MS License Agreement

[Dave Schwartz]

This may make me sound like a professional Microsoft basher (up to now I have been an amateur), but I can't help it.

Get this:

MS says that all the XP products are licensed to a MACHINE and not a user. Furthermore, if you stop using that machine, you must purchase a new product.

Now, watch how this works... You purchase Office XP Pro at a cost of several hundred dollars. 12 months later you decide to upgrade the motherboard, hard drive, etc. Your Office XP will not run because it is not the same system anymore. You have to go purchase a new Office XP!

People, you need to be as outraged at this as I am.


Regards,
Dave Schwartz

PS: Originally posted at HorseStreet's BBS.

[ranchwest]

Under copyright law, you are supposed to be able to choose either having the software tied to a machine or having the software tied to a user. In nearly all cases it is impractical to have the software tied to a user, since you'd have to be able to prove that only that user was using the software on all of the machines it was on. Under no cases can the software be in use on two machines at once (unless you have a multi-user license).

Under the law, you can install software on a new machine, provided you remove the software from the old machine.

Of course, with most MS software, you'll probably have to install it weekly to keep it working, no matter what machine it is.

[Trijack]

With 2 computers in the home, I refuse to play that game witH MS but there are ways around this. My son and his friends are always finding ways to beat MS and their one software to one computer.

[Tim]

Guys,

I agree the method MS is using to prevent piracy is terrible. That said, read the fine print.

1) Your software license gives you the right to install and validate a XP product on two machines at the same time.

2) If you lose your validation because of hardware/software modifications, just validate the product again. It works, I had to do it after I had to rebuild a machine.(3 times before the damm thing was stable)

I know it's a pain in the ass to do it this way.

Tim

[Dave Schwartz]

Tim,

The issue is what happens when the machine changes and no longer qualifies as "being the same machine."

I had an interesting conversation with a guy who said that when that happens you have to call MS and "talk them into" allowing you to re-register. The entire process took him over 3 hours on the telephone. For many people it would not be worth the 3-hr wait.

The upshot of my conversation with him was that MS refused to give him a new registration even though he insisted it was the same machine (but with different disk drive, upgraded processor, etc.).

Apparently there are 10 things they track and at least 4 of them must be the same. He upgraded too many things at one time.

Dave

[BillW]

It's tough being a "not a monopoly". Once you have gotten money from everybody, the only way to increase revenue is to get more from each customer. I am glad my computer usage does not require or warrant MS products, you guys/gals have my sympathy.

Bill W.

PS. The way MS is setting up their new SW, they will already know that you have that new disk drive, it will not be required that you explain that to them while begging for a dispensation on the EULA.

[Tom]

Billy Gates is totally without ethics. He has stifled the computer/software industry through thoroughly unethical business practices for years. Now, at long last, other operating systems are begining to break through so Billy's new ploy is this totally unacceptable practice. I have no doubt Billy wants every dollar in the world and will stop at nothing to get them all. None of MS prosducts are really developed and none ever will be. Dave, I don't bash MS, I bash Gates personally - the biggest pig in the business world. There is no way I will ever buy another MS product....I am on my last computer as far as I am concerned. ME, XP, 2000, whatever it is is is junk and not worth a cent. I have 98SE and it is by far the worst piece of s**t I ever owned. I only hope that clearer minds will prevail and this little worm of a man will have MS dismantled and taken away from him. To everyone out there who has "stolen" MS software, more power to you. Cyber justice is sweet. Billy and his company are totally irresponsible with their complete ignorance of security. Once again, as a conservative, I find myself on the side of liberals in that this is case where the government needs to intervene and level out the playing field because a big, powerful, bad guy is stealing from the little guys. Too bad we have a corrupt money grabbing bunch in the white house now and they will probably roll over on this one.
The idea the Billy-boy is tracking 10 things on our computers reminds me of a pathetic little eunich peaking in little girls 'bedroom windows at night, drooling and worse. What a sickening little shell of a man.

Tom

[JesseV!!!]

http://www.redhat.com/software/linux/7-2_professional.html

Fight back!
JesseV!!!
5lb. Bug:D

[Tim]

Dave,

The guy must have had other problems. The second internet validation is accepted even if the software is installed on a different computer. On the third validation attempt I had to call. Thc entire phone call took about 15 minutes. The ms guy asked for a couple of things(cd key, etc...) and gave me an authorization code. I didn't have any trouble.

By the way, did the guy you had the conversation with sound like Tom? If so that would explain a lot.

When I think back to what it was like in 1983 (connecting to Bris on a 4 mhz IBM XT with 64k of memory and a 1200 baud modem. The computer cost about $4,000 and the Telnet connection cost 10c a minute.) and think about now (2ghz computers with 512 meg of memory connected to everything at 1.5mb, 3 different track feeds and a live tote all running at the same time) I find it hard to bitch about the money people make providing me with this stuff. Sure I wish the hardware, software and data were cheaper, but what the hell, it could be worse, if I didn't have a setup like this I probably would have to get a real job.

Tim

[Dave Schwartz]

Tim,

Boy, do I like your attitude. You must be a software dveloper. <G>

Dave

[charleslanger]

i've also heard that when you buy a new system that is OEM pre-assembled, xp is pre-installed and pre-registered; validation process is not used or ever required. Similarly you can purchase a corporate xp version which also never requires validation no matter how often you re-install or upgrade hardware, and that to qualify for this you need only show you have purchased any 5 ms products in the past.

[Tom]

Originally posted by Tim
Dave,


By the way, did the guy you had the conversation with sound like Tom? If so that would explain a lot.


Tim


Ouch! That hurt! :eek: :eek:
~G~
Tom

[GameTheory]

I have not read the fine print, but I heard that you could change machines, but only every 6 months or so...

[boxcar]

Hey, Tom, I'm very relieved to see two faces that aren't red this time. This positive sight might indicate a sharp drop in your blood pressure. Keep up the good work.

Boxcar:D :D :D

[Schlagman]

I have Office XP installed on my laptop, which is now my main computer. When I tried installing it also on my old desktop that I use as a backup, it told me that it would only work on that machine 60 days without being verified. When I tried to verify it there, I was told I had already verified the software on another machine and that I was SOL.

[Tom]

That should be the motto of Microsoft....SOL.

Tom