Well there goes Windows

[slimdog360]

I dont know where to start so I'll explain a bit first. Windows saw my copy of windows as illegal so I tried changing the cd key three times, two a legal cd keys another illegal (I must say that I dont endorse theft of anything but was frustrated so I tried this to get it working). To change the cd key I installed that WGA crap, NEVER INSTALL IT, no matter what I did it wouldnt go away. I tried all the removal tools available but none worked fully.

Anyway it gave me 30 days to buy it again, obviously I chose not too do this, and so just now while trying to boot into windows it gave me two choices, either buy windows again or shut down. That was it, I cant start windows at all. Ive had it up to here *raises hand really high* with this crap so now Ive decided its got to go. Ill try to mount the drive and see if I can get anything off of it, but then Im formatting the drive and installing linux.

I suppose I will keep a small section of my second hard drive free just in case I desperatly need to use windows. At which point I may install windows illegal or not.

If I ever meet the person who thought up that WGA crap I'll shove my copy of windows straight up his/her ***.

Moral of the story NEVER INSTALL THE WGA SOFTWARE

[Rhapsody]

My choice to stop using Windows was back when Windows Vista was still called Longhorn, and I saw the potential for trusted computing in it. I certainly did not like that, so I decided I was not going to use Longhorn. End of the road.

Of course, I couldn't stay with Windows XP forever, so I decided on Ubuntu. I've since moved from Kubntu 5.10 to 6.06, and killed off my Windows partition in the process. Now I can keep going without fear.

[newbie2]

"Windows XP EULA in Plain English" page in which each section of the current Windows XP Home EULA is printed side-by-side with a clear explanation of what it means. Given the fact that most of us have "agreed" to it or a very similar Microsoft EULA, the LinuxAdvocate's analysis is definitely worth reading. But the plain English description of one section in particular caught my eye.
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/69023/index.html
:twisted:

[taurus]

If I paid my hard earn money for it and it is giving me crap, I would call up MicroSuck and let them HAVE it!!! I don't care if they call the FBI after my phone call...

[grte]

If I paid my hard earn money for it and it is giving me crap, I would call up MicroSuck and let them HAVE it!!! I don't care if they call the FBI after my phone call...

Please don't do this. That guy on the other end of the line? Just some poor schmuck trying to earn a paycheque. Helpdesk is awful enough without this kind of crap.

Send an angry letter to the corporate offices, instead.

[gruvsyco]

I've installed WGA on both my PC and my roommates... I've had to reauth his license 2 times via phone with absolutely no problems at all other than the inconvenience of a 2-5 minute phone call.

[DoctorMO]

I've never seen WGA, it's like some forein thing right? last windows version I used to any length was windows 98 and after trying to get some elses windows computer to work with a wireless dongle tonight (failed since 3Com and Windows XP don't like each other) I know why I moved on from windows in the first place. at least if the dongle didn't work with Linux I could _make_ a driver for it.

I must be stronger in rejecting pleads for help from windows users.

[Shay Stephens]

I've installed WGA on both my PC and my roommates... I've had to reauth his license 2 times via phone with absolutely no problems at all other than the inconvenience of a 2-5 minute phone call.

What happens when they stop giving out permission to run the software so liberally? You are handing over to them the right to tell you when you can run the software and when you can't. Once you give away your autonomy, authoritarian control is inevitable.

You are also playing into their hands to convert everyone over into a rental scheme, where the OS is controlled remotely by them and you merely rent time on the computer. Back to the future, some would say, with the old server/dumb-terminal model.

[Virogenesis]

what prevents you from asking for your money back surely, if the product is no good and is unusable then you'd be able to get a refund.
Yes you have the EULA but that wouldn't stand up in court as its a prewrapped contract, a contract you need to agree to and how can you agree if the contract isn't in front of you.

[H.E. Pennypacker]

slimdog, there's nothing to worry about. Your files should still be intact, although you can't log into Windows. Lots of people recommend the use of Linux (more specifically Knoppix, but Knoppix is not required) to "save" all those files.

You can download a Ubuntu Live CD, copy all the files, and transfer them to a newly created partition. You definitely won't find Ubuntu asking for a key!

[Polygon]

its interestering that some computers are getting flagged as illegal copies when they are actually legal ones. There is most likely a pattern to this. Like for example, i installed the wga stuff ( it just automatically downloaded and installed) and i havent had any problems so far.

cant you just reinstall windows and NOT update?

[BoHu]

Windows 2000 was the last version of winders that I used. I bought one copy at US$300 and installed it on 2 machines. I refused to upgrade to XP because of that "product activation" nonsense. I knew I couldn't stay with win2k forever so I started piddling (read: dual-booting) with linux and finally went Windows-free in 2004.

[K.Mandla]

I can sympathize, in a roundabout way. I just realized the other day that Fable: The Lost Chapters will only run under Windows XP. Seems like it is hard wired to crash under any other version.

And guess who publishes Fable TLC? You guessed it. ...

[missmoondog]

i had an issue trying to get a system i acquired, to load windows about a year ago. i had the brand new, unopened xp pro box in my hand. got it installed, went to the update site and got the wga thing, and poof, said the copy was illegal. now, either circuit city is selling pirated stuff, or that wga thing is really screwed up. that was when i decided linux and kubuntu were for me. now, i have 4 windows-less, and 1 dual boot (only so i can use my visioneer scanner) systems.

[jpkotta]

If you haven't figured out how to get your files: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MountingWindowsPartitions

I ditched Windows when I got my first computer, because then no one else cared when I screwed it up. Linux is just more fun. After the WMF vulnerability (*cough* backdoor! *cough*) in Jan 2006, I really don't feel comfortable using any Microsoft OS.

[Mihkal]

I've heard about many problems with this wga program
(inluding my friend who had to buy a second licence)

I won't be surprised if vista comes with some form of a dongle

either that or microsoft will link your windows licence
with your social security number in america:(

[Dr. C]

I won't be surprised if vista comes with some form of a dongle


Windows XP already does. The whole idea behind product activation and WGA is to turn the entire computer into a "dongle"

[jason.b.c]

:confused: What's a dongle....????:confused:

I'll never install vista...!! Screw vista...

[Shay Stephens]

A dongle is a hardware device that connects to one of the ports (serial, USB, etc) and without the dongle in place you can't run the software. It's kind of like a key. They are outrageous, and I have always steadfastly refused to do business with such outfits that impose such draconian restrictions.

Just imagine if every software title required that. You would run out of space for dongles ](*,)

Say no to DRM and dongles!!! ;)

[ice60]

hi, i don't use windows so i haven't used this. i can say that i trust gkweb - the person who coded this.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=135257

btw, it only works with genuine versions of windows.

[Carrots171]

This is the very nature of proprietary software products that require keys and dongles. It's already annoying enough to scavenge around for a key you've misplaced or to plug a dongle into your computer every time you want to use a particular piece of software - but when things go wrong, you may end up unable to use the software or even the entire computer itself if it invovles the OS. Same thing with music and high definition DVD's. It can be really annoying dealing with all the restrictions put onto DRM'ed music. In the future, you may have to buy a new video card and monitor to watch a movie using your new blu-ray or HD-DVD drive. How annoying is that? This has always been a problem with software that uses keys/dongles/DRM/etc, and probably always will be.

[slimdog360]

hi, i don't use windows so i haven't used this. i can say that i trust gkweb - the person who coded this.
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=135257

btw, it only works with genuine versions of windows.

This is one of the things I tried but it didnt work. I think it didnt work because I used 'highjack this' to get rid of it. Which did delete something but not all of it.
I think I'll try ringing them up (one day), I thought that they didnt offer this and were going to make me buy it again.

[Blondie]

Windows XP already does. The whole idea behind product activation and WGA is to turn the entire computer into a "dongle"

That's true. If you change too many pieces of hardware inside your PC then XP activation will fail and you have to phone Microsoft to explain that you're not a pirate using it on more than one PC.

[Mihkal]

Originally Posted by Blondie

Originally Posted by FineE View Post
Windows XP already does. The whole idea behind product activation and WGA is to turn the entire computer into a "dongle"

That's true. If you change too many pieces of hardware inside your PC then XP activation will fail and you have to phone Microsoft to explain that you're not a pirate using it on more than one PC.


so basically everytime anyone installs a new graphics card that
person will need to call big broth... I mean microsoft to get installed legally?:-k

[Lord Illidan]

This summer, I tried to re-install Windows. I have an original copy, but apparently, I have been installing it too many times..

Activation didn't work. So I went to a hassle filled process of changing my key, etc...downloading cracks, filling my machine with spyware in the process..

And now, XP has started to act up again...but you know what... I don't care...I only used XP for 2 things - games and Turbo Pascal.

Games... now I play only Tremulous.. and I love it
Turbo Pascal ... DosBox!!

[Blondie]

so basically everytime anyone installs a new graphics card that
person will need to call big broth... I mean microsoft to get installed legally?:-k

Not quite as bad as that. There's a kind of points system (http://news.com.com/2100-1001-273437.html).