the people who buy Windows jump through the hoops that they do.

Were Windows to be more competitively priced, I'd suspect more people would be willing to go out and actually buy it than find ways to bootleg or warez it. I'm sure there is a lot more economics to it than the if you charged 140 dollars and sold it to 2 million people vs. if you charge 70 dollars for it and sell it to 4 million people but I'm way off topic as it is and know little about economics.

Yeah if you call Microsoft and tell them the situation they will most likely give you a new key. Just make sure you tell them it's only going on 1 PC.

Same here. They're actually pretty nice about it.

It isn't the few thousand people in the US that get pirated copies that they are concerned with, it is the several million in china where they have little legal recourse against that the hoops are in the software for. Anyway.. I didn't say that I pirate, its called MSDN. The company pays for it, not me.

I didn't mean to infer you were a SW pirate, just that it is like a lock on a door. It only keeps an honest man honest. Those willing to find a way will overcome whatever Microsoft comes up with and from time to time others will have hoops to jump through to use something they have every right to use.

Call the 800 number provided on the website when you try to validate, key in the product ID, the message will tell you that you have to get transferred, give the guy or girl from India the product key again, they will ask if it was purchased or as part of a computer purchase, tell them you purchased it and are re-installing or installing for the first time and they will give you the 48 digit (I think 48 digit) code and tell you to have a nice day. Easy as pie. I won't go this route if it was a key I found online, but if you bought it they'll take care of you.
This was said before, but MS really doesn't seem to be out to screw you, they just make you waste 5 minutes on the phone.

Yeah, reactivate over the phone. I have had to do it a few times recently because of hardware changes. It is never a hassle.

One time Windows de-activated just because I dislodged the NIC in transit. Its kinda screwy.

Hah, calling them doesn't do any good. I've had multiple cases from friends I know that upgrade hardware often. They have only used the license on 1 machine at a time. MS told them they needed to purchase a new license because it was activated to many times.

Sorry, but for that reason, I will not, in my personal life, ever purchase windows. When it's not my money and it's my companies money, sure I'll buy.

Another thing that bugs me is I have 2 XP Home licenses and 1 MCE license from laptop's I have purchased over the years. The manufactures never send out a "clean" reinstall disk (one without HP/Compaq/Dell's bloated bullshit). Why can't I use that perfectly valid license on a regular copy of Home or MCE? Piracy is just easier in this case.

I find it interesting that so many people have had problems. I have reinstalled my XP probably 20 times MINIMU due to hardware upgrades, etc.. and have NEVER had a problem re-activating it durring installation, even after SP2 is reinstalled as well..... Am I just one of the lucky ones?

I dunno - I find calling them a pain in the ass. Whenever I re-install I have to call them again and talk to another person. I have 3 comps and 3 copies of XP and yet I still have to call each time. In fact my most recent machine the code got invalidated after no hardware changes and the copy was only 30 days old.

The new code they give you won't work the next time you reinstall. Just that once even if it is the same machine etc. It pisses me off.