Comments on: Windows Genuine Advantage: Guilty until Proven Innocent http://benlog.com/articles/2007/08/27/windows-genuine-advantage-guilty-until-proven-innocent/ crypto applied to public policy Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:35:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Philip Jacob http://benlog.com/articles/2007/08/27/windows-genuine-advantage-guilty-until-proven-innocent/#comment-100045 Philip Jacob Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:37:50 +0000 http://benlog.com/articles/2007/08/27/windows-genuine-advantage-guilty-until-proven-innocent/#comment-100045 I have two Dells. One came with Vista. One came with no operating system. I wanted to put Vista on the one that came with no OS and run Linux on the one that came with Vista. In other words, I wanted to switch the OS on each computer. Vista accepted the registration key, but wouldn't register. This was a fresh, never-used copy of Vista. Oddly enough, this was a completely legit thing to do in my mind. I called MSFT support. I explained that I had a license for Vista, etc. They said that, no, in fact, my *computer* had a license for Vista and since it was an OEM version, I couldn't install it anywhere else. I don't think that I've ever experienced software that has made me feel like I'm getting screwed as badly as Vista does. I have two Dells. One came with Vista. One came with no operating system. I wanted to put Vista on the one that came with no OS and run Linux on the one that came with Vista. In other words, I wanted to switch the OS on each computer.

Vista accepted the registration key, but wouldn’t register. This was a fresh, never-used copy of Vista. Oddly enough, this was a completely legit thing to do in my mind.

I called MSFT support. I explained that I had a license for Vista, etc. They said that, no, in fact, my *computer* had a license for Vista and since it was an OEM version, I couldn’t install it anywhere else.

I don’t think that I’ve ever experienced software that has made me feel like I’m getting screwed as badly as Vista does.

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