A bit of background: I run a PC repair shop where we do the usual virus, spyware, and hardware repair (replacement) business.

Anyway, the Windows activation stuff is freakin PISSING me off.

Okay, here's what usually happens: Someone's crappy computer that they bought from Home Shopping Network fails. It's the motherboard. No problem, put in a new one and run a Windows repair to get it back up and running.

System boots up:

Windows: "OMG You need to activiate Windows NOW!"

Me: "Okay, activate now over the internet"

Windows: "OMG I can't connect to the internet!"

Me: "WTF? The RJ45 cable is plugged in. OH! The network drivers need to be installed. BUT I CAN'T LOG IN TO INSTALL THEM!"

GREAT, I gotta call up Microsoft now. So I call the number and it's freakin BUSY!

What a massive waste of time they are creating both for them and myself!

I hate this crap. Please dear GOD in heaven strike down Bill Gates and Microsoft. PLEASE.

On behalf of most members of this forum, let me say that we feel your pain! (I've been there myself a number of times...)

Yes. I've been there too, multiple times. But even activation cracks are just temporary solutions. No cracks on windows, get Linux. With no walls who needs windows (cracked or not)?

Do you charge hourly rates?

If so, what's the problem?

No, flat rate. You can't charge by the hour anymore when you have "The Geek Squad" down the road and new PCs advertised by Dell for $299.

I hate this business.

Just be glad it wasn't an upgrade version too. Spend half a day tracking down old CDs to reinstall and then you're greeted by the activation crapolla as your reward. Just about aggravating enough to make me switch to Linux... oh wait, I already did. At least Bill Gates can sleep easy tonight knowing his $50,000,000,000 is safe from software pirates, like himself.

you'd save lots of trouble by pirating the corporate edition.. oops.. that's illegal..

way to encourage the more resourceful among us to pirate your software instead of buying it, microsoft.

Here's a simple fix: Don't install it! We all know it stinks. Many (most?) Linux users today are MS refugees. Just use Linux and be happy

Again, if this is really what you want, then do your part by not using their products.

Very simple, no?

yeah ma pc game with WinXP home... but its a pain in general without this Activation crap... so got linux...

the problem with Windows is its been designed for people who know nothing about computers so whan you get the hang of it its a signal to move on to something else...

probably Win98SE was the best edition of the MS operating system...

Not really, since they are customers' systems. I don't think they'd be very happy if they took their repaired PC home, fired it up to find Linux on it.

Personally, yes, I dual boot between Gentoo and Windows 2000.

Win2kPro by far

Screw windows, install slackware with that Windows XP look alike desktop manager and your customers will never know the difference, Until they go a week without the BSOD, then they might think something is up. LOL.

What really annoys me -

Me: goddamm, got to reactivate windows again, this is really pissing me off

Friends : what activation ? installing windows couldn't be simpler

I think that pretty much sums up the activation policy, punish people with genuine cd's while most of the users of pirated copies don't even know about activation

I could never get that to work on slackware. then i found myself wondering what the hell I was doing.

if people weren't so deathly afraid gray-on-black text I'm sure that would work just fine.

Windows 2000 Pro is the best WIndows, but it sucks compared to Linux big time!