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Time:
16:25 EST/21:25 GMT | News Source:
ZDNet |
Posted By: Robert Stein |
Microsoft is making a concerted effort to counter the perception by many in the industry that Windows Vista is floundering, 100 days after launch.
On May 8, company officials shared (via a phone call) new data on the Vista "ecosystem" to prove the company's contention that Vista is more market-ready than any previous version of Windows.
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#1 By
23275 (24.179.4.158)
at
5/8/2007 4:59:25 PM
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Ok - ya'll know I am a supporter of Microsoft and I have advocated the use of Vista.
I have written according to that position here many times.
It's all been sincere and based upon what I have seen.
Let me share one horrid and personal experience, as well.
I am a person that respects laws and even though the company I own is a Microsoft Partner
and we have MSDN Universal, as well as Action Pack Subscriptions and within our office we have enough Windows licenses to shingle a mother-flipping roof, I still buy my own personal software for use at home on systems that are not company property.
Ref: Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade, boxed retail, mother-flipping Bill Gates Signature edition, number, 16690 of 25000
Ref: Its Product Key, is valid and it was activated and passed WGA.
Ref: MS Support Case: 1035025982
Upon installing a new copy of Microsoft Digital Imaging Suite Plus, and rebooting as directed, an additional WGA Validation was required.
Upon validating, Vista reported that it was not genuine and went into a reduced functionality mode - complete with Nag screens.
Calls to Microsoft and three escalations later, and there is no resolution because the systems used to generate the product keys that they claim would be needed, are being updated - just like the countless systems we're updating now [guessing here].
So, despite playing by all the rules - even the finest of them.... even Microsoft's biggest supporters get bit squarely and firmly in the private parts by faults in the WGA process and mixes of Microsoft software.
Now, I am sure as these guys get all patched up, they'll issue a new key and all will be fine.
Problem is, I am not a patient man and this should not have happened in the first place.
The second issue is that it appears, that conflicts in differing versions of the WGA code - Vista's and that shipping in various Micrsoft software, caused this issue.
Again, I am not a patient man when it comes to lunacy. I pitched the Vista box in the trash and installed a different key I own. I still had to buy that key, but at least I will not have to learn whatever language the tech [Ganesh - he did try and quite hard, too] speaks natively.
My damn head hurts from mashing the phone into my ear - trying understand the guy.
The point of all of this is that even when one has worked years in this space and been a strong supporter of Microsoft, and played by every rule, one can still get bit by WGA and faults in various products. Now to gow sling some weights and calm down ;)
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#2 By
13030 (198.22.121.110)
at
5/8/2007 5:12:42 PM
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...company officials shared (via a phone call) new data on the Vista "ecosystem" to prove the company's contention that Vista is more market-ready than any previous version of Windows.
Damage control?
#1, I've had problems with serial numbers, product keys, activation codes, and authentication keys with a few products (non-Microsoft more often than not) through the years. WGA and the rest of the these schemes just hurt the legitimate consumer-- the crooks already seem to know where to go for crack codes and cracked software. I suppose they prevent the casual pirate here and there, but the inconvenience to the majority of legitimate users and the fact that the big time crooks aren't slowed at all makes the entire activation process broken in my opinion.
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#3 By
7754 (216.160.8.41)
at
5/8/2007 6:06:29 PM
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one of the top 50 consumer programs: Paws and Claws Pet Vet
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#4 By
20505 (216.102.144.11)
at
5/8/2007 8:37:01 PM
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#1
I feel your pain but just so you know this doesn't mean squat to MS. Why? Because you are not going to change your buying habits because of it.
When these intrusive schemes change people's buying habits then the software/movie/music industry will change.
Parenthetically, I for one have no problem with copy protection as long as I can use content legally and portably. In my neighborhood these industries provide good jobs and bennies.
I would hate to see the rampant pirating that goes on in some countries here in the US.
Intellectual property is real and has value. To discount this fact would be extreemly harmful to most first world countries.
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#5 By
1896 (68.153.171.248)
at
5/8/2007 10:32:02 PM
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WGA is becoming an ossession; I bought, installed with a program key and activate online Office 2007; in spite of this every time I need to download a template for Word or Excel I have to go through the WGA authentication process again and again. It is really gettin on my nerves!
And not that so far... I never had a problem with the activation program; simply put it is not a process that a customer should endure every moment.
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#6 By
23275 (24.179.4.158)
at
5/9/2007 12:03:46 AM
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#5, No kidding. In Vista it did seem to at least get faster - but against that, I have to ammortize all the time I lost during the "Big One" - where very clearly, the install of Digital Imaging Suite Plus contained a lot of older features, subject to older WGA code.
Everywhere up the line, from myself through two Microsoft techs in the U.S., up to a third based in India, each described it the same way: "yes, your copy of Windows is Genuine and it is valid; however, your computer is stuck in a WGA Validation Loop."
Well no kidding, we all agree - how do we show this thing an exit ramp?
Almost hopefully, Microsoft offered that, "under certain circumstances <which we ourselves have no idea of> when a user installs <even our own products>, or new hardware <like a keyboard> Windows will have to be re-validated and on occasion <often> it will create an error <and tank the user's computer>.
The support experience was a nightmare, in that no average user would ever be able to figure out what to do in order to get a Live Meeting Easy Assistance session running. The number and type of COM Client Control warnings, UAC events and software install notifications threw more screen pops than a pre-XP SP2 IE browser session on a Russian porn site - <Here's an idea, how bout I give you the IP, RDP port I've assigned and an admin account - I'll grab a nap, read War and Peace in a few laguages and hit the swells off IB pier in SD and you call me when you get it sorted out>
But no.... I had to attend the damn thing and approve the 11'ty billion UAC events that were beyond the reach of an Easy Assist session. <Well... at least the OS really is secure>
At a few points I had the guy in India laughing - as I started a live blog entry while he was watching the shared screen <Dear, Rat Bastards (Back... Back, Back, Back) Dear, Mr. Gates>
When I started to download and ISO of Ubuntu, he really let out a chuckle <and he thinks I'm kidding...>
Despite the gallows humor, I was furious <le me see here... you're saying the servers that issue product keys are down - being updated, but the servers that judged my system to not be genuine are up, but the same servers are saying it is genuine and because it is genuine and activated but it's not really, that I have to wait until the other servers are up...?!?!?!?!?>
We expect to be able to call you back sometime tomorrow <Fuse? check. Det Cord? check. Timer? check>
But the bottom line remains the same: Criminals large and small caused all this. Thieves <and there is nothing worse> pirates, kids without leadership and good examples, criminal hackers, organized crime and all the people every decent person said we should avoid - they did this and with all that I am, I hate them more than ever. People like me can toss 400 bucks at this - scribe in a post and move on. However, in many places out there, some poor guy is killing himself working three jobs to make sure his kids eat and have access to a PC - and guys like that don't deserve this sort of thing. I used to be that guy - when the kids' mom and I wouldn't eat at all, so the babies could have the best. We'd day dream about having PC's at home and saved for years for a good one. So all kidding and bitching aside, my anger remains for guys like that - and that's the letter I really did send to Mr. Gates.
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#7 By
2960 (24.254.95.224)
at
5/9/2007 2:59:36 PM
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Fritz...
That is my ENTIRE problem with WGA. If MS wants to be paranoid and install more crap on my machine to satisfy their fears, then so be it. But they should INSTALL IT, RUN, VERIFY, AND THEN LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!
This "you must validate" every friggin time I try to do something MS related is pissing me off royaly.
Just DO IT AND BE DONE WITH IT.
Dammit!
TL
This post was edited by TechLarry on Wednesday, May 09, 2007 at 15:00.
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#8 By
23275 (24.179.4.158)
at
5/12/2007 2:38:25 PM
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Update to #1 and #6 above,
Day four of the Windows Vista Ultimate/Digital Imaging Suite Plus WGA Hostage Crisis
First a summary of events since the crisis began with a validated, genuine Vista Ultimate install being taken over by a smaller faction within the same group. The hostage takers identifying themselves as Microsoft Digital Imaging Suite Plus, have offered no reason for their actions and they have made no demands and provided no clear means to reach them for further comment. A spokesman for the group denounced the kidnapping and attributed the actions to a radical cell known only as, "WGA" Little is known about WGA, other than it is reported to have multiple, independent cells that apparently do not communicate with one another or coordinate operations.
The remainder of day one passed without further contact from either the hostage takers, or authorities attempting to negotiate the release of Windows Vista Ultimate install. Day two ended with an email from the hostage negotiators requesting proof of life. Day three of the escalating crisis ended without further contact, though the hostage takers appear to have attempted at least one communication - leaving a so far, unintelligible message that agency analysts are still studying. So far, voice analysis has revealed nothing recognizable.
Day four of the ongoing crisis began as usual, with a flurry of insults being issued by the hostage takers' spokesperson - a non-descript fellow known to officials as, "Nag Screen"
As the day progressed, a spokesperson for the hostage takers radioed in from an unknown remote location and identified herself as, Ms. Yesha Brahmbhatt - [we'll refer to her hereafter as Mrs. B, in order to keep our western spell checkers from running up host processes too high].
Mrs. B is assumed to serve a large number of hostage taking factions, as she had not had time to review demands, or responses from the Victim's family. Mrs. B asked for proof of birth, in response to victim requests for proof of life. The hostage's ID numbers, part numbers, and visual properties were again re-stated by the victim's family. Mrs. B contacted a private hostage negotiator known only as, "Mary." In a round-robin telecommunications lash-up that would have made William L. Shirer's 1930's radio mashups appear sophisticated, Mrs. B and the shadowy figure Mary, exchanged what were initially thought be secret codes, but what were later determined to be product codes, communicated using multiple interpretations of the International Phonetic Code <for the record, it is "P" as in Pa'pa not "P" as in Peter>
Mary, issued a full response to the hostage takers’ demands and radioed wiring instructions to Mrs. B in what appears to be the format demanded by the WGA. It is not known whether the victim's family has been able to apply the key necessary to unlock the cages holding the hostage at this time. Spokespeople from the hostage taking group have since attempted two additional communications with the victim's family, but this has generated nothing but confusion as hostage takers' demands have been restated by what appear to be separate factions within the WGA. No comment or communication from spokespeople from the group known as MS Digital Imaging Suite Plus has been observed.
Meanwhile, the hostage himself appears to be in a state of degrading health and it is unknown whether he will be able to exit the cages that have held him hostage without food or water, or medical treatment for the last four days. International authorities have asked the hostage takers why they kidnapped and held the victim in the first place and so far only thinly veiled reasons alluding to the potential for parties other than the victim offending the group known as WGA, were offered.
This post was edited by lketchum on Saturday, May 12, 2007 at 20:42.
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109711 (213.133.161.18)
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