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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → Vista licensing restrictions are relaxed
Vista licensing restrictions are relaxed
2006-11-03, 10:33 AM #1
http://www.gottabemobile.com/CommentView,guid,00c6660a-ba82-4faf-92f7-885c4188577c.aspx

Quote:
Microsoft’s initial licensing policies for Windows Vista upset a pretty vocal constituency: PC and hardware enthusiasts. The original policies restricted you to a one time reassignment of the license from one machine to another, or if you upgraded enough specific components within the machine. According to Microsoft this was aimed at combating piracy. But folks smelled a real gotcha here and where upset and expressed those concerns with quite a bit of volume. Well, Microsoft heard the outcry and has revised the license terms. Now an end user can transfer a license from one computer to another or make upgrades with a few conditions.

Ed Bott who has been following this has clear description of the terms here. And you can read more about it on the newly updated Windows Vista Team Blog.


Quote:
  • If you purchase a new computer with Windows Vista preinstalled, or if you build your own PC using an OEM version of Windows, this change doesn't affect you. Your copy is locked to that PC and cannot be transferred to another.
  • If you purchase a retail copy of Windows Vista and install it on a PC, you can install that same copy on another PC, provided you remove it from the original PC. In this scenario, you may be unable to activate the new copy over the Internet, but you will be able to activate over the phone.
  • You can perform an unlimited number of upgrades to an existing computer running a retail version of Windows Vista. If those upgrades are significant enough to cause the computer to look like a new PC, you'll be required to reactivate within 30 days.
  • This change should resolve one issue associated with the use of Windows Vista in virtual machines as well. Under the newly worded license, you should be able to move a virtual copy of Windows Vista to a new physical hardware without violating the terms of the license agreement, provided that you remove the virtual machine files from the old hardware.


Thank God, I say.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2006-11-03, 10:50 AM #2
OLD NEWZ (I saw it on SA) :v:

But this is good, yes.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2006-11-03, 10:50 AM #3
Eh, I still don't plan on buying it immediately after it comes out, but that's good anyway.
<Lyme> I got Fight Club for 6.98 at walmart.
<Black_Bishop> I am Jack's low price guarantee
2006-11-03, 11:23 AM #4
[quote=Microsoft's nazi lawyers]If you purchase a new computer with Windows Vista preinstalled, or if you build your own PC using an OEM version of Windows, this change doesn't affect you. Your copy is locked to that PC and cannot be transferred to another.[/quote]

How much can you upgrade the system with an OEM version? Video card is probably what people most often change, in addition to HDs... So, do you need to get a new Vista license every time you get a bigger HD (or change a broken one) or get a stronger video card?
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2006-11-03, 11:36 AM #5
Originally posted by lassev:
How much can you upgrade the system with an OEM version? Video card is probably what people most often change, in addition to HDs... So, do you need to get a new Vista license every time you get a bigger HD (or change a broken one) or get a stronger video card?

Baaad.

This is how people get computers in the first place.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2006-11-03, 12:19 PM #6
Originally posted by JediGandalf:
Baaad.

This is how people get computers in the first place.


Maybe I've a particularly low level of consciousness today, but I've no idea what you meant, if your post was some sort of an answer...
Frozen in the past by ICARUS
2006-11-03, 12:24 PM #7
Isn't that the way XP works now?
2006-11-03, 12:27 PM #8
Debian has also updated its licensing terms recently. The new terms allow unlimited installs on an unlimited number of machines. This is a change from the old terms, which only allowed you to install to an unlimited number of times to an unlimited number of machines.


I, for one, am glad.
And when the moment is right, I'm gonna fly a kite.
2006-11-03, 12:30 PM #9
I, for one, prefer the OS that lets me run all the software I want.

Running Linux is like driving a car with the steering wheel on the right.
2006-11-03, 12:31 PM #10
That doesn't make any sense.
2006-11-03, 12:32 PM #11
So how do we get around this one?
ᵗʰᵉᵇˢᵍ๒ᵍᵐᵃᶥᶫ∙ᶜᵒᵐ
ᴸᶥᵛᵉ ᴼᵑ ᴬᵈᵃᵐ
2006-11-03, 12:57 PM #12
the only thing that you can't upgrade with the oem version will be the mobo. you can still upgrade hd, video, and ram just fine.

and that's how it works with dell PCs now. you can't use the OEM dell version of XP with a normal mobo. it just reboots when you try and boot from cd.
gbk is 50 probably

MB IS FAT
2006-11-03, 1:37 PM #13
I don't get this whole Windows licensing thing. I had used up all my internet activations from formatting and whatnot so I had to call it in. The guy just asked me why I was reinstalling Windows and if I had only used it on one machine. Like...what's the point?
COUCHMAN IS BACK BABY
2006-11-03, 2:10 PM #14
I can't believe you guys are cheering at the fact that you "get" to call microsoft every time you do a decent upgrade to your computer. The fact that people are okay with this simply baffles me. When they announced mandatory "activation" for Windows XP, I made the switch to Linux and I've been there ever since. If games start coming out requiring XP or Vista, I guess I'll be completely screwed, because I have no intention of giving microsoft the right to tell me whether or not I'm allowed to continue to use software I already bought.
2006-11-03, 2:17 PM #15
Originally posted by lassev:
Maybe I've a particularly low level of consciousness today, but I've no idea what you meant, if your post was some sort of an answer...

Most people purchase computers via Dell or Gateway or through some bloke's garage shop. Therefore windows will be preinstalled.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2006-11-03, 2:26 PM #16
Quote:
because I have no intention of giving microsoft the right to tell me whether or not I'm allowed to continue to use software I already bought.


I think you're making a bigger deal about it than it really is...it takes about five minutes. The guy says "how come you've been activating windows so much?" and you say "hard disk format". Then he says "is your copy of Windows only being used on a single computer?" and you say "yes." And then he gives you the activation code.

I don't understand why Microsoft even bothers given that we're all operating on the honour system here, but it certainly isn't a problem.
COUCHMAN IS BACK BABY
2006-11-03, 2:28 PM #17
I think you can save the info from a prevous install and restore it to bypass the process, I can't remember.
$do || ! $do ; try
try: command not found
Ye Olde Galactic Empire Mission Editor (X-wing, TIE, XvT/BoP, XWA)
2006-11-03, 2:58 PM #18
a friend of mine got berated by one of the windows activation guys. he'd just upgraded his mobo and processor, and when he called to activate the guy was all like "maybe, you should stop ****ing pirating windows, you degenerate freeloader."

he may be a degenerate freeloader, but he paid full price for his copy of windows, cause he didnt want to deal with that kind of crap.

stupid MS.

i've still got my student copy of XP from 02, that cost me 10$, so i'm happy. haven't had to talk to anyone about activation, just the swutting machine that you have to read numbers to.
My girlfriend paid a lot of money for that tv; I want to watch ALL OF IT. - JM
2006-11-03, 3:40 PM #19
Fairly old news. I'm not surprised--it would've been a death sentence to MS if they did that. Crackers would've worked harder and a lot more people would've been like "Hay culd u get me that new windowz" to their buddies, who would've been more than happy to oblige.
D E A T H
2006-11-03, 3:57 PM #20
When's it coming out? I want a student discounted version.
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