UNACCEPTABLE Office XP activation behavior

Jeff Brewer

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Jun 26, 2001, 11:08:18 PM6/26/01

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I installed Office XP and activated it, and until recently
was very happy with it.

I recently upgraded the memory in the computer from 256mb
to 512mb and upgraded my video board from a Geforce 2 Gts
to a Geforce 3.

I am now being told that I must reactivate Office XP. To
do this Office XP is demanding the orignal CD. (On a
related note my CD drive failed the other day and is
waiting to be replaced.)

These are two of the most common upgrades that can a made
to a system. Requiring recativation in the face of these
sorts of uprades in UNACCEPTABLE. Whichever product
manager approved this needs to have someone remind him
that causing pain for customers like this tends to make
them do what I am now forced to do:

STOP RECOMENDING AND PUSHING OFFICE XP. In my
organization, to our customers, as a minimun platform
requirement, to my family and to my friends.

Sounds like an extrem reaction to a little pain you say?
Well Office tends to be a leader in new technolgies like
this. If this same thing were to happen with all the
applications I use I would be spending
HOURS "recativating" the applications on my computer.

Oh one may wonder why I post this here instead of say
sending an email or writing a letter? XP is now in
crippled mode, so my ablity to send email or write a
letter using office is GONE. For some reason I dont have a
second main email or word processing program on my
computer. After I get Office XP fixed I guess I will have
to look into a getting some kind of fall back programs
since I can no longer count on office xp.

Sorry for the flames folks but others need to know about
this horrid flaw in an otherwise fine product.

Jeff Brewer

Kenneth Heffington

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Jun 26, 2001, 11:28:56 PM6/26/01

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Sorry to hear that you are having problems, and agree that Product
Activation is bad. Below is the URL for an Office Suite that will get you
thru until you can fix you computer and reactivate. The office suite from
this company is free.

http://www.software602.com/products/pcs/

Panda

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Jun 27, 2001, 3:15:14 AM6/27/01

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It Stinks...

they want control at any cost.

Jiri Tuma

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Jun 27, 2001, 12:47:54 PM6/27/01

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I disagree, not at any costs, did you hear something about shareholders,
economic idicators, etc?
I see more and more IT administrators go anger with XP re-activation and I
dont think making IT administators anger is a good marketing policy. If
sales drops too much, thay be forced to change policy or they be fired out.
I saw more sw packages with similar activation mechanism at past (and most
of them were better than MS used one) and all but one responsible companies
are dead (and this living one never used such mechanism again). MS guys
think they are strong enough to force users their policy, but users can live
without newest version of MS office package. Other case will be operating
system with the same mechanism, at this case I think MS advocates will have
hard work because of level of possible damage caused by this behavior to MS
customers.

regards

George

Panda <benn...@microsoft.com> píąe v diskusním
příspěvku:HIf_6.12962$qJ4.5...@ozemail.com.au...

Michael Golden

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Jun 28, 2001, 2:59:19 PM6/28/01

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IBM/Lotus SmartSuite is looking more attractive all the time.

The first machine I installed XP on is a 1 ghz machine. That user already
has the hots for a 1.3 ghz.

The 2nd machine I installed XP on is a 600 mhz. He will probably be getting
a replacement machine in 1-2 months. I can just see myself now going to
management and telling them each time we upgrade hardware we will have to
re-purchase XP.

Michael Golden
Country Hearth Bakery
Lakeland, Florida

"Jeff Brewer" <j...@teleport.com> wrote in message
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Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

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Jun 28, 2001, 7:30:04 PM6/28/01

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Please people, read the licensing options. Corporations with more than 4
users can use licensing options that will NOT require them to activate the
product upon installation.

If you are a company that has 5 or more employees, you are doing yourself a
disservice by using a method other than the recommended installation
scenario.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

When posting an Outlook problem, please give the version year and mode. (See
Help->About, second line in Outlook 98 or 2000 for the mode, Internet Mail
Only or
Corporate or Workgroup.) Post all questions/replies to the newsgroups,
unsolicited personal requests are deleted without reading.

"Jiri Tuma" <jiri...@seznam.cz> wrote in message
news:#VIlWey$AHA.1368@tkmsftngp07...

Jiri Tuma

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Jun 29, 2001, 7:35:05 AM6/29/01

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YES I KNOW about this. But I still do NOT WANT to use Office XP because of
this mechanism. I have 15 years experience to not trust apps with such
mechanism even MS give me workaround because I actually work for BIG
corporation. At first it is not system solution (and so it is danger) and at
second who know what come tomorrow? I can change job and work for smaller
company or, I hope not, for any support for small customers. And I have a
computers at home and my sister and nephew and friends ... (Solution: take
your friends, create corporation, for.ex "Users from 14th West street, ltd."
and sign agreement with MS representative to allow you and your friends to
use MS products normally). And who trust Microsoft they will not change
rules at future? Office XP is only the first step, the other nigthmares
coming soon. I never want to see operating system with such behaviors,
especially if configuration key creation and check algorithms stay the same
as in Office XP. Because if yes, this system become unacceptable even you
have signed Microsoft Enterprise agreement.

regards

George

Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook] <Mil...@mvps.org> píąe v diskusním
příspěvku:#czRBpCABHA.1280@tkmsftngp03...

Casper

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Jul 2, 2001, 10:02:46 AM7/2/01

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I just don't see how reasonable people in a free society aren't OUTRAGED at
this behavior! It will only get worse, believe me.

"Jeff Brewer" <j...@teleport.com> wrote in message
news:004901c0feb6$6a6d60f0$9be62ecf@tkmsftngxa03...

Shiranui Gen-An

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Jul 2, 2001, 4:57:11 PM7/2/01

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Yes, this is a free society, so MS has the right to implement product
activation in its products to protect its intellectual property.

"Casper" <spa...@someplaceelse.com> wrote in message
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Kent Bieganski

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Jul 3, 2001, 1:18:51 PM7/3/01

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Yes, but we have the right (and obligation) to choose not to patronize MS
Office XP. This is one the most powerful ways that we can use to tell MS
that their consumers are unhappy.

We, as consumers, should exercise our 30 day money back guarantee options,
with an explanation to MS as to exactly why!

"Shiranui Gen-An" <shiran...@supamu-ga-kirai-da.mindspring.com> wrote in
message news:Oh4k8lzABHA.408@tkmsftngp05...

Miguel Angelo

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Jul 22, 2001, 6:56:26 AM7/22/01

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Hi All,

I still have not tried Office Xp, and i'm not really
looking foward to that. Simply because Microsoft is no
longer fascinating me with their marketing.

I understand that you are not happy with with but
remember, it's their product so i think that they can do
anything with it even if it sucks.

BUT !! we has customer have a right, NOT TO BUY IT ! we
are not Microsoft slaves are there are alternatives even
free ones !

At work i'm forced to work with Microsoft products, i like
some of them, but most i think are junk, for example the
new installer system... keeps on requesting cd's even
after i installed the full product, which is great if the
client is on the other side of town.

Has for alternatives at home i refuse to use Microsoft
producs.
I use Linux + StarOffice (which can even read Office 2000
Files).
People i'm not saying Microsoft is evil and should be
destroy, but i'm saying is that there are alternatives and
we should look into them.
Microsoft is here to serve us and not the way around.

Stay Well
Miguel

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