Vista License Info

[Gidan]

http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/10/12/2240214.shtml

NiK0laI writes
"TechWeb has posted an article regarding Vista's new license and how it allows you to only move it to another device once. How will this work for people who build their PCs? I have no intention of purchasing a new license every time I swap out motherboards. 'The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the "licensed device," reads the license for Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business. In other words, once a retail copy of Vista is installed on a PC, it can be moved to another system only once. ... Elsewhere in the license, Microsoft forbids users from installing Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium in a virtual machine. "You may not use the software installed on the licensed device within a virtual (or otherwise emulated) hardware system," the legal language reads. Vista Ultimate and Vista Business, however, can be installed within a VM.'"

Overly Critical Guy points out more information about changes to Vista's EULA and the new usage restrictions.
"For instance, Home Basic users can't copy ISOs to their hard drives, can't run in a virtualized environment, and can only share files and printers to a maximum of 5 network devices."

Gotta love MS, the harder they try to fight pirated software, the more they drive their legit customer to get it. People who build their own PC’s who would generally actually buy their version of MS may now be forced to get a pirated version just so they can keep using it. This begs the questions, why buy it in the first place when they won’t let you use it.

[Tossica]

I never had any problems with XP even when moving it multiple times. If I got an activation error, I'd call MS and they would give me a working code no matter how many times I had moved the installation.

[Martrae]

Very gay.

What exactly do they mean by device? Is that only the motherboard/chip or any component? If you upgrade your RAM one month and your Video card the next are you screwed?

[Tikker]

generally by device they mean Mobo

I have no issue with them wanting you to have the OS installed on only 1 machine at a time, it is super gay though that they'd want you to rebuy the OS every time you upgrade your machine

[Tossica]

This same scare shit went around before XP was released as well. It will be a non issue unless you are a pirate.

[Martrae]

I know there was one month I had to call MS something like 4 times to get my license fixed because of massive problems and replacing components one at a time. Would hate to lose the license completely if something like that happened again.

[Jay]

Only problem I ever had with Windows XP was finding the sharpie marker to label the cd.

[Gidan]

I also like how they are setting a maximum number of computers on a network your computer can connect to. Also the differences between the release of Vista and XP is that the XP license clearly stated you could only have XP running on a single PC at a time, Vista clearly states you can only move it to another PC 1 time. There will be no calling in to reactivate because you moved to new hardware, it would be in direct violation of your licence.

* Home Basic
o Can't copy ISO to your hard drive
o Can't install to a network server
o You may share files, printers, etc with a maximum of 5 network devices
o You MAY NOT use Remote Desktop, only Remote Assistance
o You MAY NOT use in Virtual PC | Virtual Server |VMWare

* Home Premium
o Still can't copy ISO to your hard drive
o Still can't install to a network server
o Sharing for 10 network devices
o Still no Remote Desktop
o Still no virtual hardware
o 5 simultaneous Media Center Extender sessions (up from 3 in MCE 2005)

* Ultimate
o Can copy ISO to your hard drive
o Can install to a network server (I'm assuming for Terminal Server scenarios)
o Sharing for 10 network devices
o Can use Remote Desktop
o Can use in a virtualized environment, BUT
+ Can't use DRM-protected content if Vista Ultimate is the "guest" OS
+ Can't use BitLocker if Vista Ultimate is the "guest" OS
o 5 Media Center Extender sessions

Here is a link to give you a bit of an idea of what will happen if you have an unvalidated version of windows

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=148

I am more and more thankful I dont run windows on my primary box.

[Martrae]

So if I were to get a new mobo and video card for my puter and then put my old parts into the kids puter....which puter holds the license? I'd still need the license on my puter...is that considered a 'transfer' even though it's still my puter and not a new one? The kids have their own license...would they need a new one?

Gads....I guess it's time to look seriously at linux...will it play my games?

[Gidan]

EQ2 still causing problems on linux. May want to stick with XP until the hackers get Vista cracked completely.

[Martrae]

Not sure what you mean by cracking Vista completely...if it's cracked then you can't update it and with all the trademarked Windows security holes it'd be worthless.

Sux about EQ2, though.

[Menlaan]

Gamers may want to stay with XP anyway: http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2850

Basically, Vista causes most games to run considerably slower.

[kaharthemad]

christ this keeps up Ill be buying a fucking Mac...or inviting Gidan down for beers to help me convert my gaming rig to linux.


I could pirate the thing however....

Now I would have no problem if MS decided to charge say a 10 or 20 dollar react fee if you moved mobos more than once....but what happens if your like me and do pc repairs can you imagine the cluster fuck this is gonna cause for companies that do PC repairs and a Mobo goes snakeshit?

[Tikker]

Not sure what you mean by cracking Vista completely...if it's cracked then you can't update it and with all the trademarked Windows security holes it'd be worthless.

Sux about EQ2, though.

there's lots of pirated XP out there that still can get updates

the windows genuine thing was an optional patch, wuwu

[Gidan]

My XP box gets full updates, does automatic updates with MS and it has no problems at all. Someone will crack the Vista validator eventually.

[Menlaan]

It turns out that the whole "you won't be able to upgrade your PC with Vista" thing was a misunderstanding. It will be similar to Windows XP in terms of how you transfer your license to an upgraded PC.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4548

[Tossica]

Figured as much.

[Martrae]

That's a relief...still don't know if I'll upgrade, though....

[Tikker]

That's a relief...still don't know if I'll upgrade, though....

I won't bother until something comes out that only runs on Vista that I desperately NEED to play

[Harrison]

This same scare shit went around before XP was released as well. It will be a non issue unless you are a pirate.

It's always a non issue.

They can't stop anything. I still use their updates with my pirated copy.