*sigh* this past week sucked...

[Marks256]

Well, i am board, and, please excuse my language, but i can't think of anything else to sum it up in one word; I AM PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


About a week ago, my fathfull 20gb MAXTOR hard drive(EIDE) failed on me, and i lost everything. That was no big deal, because i had all my stuff backed up on my laptop. The big problem was, i needed a new HD. So, after about an hour of looking on EBAY, i found a new 40gb SATA hard drive, and purchased it. It came yesterday, and i formated it, and loaded my LEGAL copy of Microsoft Windows XP Pro. Everything went smoothly.
I just got home from school about 40 minutes ago, and was really eager to to rip some music off of a couple of AC/DC CD's one of my friends let me borrow. Now then, i hate Windows Media Player 9, which is what comes standard with XP Pro. As i went to Windows Update(to get media player 10, which i love), i downloaded the validation tool, as i have hundreds of times before, and to my horror; MY COPY OF XP IS NOT LEGIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, i have perfect reason to be FURIOUS. I know for a FACT that that copy of XP was LEGIT! Huh, well, i guess after 10 years of loyalty to Microsoft, this is what i get.... DAMN MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill freaking Gates was my IDOL! And for what? To get stabed in the back? I have seen that SAME COPY of XP be installed about 10 times before, AND NOT ONE PROBLEM!!!!!!! Now, i get a new hard drive, and i CANT EVEN KEEP THE FREAKIN THING UP TO DATE!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That is bull crap!!!!!!!!!!!




Gez, if Linux wasn't so hard to use, i would COMPLETLEY MOVE TO LINUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dr.EM]

It's nothing to do with not having activated it or anything is it? Sounds irratating, nothing like a computer to wind people up. The question "why the **** not!" must be screamed at computers thousands of times daily accross the world. You remind me I need to back things up though.

 

[Marks256]

Yes, i think it would be a good idea to back your stuff up...

The hilarity in all of this, it that the XP Pro that i have is part of a BULK licence made for a whole organization, which i am part of, so i get AS MANY COPYS as i want. But no. It had to go and ruin my day.....

 

[HarveyH42]

I've been having one hell of a time with opening a CHM help file. When I went to the MicroSUX site for help (useless or worse), after trying to find something useful, figured I see if mine was up-to-date... It scan my computer for over 15 minutes, finally gave me a list of availiable updates, over 86 meg worth, and an estimated 5.6 hours to download. Figures if a few minutes in microsoft time equals more than 15 minutes... it might be several days. Only a couple of the updates might help with my problem, so didn't go for it.

But, it did say that my copy of XP wasn't legitimate as well. It came pre-install on this Walmart special HP. It's on the original HD, never removed or reinstalled. No XP was provided, just what's on the HP's HD.

Really sux that Microsoft has such strong control over software. I go with any other operating system if I could get the software I want to use. MAC is close, but still slow to keep up with their versions if at all.

 

[Marks256]

I would NEVER use MAC. EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER!!!!!!!! EVER NEVER!


Linux is really nice, but too complex, and it isn't compatable with the game for Windows. Man, what would it take to get some decent software in this world AND STOP THE MADNESS!!!!!!!!!


Great. Now guess what? My internet is acting up... Crap, now the linksys router is spazing out, too, i hope.... If it isn't the router, then it is my laptop. If it is my laptop i am screwed, because warrenty went out a couple of months ago. This day isn't going any better......

 

[akg]

ohh..there is a method to get around the win validation tool ..(legal method)

 

[akg]

ohh..the links
**broken link removed**
http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Windows-Genuine-Advantage-Notifications

 

[justDIY]

you can bypass windows update all together, just download the updates manually from the knowledge base

you should check out a tool called audiograbber ... it lets you rip to mp3 using the free lame codec or ogg using various free vorbis codecs... it pulls info off the net for cds, just like media player, but its free

i think microsoft is too strict when they're blacklisting keys ... that's probably what happened to your volume license key, it was blacklisted for appearing to be over quota ... your organization might have an internal windows update server that will provide the same function as the internet one from microsoft, but won't reject your blacklisted key.

I recently tried to install the legit copy of xp pro academic I bought back in school, circa 2003, and at activation they claim my key is invalid ... my guess is they just go around retiring old keys that they don't see use windows update in a while!

 

[Marks256]

Yes, i would understand it dating back to 2003, but WE STILL USE THAT COPY OF XP!!! And the funny thing was; IT WAS A COPY THAT COULD BE INSTALLED AN INFINITE AMOUT OF TIME(for admisistrative purposes only, of course).

 

[tunedwolf]

If they issue a legit key, it should stay that way for the lifetime of the product, i.e the disk....as for continued free support of that product...well that's another matter...but as long as they say hey come in and we'll update things for you free of charge, then you should not be bugged by such guff like your product is old so it automatically follows that it's not a legal copy etc

But if you can make even 1% of your old customer base upgrade to an allegedly newer operating system because you basically frighten them into it...then your in the money...cos the folks that will upgrade are the same ones that will grumble to their friends...but not to M$ about it

 

[theinfamousbob]

Hmm...I'm not going to say anything.

About Windows, that is.

We own several Macs...I'd trust my life to them. I've never had one crash that wasn't a direct result of something I did.

And with the new Intel Macs, you can run Windows XP on it....if you want to keep using an inferior product.

I have computers that can't read my Windows CDs...Windows doesn't like the motherboards. I have to pull the hard drive, wipe/copy the files over, then replace it and finish.

One time, this program called Windows, it lost my MBR. Just lost it. Gone. Everything.

I didn't feel like reconstructing it either.

 

[tunedwolf]

Ya didn't feel like just restoring the mbr using fdisk/mbr ?

As much as I dislike the way M$ does business, and the fact that pretty much the only bits that work in windoze are the bits they either blagged or pressured some small company into producing for them, their latest NT based operating systems take some punishment before falling over, but like any software, it will if you prod it often enough in the right places.
The biggest problem with M$ windoze is that it's trying to be all things to all men, it's as easy for a novice first time user to install and use something as it is for a hardened experienced user, and that really does take a lot of very clever work to achieve. Problems arise because software writers take shortcuts and stray from laid down standards.

I'm not a fan of M$ stuff generally, but to their credit, if they didn't push the boundaries the way they have done, and continue to do, we would still be using the 286 and struggling with DR Dos, or in other words, the PC wouldn't be the useful tool it is today. Not that I'm saying DR Dos was bad, like all those things, it had it's place and time. Mac's had their place too, being primarily used for graphical oriented computing, and pretty much led on from the small micro concept, and just like M$, Apple wouldn't be the useful machine it is today without the competition pushing the boundaries.

It's horses for courses really, but to IBM/M$ credit, they made the PC a much better all round tool, choosing not to concentrate on any one particular market, or for that matter limit it's use in any one field. Whereas Apple concentrated on it's snobbery and proprietry software applications, which is equally fine if that's what you are into.

 

[Hero999]

MY COPY OF XP IS NOT LEGIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, i have perfect reason to be FURIOUS. I know for a FACT that that copy of XP was LEGIT! Huh, well, i guess after 10 years of loyalty to Microsoft, this is what i get.... DAMN MICROSOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill freaking Gates was my IDOL! And for what? To get stabed in the back? I have seen that SAME COPY of XP be installed about 10 times before, AND NOT ONE PROBLEM!!!!!!! Now, i get a new hard drive, and i CANT EVEN KEEP THE FREAKIN THING UP TO DATE!?!?!?!?!?!?!? That is bull crap!!!!!!!!!!!

Your copy of XP is no longer legit!

The End User Licence Agreement (EULA) says you can't transfer the license from on machine to another and in their eyes upgrading your hard disk or motherboard is like getting a new machine.

What they want you to do is buy a new copy of Winwoes every time you upgrade your PC. This is why I hate Micro$haft so much. They can't go round telling you what you can and can't do with your own PC!

I have a feeling that half of the crap in the EULA won't stand up in court anyway since you haven't signed it and if you're under 18 then even better.

I like Linux too but I keep on finding myself using Winblows to much nowadays. I swear, the nex machine I buy will either be a Mac or just have Linux. I don't see why I should give Bill another bloddy penny!

 

[Dr.EM]

I was not impressed with the Macs at college, both with the reliability and the general OS layout. I probably only used them for a few hours each week, but they were crashing at least once a month, often quite seriously. Someone in our class had a track they had made (this is music tech) revert all the instruments back to general midi for no reason. It took ages to get all of the carefully edited vst synths and sampler sounds back on, and the lecturer seemed to think it was pretty common! The PC i'm on now uses XP and is used for many hours every week; it has crashed 3 times in 2 years (not to put a curse on it ) Probably twice due to a fairly heavily modified game I try to run on it that is pushing it a bit.

 

[Marks256]

Your copy of XP is no longer legit!

The End User Licence Agreement (EULA) says you can't transfer the license from on machine to another and in their eyes upgrading your hard disk or motherboard is like getting a new machine.

What they want you to do is buy a new copy of Winwoes every time you upgrade your PC. This is why I hate Micro$haft so much. They can't go round telling you what you can and can't do with your own PC!

I have a feeling that half of the crap in the EULA won't stand up in court anyway since you haven't signed it and if you're under 18 then even better.

I like Linux too but I keep on finding myself using Winblows to much nowadays. I swear, the nex machine I buy will either be a Mac or just have Linux. I don't see why I should give Bill another bloddy penny!

Yes, acutally it is. It is part of an infinite install package(bulk licence)

 

[Hero999]

That's even worse then, it just shows how buggy thier software really is.

Besidesm, it's still a joke that the home user isn't allowed to upgrade their machin without buying a new OS.

 

[Marks256]

That's even worse then, it just shows how buggy thier software really is.

Besidesm, it's still a joke that the home user isn't allowed to upgrade their machin without buying a new OS.

He he, you know, i couldn't have said that better myself!

This world is crawling with morons...

 

[bbarney]

goto this link and take your pick
https://www.rapidshared.org/cgi-bin/links/search.cgi?query=Windows+Genuine+Advantage+&Go=Go

 

[theinfamousbob]

I was not impressed with the Macs at college, both with the reliability and the general OS layout. I probably only used them for a few hours each week, but they were crashing at least once a month, often quite seriously. Someone in our class had a track they had made (this is music tech) revert all the instruments back to general midi for no reason. It took ages to get all of the carefully edited vst synths and sampler sounds back on, and the lecturer seemed to think it was pretty common! The PC i'm on now uses XP and is used for many hours every week; it has crashed 3 times in 2 years (not to put a curse on it ) Probably twice due to a fairly heavily modified game I try to run on it that is pushing it a bit.

I have a PowerMac 6400 with 72MB of RAM running Studio Vision Pro 4.5thru an Opcode Studio 4...I haven't tried using any VST instruments yet (I just upgraded the ram from 48MB a month ago)...I don't know if it could handle 'em, but it'd be interesting to try...

Have you used ReBirth at all? I'm going to add it to the setup after I install the newer old Mac in the system.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I have a PowerMac 6400 with 72MB of RAM running Studio Vision Pro 4.5thru an Opcode Studio 4...I haven't tried using any VST instruments yet (I just upgraded the ram from 48MB a month ago)...I don't know if it could handle 'em, but it'd be interesting to try...

Have you used ReBirth at all? I'm going to add it to the setup after I install the newer old Mac in the system.

I was under the impression that Mac's were popular in the music scene, because of their high reliability?, but I've never actually used one?.

I took my daughter to a sixth form open evening last week (because she moves up to the sixth form next September, and we need to find a new school for her). The one we went to see does 'Music Technology', a new course they only started this year. So far they have a midi studio - using all PC's, as it's a UK school only PC's are allowed (or at least available). Someone actually asked about Mac software (because you're supposed to do quite a lot of work at home), and they were told that all software they use is available for the Mac as well (I got the impression they would sooner have been using Mac's rather than PC's).

Apparently in another 3-4 weeks their recording studio should be finished, a 40 track digital one so Melissa should enjoy that!. Apparently they can only take 12 students on the course, so if more than that apply they have to interview for the places - which shouldn't be a problem?, as Melissa already has an OCN qualification in studio recording, and plays five instruments.