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Windows Vista OEM Activation count


gentoobox

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Hi.

I just bought Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM, but I have not yet activated it, because I don't know if there is an activation count.

Do you know if there is such a thing in this edition of Windows Vista? I would become broke if there is since I reinstall often and don't have any money (I'm a 6'th year student)

By the way, can it list the netowork workgroups? Windows XP Pro had a "View Workgroup" like inside my network places, but I can't seem to find it in Vista"

Edited by gentoobox
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i beleive that you can reinstall unlimited times as long as it is on the same motherboard. but each time you will probably have to call MS to activate it over the phone.

as for the second question, click start menu, then network

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i beleive that you can reinstall unlimited times as long as it is on the same motherboard. but each time you will probably have to call MS to activate it over the phone.

as for the second question, click start menu, then network

That's stupid... Sorry, but I really think that it's stupid. Think about it, it would be easier for me to just crack the activation of Vista and never worry about it again. But HEY, when you buy the crap they make you jump on their command.

Well, guess i need to call Microsoft a few times, if it costs me anything, I will remove the activation.

About the second thing: Well, yes.... The first place I looked was in network. It's nowhere to be found. I only get a list of computers, but only see about 10. Some from other workgroups than myself. I'm in a network with 500 other people, i should be able to see more than 10 :) Just like I do in Windows XP and Gentoo Linux.

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Think about it, it would be easier for me to just crack the activation of Vista and never worry about it again.

um yeah because activation cracks are a 'set it and forget it' type of technology. If you apply a crack and get your serial blacklisted a call to MS isnt gonna fix it. If you reinstall often you need to:

1. See if your school provides Vista through an MCA agreement which is a VLK version which are much less likely to have activation issues from hardware changes/reinstalls.

2. If that option is not available, there are ways to backup your activation info (at least there was in XP) though i havent had the need to in Vista

Whatever you choose, please do not discuss cracking software anymore. that sort of stuff is frowned upon here.

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I thought vlk copies of vista were even more of a pain in the a**, since it re-acitvates automatically via the KMS server every 180 days?

but yeah, I hear you can back up your activation reliably in vista nowadays. I like the backup feature in ultimate though. took ms long enough to make their own ghost..

Edited by anoxan
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I thought vlk copies of vista were even more of a pain in the a**, since it re-acitvates automatically via the KMS server every 180 days?

but yeah, I hear you can back up your activation reliably in vista nowadays. I like the backup feature in ultimate though. took ms long enough to make their own ghost..

thats a possibility (the kms headaches) ive just been using MAK keys on machines that arent on domain and machines that are on domain are all permanently fixed so if they saw 180 days off the network, theyve prolly been stolen anyways. :angry: either way

dealing with activation every 180 days > cracking windows and dealing with broken windows at who knows what interval

but yeah id say backup your reg if you can do it reliably on Vista but if your reinstalling so frequently to set of a 20 install limit, something ain't right.

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i have a similar question but mine concerns retail vista. i recently bought a previously activated vista of a for sale forum and figured i would have to call microsoft to get it activated. to my surprise when i installed it it activated no troubles at all. and again to my surprise i was able to get a retail image of vista with service pack 1 integrated into it and reformatted again and activated it a second time with no trouble at all. this totaly shocked me, is the activation different for retail vista then say retail XP?

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i have a similar question but mine concerns retail vista. i recently bought a previously activated vista of a for sale forum and figured i would have to call microsoft to get it activated. to my surprise when i installed it it activated no troubles at all. and again to my surprise i was able to get a retail image of vista with service pack 1 integrated into it and reformatted again and activated it a second time with no trouble at all. this totaly shocked me, is the activation different for retail vista then say retail XP?

well assuming the original purchaser only installed and activated 1 time and you have activated twice that still only put you at 3 activations (2 of which have identical hardware) so its not really that surprising that you havent been classified as non genuine. WGA doesnt have the hair trigger that the slashdot community thinks it does. WGA will occasionally prevent casual piracy but thats not its primary focus.

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you can reinstall it as many times as you want without having to call Microsoft.

I've reinstalled about 20 times without calling them, just as long as it is the same motherboard.

Tell them your mobo fried and took the cpu with it.

I did, and upgraded from socket A to 939, same ram a video card though..

Edited by kartel
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you can reinstall it as many times as you want without having to call Microsoft.

I've reinstalled about 20 times without calling them, just as long as it is the same motherboard.

Tell them your mobo fried and took the cpu with it.

I did, and upgraded from socket A to 939, same ram a video card though..

yep, I know that to.

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I thought vlk copies of vista were even more of a pain in the a**, since it re-acitvates automatically via the KMS server every 180 days?

but yeah, I hear you can back up your activation reliably in vista nowadays. I like the backup feature in ultimate though. took ms long enough to make their own ghost..

thats a possibility (the kms headaches) ive just been using MAK keys on machines that arent on domain and machines that are on domain are all permanently fixed so if they saw 180 days off the network, theyve prolly been stolen anyways. :angry: either way

dealing with activation every 180 days > cracking windows and dealing with broken windows at who knows what interval

but yeah id say backup your reg if you can do it reliably on Vista but if your reinstalling so frequently to set of a 20 install limit, something ain't right.

By the way geek, howdy from a fellow Okie

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