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Activation server fiddling on day of monthly update... really? Microsoft has said that activation errors seen by Windows 7 users should not be chalked up to Tuesday's patch, but rather were an entirely different cockup.Windows Activation Technologies is the Jiminy Cricket of Windows 7, chirping at you if it thinks you might not be paying for your licensing. Combining Jiminy with the Key Management Service (KMS) on Windows 7, as many enterprise customers likely do (even though Microsoft wishes they wouldn't), hasn't caused too many headaches.Until this week.A tweak to the Activation Servers saw happily licensed Windows 7 users suddenly...

Howdy FReepers. I found a vendor (a legitimate one) in the UK that sells the license for MS Office 2016. The way it works is that they send you the download link at the MS web site and download the installation sofware (I've seen the download page before, so I know it's real). Then, when you purchase, they send you the product key. My question: is there any reason why a UK-generated product key would *not* work on software installed on a US computer?

Readers routinely ask me whether it’s still possible to clean install Windows 10 with an unused Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 product key. Over two years after Microsoft first enabled this functionality, the answer is a resounding yes.And I can think of a number of reasons why one might need to do so.As noted, Microsoft first introduced this capability over two years ago, and in doing so it erased what had been one of the early install/activation issues with the then-new Windows 10.Almost a year later, I reported that this capability—which was supposed to be temporary, by the way–still worked....

Two researchers have found a way to bypass the Apple Activation Lock on both iPhones and iPads, running the two most recent versions of iOS, 10.1 and 10.1.1.

Microsoft advises you to sweat it out MICROSOFT is warning customers that their free upgrade to Windows 10 may complete but not be activated for several days. A statement on the company website advises customers to "wait a few days and try again or just leave it and let it activate on its own. The activation servers might be overwhelmed." The advice is hollow succour for those who, perhaps less tech-savvy, want the reassurance of knowing that they definitely have a working Windows. Microsoft revealed just a day after the launch of Windows 10 that the OS has already been...

Ran into a Win 7 PC problem today. I got a 'Win Activation Notice from Microsoft, telling me that my copy of Windows was not legitimate. Now my PC was running the same Win 7 copy that came preloaded on my PC from Toshiba, and I made sure it was activated within 24 hours of receiving it. I also have been running McAffee Security suite on it the entire time. On the Win Autehtication notice was a link to test my copy. I ran the software, and *It* was talling me my OS copy was illegitimate. I knew this not...

A federal court on Tuesday reversed an earlier ruling that Microsoft's product activation technology infringed on another company's patent, overturning a $388 million verdict in the case. In a ruling on Tuesday, the court vacated the earlier decision and decided the case in Microsoft's favor. "We are pleased that the court has vacated the jury verdict and entered judgment in favor of Microsoft," Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz said in a statement. Tuesday's ruling is the latest twist in a case that has had plenty of them. Microsoft initially won a summary judgment ruling, which would have ended the case in...

Windows Vista can be run for at least a year without being activated, a serious end run around one of Microsoft's key antipiracy measures, Windows expert Brian Livingston said Thursday. Livingston, who publishes the Windows Secret newsletter, said that a single change to Vista's registry lets users put off the operating system's product activation requirement an additional eight times beyond the three disclosed last month. With more research, said Livingston, it may even be possible to find a way to postpone activation indefinitely. "The [activation] demands that Vista puts on corporate buyers is much more than on XP," said Livingston....

Microsoft always says it opposes "software pirates" who sell thousands of unauthorized copies of Windows. But the Redmond company has made things a lot easier for pirates by adding a line to the Registry that can be changed from 0 to 1 to postpone the need to "activate" Vista indefinitely. Activation doesn't stop true software piracy As most Windows users know, Microsoft has required "product activation" since the release of Windows XP in 2001. XP must be activated by communicating with servers in Redmond within 30 days of installation. By contrast, Microsoft Office XP, 2003, and 2007 require activatation before...

How to Reinstall Windows XP Without Having to Reactivate With Microsoft To tell you the truth, I have never understood what the big deal is with product activation. The fact of the matter is that software piracy is fairly rampant and that Microsoft is the target for a large percentage of the piracy due to their dominance in the operating system and office productivity software markets. They have a right to try to stop or at least control that privacy and the product activation seems to be a fair way of ensuring that only legitimate software owners get to benefit...

Microsoft is closing a loophole that enabled unscrupulous resellers to use Windows XP product keys that were stolen from large OEMs. The result: customers who purchase Windows on a new PC will not be able to activate, nor reinstall their operating system without first calling Microsoft.