Product Activation Policy?

[Atodini]

So here's the scenario.

Built a new PC for a customer, Antec case & PSU, Abit VA10 Mobo, Sempron 2600cpu, 512DDR 2700, 80gb Seagate, Pioneer 108 etc.

Cracked open a brand new OEM copy of XP (SP1) home, installed, affixed COA & activated.

Installed chipset driver & video driver. During install of audio driver computer blue screens and reboots - tries to boot to network.

Restarted and found that hard drive is not being detected by bios. Further checks proved that logic board had gone on hard drive (burnt chip) so replaced with a new, identical unit. (thankful for Seagates 5 year warranty!!)

Re-installed XP home, went to activate and was given the message that "records indicate that you have exceeded the number of activations for this copy"!!!!!

Phoned the Microsoft hotline and re-activated it over the phone, no problem, but....

This has never happened to me before (not the component failure, the activation thing). I was always under the impression that you had a certain number of re-activations to allow for parts replacements and upgrades.

I must in the past, have needed to re-activate the same copy of XP during the initial build, but I've never needed to phone in before. I will say though, that the process was free and very quick so full marks to MS there.

Speaking to the very helpful Microsoft tech revealed that he was unaware of any change of policy by MS in this area, but he did confirm that over the last few months, phone activations have increased a hell of a lot.

So does anybody know if MS have changed their policy? Or are they going through an anti-piracy excercise at the moment?

As stated above, this copy was brand-new and sealed, number 8 of a pack of 10, and had only ever been activated the once.

Incidentally, PC was fine thereafter, passed burn-in and has now been delivered to the customer.

John

[TripleRLtd]

So does anybody know if MS have changed their policy? Or are they going through an anti-piracy excercise at the moment?

No change in policy that I know of. They are as active as ever, if not more so, about piracy.
I pride myself on never having to call mfg tech support (especially MS ), so, when I have had to call MS about this exact reactivation thing, they have indeed been "easy", as it should be. It's all about the hardware change. So, having to call them when all is legit, should be easy.


ps
Hey John, what's up with the Lawro site? Games played days ago show up as "In Play" and nothing is being updated. What's up? Is it siesta time in England?