Activating Vista

[Uberg]

Well... it won't let me activate Vista. Unlike XP, you can only install Vista once. If you reinstall it, it says you have already used the product key!

Is there anyway around this? I think its highly unfair that i had Vista for a total of two or three months, then unknowingly reinstall and Microsoft try to get me to buy another copy!

Edit: I'm talking about the activation AFTER you install it.

 

[peterhuang913]

Call the number and explain it to them...

 

[Nick]

ok i have reinstalled vista countless times (5 lol) anyway I have been able to activate it via the internet everytime

 

[KSoD]

I have installed VIsta about 30 times with the same serial. No problems activating it here.

The real question is did you change any hardware? If you did that is why you cant activate Vista again. Vista is more picky about the hardware used for activation than XP was. A change in your GFX card will prompt for a re-activation. This will be easy to do over the net without any hassle. But if you get a new CPU and Mobo then that is a different story. M$ stated last year that a new CPU and mobo constitutes a new PC and therefor a new license is in order. So if you put together a new PC then that is why Vista is saying you cant activate.

So there should be a number to call. Give M$ a call and tell them your HDD crashed and you had to isntall Vista again. They should give you the code for activation.

Also OEM copies of Vista are acticate once only. Retail are 3 just like XP was. MSDN and TechNet keys are for 10 activations.

 

[Uberg]

Yeah, i bought a new motherboard and processor... still seems VERY out of order.

Can i just leave it unactivated? I mean everything works fine... or is there a time limit? I'll give them a call and see what they can do.

 

[peterhuang913]

There should be a time limit. Calling them and tell them that you need it activated. They'll be glad to help you.

 

[KSoD]

Yeah, i bought a new motherboard and processor... still seems VERY out of order.

Can i just leave it unactivated? I mean everything works fine... or is there a time limit? I'll give them a call and see what they can do.

There is a time limit of 30 Days. That is why it is always good to know the EULA before you install. The new CPU and new Mobo article is jsut about a year old now.

It isnt out of order cause the newer builds of XP that have been compiled after that article were released also state this as well. Even XP asked for activation if the hardware profile was different than the one originally activated with.

In all respects M$ has every right to do this. Cause in the truth a new CPU and mobo is a new PC. Cause without those 2 things there would be no PC. You can change out the other components with no problem. It is just those 2 items that prompt for a new license.

If you tell the call center that you got a new mobo and CPU they will tell you that you have to buy a new license which means to buy Vista again.

 

[EricB]

I took my new dfi mobo back to microcenter because my media center tv tuner would have issues with it. I got a new mobo (gigabyte). I installed vista and forgot about it and went back to my xp side. it is a few week later and I go back to vista to activate it and every activating option is gone. it looks like it activated itself.

how can I verify this?

 

[KSoD]

Right click on Computer. That will bring up the System Properties. From there it will show if Vista has been activated or not.

 

[mssssee2]

There should be a time limit. Calling them and tell them that you need it activated. They'll be glad to help you.

I'm not sure if they'll be so glad.