I have recently received the vista activation prompt after flashing my
motherboard BIOS with the latest version from DELL.

The only other things I have done today is downclocked my 7900GS to prevent
overheating (not a new card, oem from dell).

I exited a game of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and was greeted by the activation prompt
stating windows has detected a hardware change.

I understand that i can call microsoft on this issue to reactivate, however
this is a bug and needs to be fixed.

No Hardware was changed and both system tweaks (downclocking and flashing
BIOS are recommended by DELL and NVIDIA and my right). There is evidently
something wrong with the detection scheme.

Particularly since I shelled out for VISTA ultimate.

You can not bypass activation, contact MS
--
Regards
Bob J
If advise given from anyone, solves problem or not, or if solved from
another source,post back & let us know.
Then we all benefit.



"Frustrated loyal customer" wrote:
[color=blue]
> I have recently received the vista activation prompt after flashing my
> motherboard BIOS with the latest version from DELL.
>
> The only other things I have done today is downclocked my 7900GS to prevent
> overheating (not a new card, oem from dell).
>
> I exited a game of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and was greeted by the activation prompt
> stating windows has detected a hardware change.
>
> I understand that i can call microsoft on this issue to reactivate, however
> this is a bug and needs to be fixed.
>
> No Hardware was changed and both system tweaks (downclocking and flashing
> BIOS are recommended by DELL and NVIDIA and my right). There is evidently
> something wrong with the detection scheme.
>
> Particularly since I shelled out for VISTA ultimate.[/color]

"Frustrated loyal customer" <Frustrated loyal
[email]customer@discussions.microsoft.com[/email]> wrote in message
news:86307495-63AC-4931-AEC5-2ED76303736E@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
>I have recently received the vista activation prompt after flashing my
> motherboard BIOS with the latest version from DELL.[/color]

That probably did it.

What good is complaining here going to do for you?

Just call MS to have it activate it and be happy. There is no sense in
getting your blood pressure up about it. Life is too short and then you
die. So, don't get there any faster than you need to.

Hi,

While I don't disagree with you, keep in mind that a BIOS update is a change
of the instruction set written to the CMOS chip on the motherboard, one of
the basic components of any system and one that generally is not changed by
the average consumer. The activation scheme simply cannot tell that the
hardware has not changed, it simply sees a new set of instructions which can
easily be interpreted as a change in hardware.

I do think that the current activation scheme is too sensitive, overreacting
to things like this and driver updates. I'm hoping they eventually find a
happy medium that both reduces piracy and keeps the inconveniences on the
user to a minimum. In my opinion, activation should not interfere with the
user experience on a properly licensed machine, but currently it does with
too much regularity.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
[url]http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/[/url]
Windows help - [url]www.rickrogers.org[/url]
My thoughts [url]http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com[/url]

"Frustrated loyal customer" <Frustrated loyal
[email]customer@discussions.microsoft.com[/email]> wrote in message
news:86307495-63AC-4931-AEC5-2ED76303736E@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
>I have recently received the vista activation prompt after flashing my
> motherboard BIOS with the latest version from DELL.
>
> The only other things I have done today is downclocked my 7900GS to
> prevent
> overheating (not a new card, oem from dell).
>
> I exited a game of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and was greeted by the activation prompt
> stating windows has detected a hardware change.
>
> I understand that i can call microsoft on this issue to reactivate,
> however
> this is a bug and needs to be fixed.
>
> No Hardware was changed and both system tweaks (downclocking and flashing
> BIOS are recommended by DELL and NVIDIA and my right). There is evidently
> something wrong with the detection scheme.
>
> Particularly since I shelled out for VISTA ultimate.[/color]

Rick Rogers wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi,
>
> While I don't disagree with you, keep in mind that a BIOS update is a
> change of the instruction set written to the CMOS chip on the
> motherboard, one of the basic components of any system and one that
> generally is not changed by the average consumer. The activation scheme
> simply cannot tell that the hardware has not changed, it simply sees a
> new set of instructions which can easily be interpreted as a change in
> hardware.
>
> I do think that the current activation scheme is too sensitive,
> overreacting to things like this and driver updates. I'm hoping they
> eventually find a happy medium that both reduces piracy and keeps the
> inconveniences on the user to a minimum. In my opinion, activation
> should not interfere with the user experience on a properly licensed
> machine, but currently it does with too much regularity.
>[/color]

And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates are
not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these features
lead people to alternative OSs.

Sad.

Alias

Mr. Arnold wrote:[color=blue]
>
> "Frustrated loyal customer" <Frustrated loyal
> [email]customer@discussions.microsoft.com[/email]> wrote in message
> news:86307495-63AC-4931-AEC5-2ED76303736E@microsoft.com...[color=green]
>> I have recently received the vista activation prompt after flashing my
>> motherboard BIOS with the latest version from DELL.[/color]
>
> That probably did it.
>
> What good is complaining here going to do for you?
>
> Just call MS to have it activate it and be happy. There is no sense in
> getting your blood pressure up about it. Life is too short and then you
> die. So, don't get there any faster than you need to.
>[/color]

You're right, life is short and one should not have to take the time out
of this short life to prove one bought something over and over and over
and over again.

Alias

Alias wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates are
> not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these features
> lead people to alternative OSs.
>
> Sad.
>
> Alias[/color]

No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a practice
that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows users. "Casual
piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from "loaning" his copy to
anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors, etc..
Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".
After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on your
machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would like
to make it out to be.
Frank

Frank wrote:[color=blue]
> Alias wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates are
>> not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these features
>> lead people to alternative OSs.
>>
>> Sad.
>>
>> Alias[/color]
>
> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a practice
> that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows users. "Casual
> piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from "loaning" his copy to
> anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors, etc..[/color]

People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
[color=blue]
> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".[/color]

People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
[color=blue]
> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on your
> machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would like
> to make it out to be.
> Frank[/color]

It's an insult to every paying customer and does nothing to stop piracy
be it casual or for profit.

Alias

Alias wrote:
[color=blue]
> Frank wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Alias wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates
>>> are not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these
>>> features lead people to alternative OSs.
>>>
>>> Sad.
>>>
>>> Alias[/color]
>>
>>
>> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a
>> practice that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows
>> users. "Casual piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from
>> "loaning" his copy to anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors, etc..[/color]
>
>
> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>[/color]

That's not "casual piracy".
Oooooppppssss!!!

[color=blue][color=green]
>> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".[/color]
>
>
> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>[/color]
That's not "casual piracy".
Oooooppppssss!!!
[color=blue][color=green]
>> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on your
>> machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
>> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would
>> like to make it out to be.
>> Frank[/color]
>
>
> It's an insult to every paying customer and does nothing to stop piracy
> be it casual or for profit.
>[/color]

Oh? It may be an insult to someone like you but guess again because
activation has stopped "casual piracy". Like it or not.
It stopped you didn't it?
You have a really hard time accepting the truth don't you?
Frank

Frank wrote:[color=blue]
> Alias wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Frank wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Alias wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates
>>>> are not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these
>>>> features lead people to alternative OSs.
>>>>
>>>> Sad.
>>>>
>>>> Alias
>>>
>>>
>>> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a
>>> practice that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows
>>> users. "Casual piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from
>>> "loaning" his copy to anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors, etc..[/color]
>>
>>
>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>[/color]
>
> That's not "casual piracy".
> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]

You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
share, they went for cracked copies.[color=blue]
>
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".[/color]
>>
>>
>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>[/color]
> That's not "casual piracy".
> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]

You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
share, they went for cracked copies
[color=blue][color=green][color=darkred]
>>> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on your
>>> machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
>>> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would
>>> like to make it out to be.
>>> Frank[/color]
>>
>>
>> It's an insult to every paying customer and does nothing to stop
>> piracy be it casual or for profit.
>>[/color]
>
> Oh? It may be an insult to someone like you but guess again because
> activation has stopped "casual piracy". Like it or not.
> It stopped you didn't it?[/color]

How can it stop me when I pay for all the software I use?
[color=blue]
> You have a really hard time accepting the truth don't you?
> Frank[/color]

When it's the truth, yes. Most things you post are lies so, naturally,
there can't be accepted.

Alias

Alias wrote:
[color=blue]
> Frank wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Alias wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Frank wrote:
>>>
>>>> Alias wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates
>>>>> are not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these
>>>>> features lead people to alternative OSs.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sad.
>>>>>
>>>>> Alias
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a
>>>> practice that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows
>>>> users. "Casual piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from
>>>> "loaning" his copy to anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors,
>>>> etc..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>>[/color]
>>
>> That's not "casual piracy".
>> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]
>
>
> You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
> share, they went for cracked copies.
>[color=green]
>>
>>[color=darkred]
>>>> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>>[/color]
>> That's not "casual piracy".
>> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]
>
>
> You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
> share, they went for cracked copies[/color]

hahaha...nope...doesn't work that way pal. Activation has put a sudden
stop to "casual piracy", like it or not. It stopped you didn't it?[color=blue]
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>>> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on
>>>> your machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
>>>> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would
>>>> like to make it out to be.
>>>> Frank
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It's an insult to every paying customer and does nothing to stop
>>> piracy be it casual or for profit.
>>>[/color]
>>
>> Oh? It may be an insult to someone like you but guess again because
>> activation has stopped "casual piracy". Like it or not.
>> It stopped you didn't it?[/color]
>
>
> How can it stop me when I pay for all the software I use?[/color]

According to your own post, (you didn't lie did you?), you refuse or
can't afford, to pay $800USD for Vista. Is that correct or were you lying?
So it stopped you from being a "casual pirate".[color=blue]
>[color=green]
>> You have a really hard time accepting the truth don't you?
>> Frank[/color]
>
>
> When it's the truth, yes.[/color]

Exactly what I was saying. You have a very hard time accepting the truth
when you don't like the answer.
Thanks for coming clean!
Frank

Frank wrote:[color=blue]
> Alias wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Frank wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Alias wrote:
>>>
>>>> Frank wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Alias wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates
>>>>>> are not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these
>>>>>> features lead people to alternative OSs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sad.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Alias
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a
>>>>> practice that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows
>>>>> users. "Casual piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from
>>>>> "loaning" his copy to anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors,
>>>>> etc..
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>>>
>>>
>>> That's not "casual piracy".
>>> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]
>>
>>
>> You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
>> share, they went for cracked copies.
>>[color=darkred]
>>>
>>>
>>>>> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> People inclined to do that now use cracked copies. Oops.
>>>>
>>> That's not "casual piracy".
>>> Oooooppppssss!!![/color]
>>
>>
>> You're an idiot. Once the casual "pirates" found out they couldn't
>> share, they went for cracked copies[/color]
>
> hahaha...nope...doesn't work that way pal. Activation has put a sudden
> stop to "casual piracy", like it or not. It stopped you didn't it?[/color]

I never use or used pirated software. I can afford not to.
[color=blue][color=green]
>>[color=darkred]
>>>>> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on
>>>>> your machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
>>>>> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would
>>>>> like to make it out to be.
>>>>> Frank
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It's an insult to every paying customer and does nothing to stop
>>>> piracy be it casual or for profit.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Oh? It may be an insult to someone like you but guess again because
>>> activation has stopped "casual piracy". Like it or not.
>>> It stopped you didn't it?[/color]
>>
>>
>> How can it stop me when I pay for all the software I use?[/color]
>
> According to your own post, (you didn't lie did you?), you refuse or
> can't afford, to pay $800USD for Vista.[/color]

Refuse is the correct term. The thread where you gleamed this from was
about the big difference in Vista pricing between the USA and Europe.
You then ran with it making up stories about my financial wherewithal
like the sick puppy you really are. If I wanted to buy Vista, I would
first wait until the dust settles and then kindly ask a relative of mine
to send me a cheap copy from the USA. You, of course, only skewered that
to make me look stupid and a liar to further your sick view of reality.

Is that correct or were you lying?[color=blue]
> So it stopped you from being a "casual pirate".[/color]

I've never been a "casual pirate", sorry.
[color=blue][color=green]
>>[color=darkred]
>>> You have a really hard time accepting the truth don't you?
>>> Frank[/color]
>>
>>
>> When it's the truth, yes.[/color]
>
> Exactly what I was saying. You have a very hard time accepting the truth
> when you don't like the answer.
> Thanks for coming clean!
> Frank[/color]

That was a typo and you know it but nice try at reaching for straws (again).

Alias

Alias wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> That was a typo and you know it but nice try at reaching for straws
> (again).
>
> Alias[/color]

Nah...that was clearly an admission of truth from you or at the very
least a Freudian slip.
Either way it was very telling...lol.
Frank

Frank wrote:[color=blue]
> Alias wrote:
>[color=green]
>>
>> And once again paying customers are inconvenienced and the pirates are
>> not affected one iota. Instead of discouraging piracy, these features
>> lead people to alternative OSs.
>>
>> Sad.
>>
>> Alias[/color]
>
> No that's not true at all. Activation stops "casual piracy"...a practice
> that heretofore had been rather prevalent amongst Windows users. "Casual
> piracy" stops a legitimate Vista OS owner from "loaning" his copy to
> anyone., i.e. friends, relatives, neighbors, etc..
> Activation has put a sudden and most complete stop to "casual piracy".
> After all, you yourself can't get a "loaner" to install Vista on your
> machine, so activation is working to stop "casual piracy".
> Also having to re-activate is not really near the hassle you would like
> to make it out to be.
> Frank[/color]


Try a bit of history Frank. The reason MS got where it is today is
BECAUSE there was no piracy protection to speak of, that is the very
reason Windows found it's way onto so many enthusiast's desktops. People
generally don't mind paying for something they can feel like they own,
but when the beast keeps calling you a thief you want rid of it and will
look elsewhere.

Now, we have a situation where for "Security Reasons" 64 bit Vista
drivers have to be signed, 32 bit you are "Warned" they may be insecure.
How long then before ALL non MS software has to be signed or won't
work? You may consoder this "Different" than DRM or WGA / and
activation but I don't, all are being touted as "Security" measures but
had the ability to do far more. Add to this MS' new patent which places
an "Approved" trojan horse on the machine for advertising purposes and
what have you got? An OS that shuts down if you happen to install
something that MS doesn't like. Someone in a recent thread was forced to
reactivate due to a BIOS upgrade recommended by his PC manufacturer.
Even Dell now require MS approval. Then you wonder why by popular demand
people supply Linux on request. What's due to ship to third world
schools etc? The $100 laptop >
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6679431.stm[/url]

which coincidentally is powered by Linux because no doubt MS wanted too
much for an OS. Imagine that, all those young kids who will soon be the
major market for new PCs and all of them cutting their teeth on Linux.

MS is shooting itself in the foot and ably assisted by you and some
associates here.

Charlie Tame wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> Try a bit of history Frank.[/color]

Try a bit of 'corporate' history Charlie. When corporations are first
formed they will take all risks and do most anything to gain market
share. When and if they become successful they all become
protectionists...it's a survivalists instinct.

They circle their wagons to protect what they have fought so hard for
and what they took huge risks in order to gain. Risk taking for the
successful is then moved way down the lists of "must do's".
All large surviving corporations have exhibited exactly this same
behavior for decades in our capitalistic society.

The reason MS got where it is today is[color=blue]
> BECAUSE there was no piracy protection to speak of, that is the very
> reason Windows found it's way onto so many enthusiast's desktops.[/color]

Exactly what I explained above.


People[color=blue]
> generally don't mind paying for something they can feel like they own,
> but when the beast keeps calling you a thief you want rid of it and will
> look elsewhere.[/color]

Sorry, but that's not a feeling shared by the general computing public.
It is not factually nor statistically correct. If you truly believe it
to be correct, then substantiate it with well documented statistical
evidence that can be shared, ok?[color=blue]
>
> Now, we have a situation where for "Security Reasons" 64 bit Vista
> drivers have to be signed, 32 bit you are "Warned" they may be insecure.[/color]

That will all disappear when drivers are mature and have been digitally
signed. But, who really cares? It's not really a problem.
[color=blue]
> How long then before ALL non MS software has to be signed or won't
> work?[/color]

Give me break Charlie...most all of my legacy software already works in
Vista using compatibility mode if needed.

You may consoder this "Different" than DRM or WGA / and[color=blue]
> activation but I don't, all are being touted as "Security" measures but
> had the ability to do far more.[/color]

Really? You're that bothered by DRM/WGA and activation? Guess what,
you're in the minority...by far. I'm much more concerned about our
snooping government, credit card companies and even grocery stores who
know our every move!

Add to this MS' new patent which places[color=blue]
> an "Approved" trojan horse on the machine for advertising purposes and
> what have you got?[/color]

Uhhh...they've applied for a patent that you and I and all the rest of
the general public really have no idea what it is for, do we? We have
read some very biased speculation and that's all. Nor do we know if the
patent in question will even be grated, do we?

An OS that shuts down if you happen to install[color=blue]
> something that MS doesn't like.[/color]

Never have seen anyone state that their Vista computer "shut down"
because they installed something "MS doesn't like". Got a link?
We do know some have had to re-activate because of bios or hardware changes.

Someone in a recent thread was forced to[color=blue]
> reactivate due to a BIOS upgrade recommended by his PC manufacturer.
> Even Dell now require MS approval.[/color]

Re-activation because of component upgrade is painless...and you know
that to be true.

Then you wonder why by popular demand[color=blue]
> people supply Linux on request.[/color]

Not by popular demand, sorry but that's not why Dell is/was offering to
ship with linux. Dell has been experiencing loss of market share and
offering linux is a move to appeal to a bigger market and to hopefully
gain back lost market share. It's actually a move made out of desperation.

What's due to ship to third world[color=blue]
> schools etc? The $100 laptop >
> [url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6679431.stm[/url][/color]

Yeah, great idea if it works.[color=blue]
>
> which coincidentally is powered by Linux because no doubt MS wanted too
> much for an OS.[/color]

Speculating are we Charlie? No article makes that claim.

Imagine that, all those young kids who will soon be the[color=blue]
> major market for new PCs and all of them cutting their teeth on Linux.[/color]

Kind of like giving them all an etch-a-sketch and then they'll want
more. Don't think they'll be using any command lines nor downloading any
new packages or compiling any kernels. The proposed linux os is way, way
too simplified for anything like that. Ever hear of the Minitels in
France? Good example of a computing model that eventually played itself
out from about 1980-1990.[color=blue]
>
> MS is shooting itself in the foot and ably assisted by you and some
> associates here.[/color]

Well Charlie, you don't come off as having a whole lot of business
acumen and I sure as hell won't be betting the store on the outcome
you're willing to bet on.
As long as I can continue to make my substantial living using Window
OS's I'll do so cause I'm not willing to shoot myself in the foot in the
name of some ridiculous non-rewarding software cause called linux.
But hey, take that shot if you're so inclined.
Frank