MS Activation

[Sprogget]

My nephew has asked me something I can't answer - he's bought a copy of Flight sim x from Amazon. It's definitely a legit copy, I've seen the box & discs etc. however, there is no product key, so he can't activate it.

Consequently it kicks him out every ten minutes or so. he emailed Amazon & they refunded him without question, but he still has the game, they don't want it back, so he looked into getting a replacement key. It seems from searching that if the product identification code is blank in the help screen (it is) then the game has never been activated, suggesting that the missing key is just a snafu at the factory.

Would MS give him a replacement? Not really my thing computer games, but I have to say, what I've seen of it looks stunning!

[FN-GM]

Hi,

I work in IT. This as happened before with other Microsoft products. If you call the activation line, prove you purchased the software legit, send a few scans and pics to show you have no key and they will send another. If the software disc or box has it own serial they will ask for that.

[Sprogget]

Great, thanks - we'll give it a go.

[al446]

Let me get this right Sprogget. He bought a product that was not as described, got a refund so had not really purchased it at all, still has the product minus activation (the reason for refund) and you are asking us law abiding people to assist in getting it working. Correct?

Now that your nephew has his refund he can go out and buy a legitimate copy with activation can he not?

He could have got the copy without activation without going through the whole Amazon experience by downloading the trial version, essentially what he has now. The good news is that MS will provide the code, bad news is it costs, probably more than he would pay at Amazon or Play.com.

[frostbite]

us law abiding people

Speak for yourself. Where M$ are concerned, anything goes.

[FN-GM]

sorry i didnt see you got a refund. Well you shouldn't do it then

[Sprogget]

Hang on a minute! He complained, got a refund & asked if he had to return it - they said no, presumably because it would be too much hassle to make saleable again. So he's in the unusual position of owning a copy that may yet turn out to be completely ok to use.

I don't see a moral question arising from Amazon's decision to gift him the copy!

[al446]

In which case Sprogget, to answer your nephew's question fully -

He is now one step further to owning a full legal copy of MSFSX than those who download the trial version and benefits from having some printed material that is not available to downloaders. The trial version is no different in code to his ie it only requires an activation code to give him unfettered access to the program. He may either purchase another copy from Amazon, Play, Ebay etc or pay MS for the code, I do not recommend MS as other routes are cheaper. There is no other legal way.

Nor is there a risk free illegal way, despite being a law abiding type person I keep my ear to the ground and I know of no crack to unlock it, anything that promises to do so is fool's gold, would probably come from a warez type site that carries more viruses than a stinking corpse.

Having looked at a south american net retailer I note that the 'Gold' edition is available for £16.39, hardly a rip off. How much would he like to pay for a trashed hard disk?

Hope this helps. Good luck to him and hope it whets his appetite.

[Sprogget]

All, with respect, you haven't had this straight from the start - what I asked was would MS assist us if we asked for help - not what you said which was me asking Pprune to help activate software.

Nor was the idea entertained of 'cracking' the software, which you imply my nephew entertains - it leads to a trashed hard disk does it? how would I know?

We've spoken to Microsoft now, explained, given them the serial numbers & they agreed it's a legit copy, never installed anywhere to their knowledge & have given us a replacement key.


We've done nothing wrong, in fact we've been scrupulously honest all the way. I don't understand the repeated suggestion that we are trying to cheat anyone.

[Bruce Wayne]

rubbish al446

he has a full legal copy on an MS disk, previously unregistered. it doesnt matter what the retailer required in payment for it. he has legal title to it.

i had an issue with a version of MS office, for which i was gifted by the retailer a full version of Office Pro, as well receiving a refund (having detected a specific issue)

its a full legal version, registered to no one but myself and have reinstalled many a time.

sprogget.. call the MS software registration telephone number, they'll ask some dumb ass questions and give you a registration key over the phone.

the activation wizard should give a number .

or look here

Activate your Microsoft games and mapping programs (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927007)

if you cant find it drop me a pm and i'll dig it out (just downgraded one of the laptops to XPP so it's at hand.

cheers sprogget.

[Simonta]

Speak for yourself. Where M$ are concerned, anything goes.

Cool, a society where we get to choose not only which laws we think we'll obey but who we'll steal from! Can't stand Apple, think I'll steal me a copy of OS X. Ok with you?

[green granite]

Or you could argue that it's compensation for being pi$$ed about.

[Sprogget]

There is that GG.

As a matter of fact, we told the guy on the other end of the phone the whole story. Clearly, neither of us have any morals whatsoever.

Be sure to lock up your daughters.:rolleyes:

[al446]

"Be sure to lock up your daughters" They were sold into slavery a couple of years ago to buy some more computer games. :ok:

[frostbite]

Good grief!

SoCal App for Pope?

[le Pingouin]

SoCal, what rubbish.

What if I buy a mechanical device from you, discover it's non-functional, you give me my money back & say I can keep it. Seems a shame to throw it out so I open it up, discover a broken piece & replace it. Device now works.

According to you I've stolen it.:D:D:D:D

Vote 1 SoCal for Pope:ok::ok::ok:

[al446]

Seems a shame to throw it out so I open it up, discover a broken piece & replace it. Device now works.

In this case the vendor, understanding device to be non working gives refund and decides to scrap it and leaves it to the scavengers. The person who repairs it has input some expertise in reviving it and may legally claim it as it has been abandoned as worthless and now has worth. No theft.

This is not analogous to the case presented. Software requiring activation code was supplied without one, refund was issued and recipient was left with original medium supplied, this is not equivalent to having been granted access to the intellectual copyright as the original commercial transaction is no longer valid due to the refund. In order to activate it a code must be obtained, in this case a call to MS grants that code, if the person who supplied that code has had the full circumstances explained but is not authorised to supply it under the circumstances then the usage of that software continues to be illegal and the employee in breach of contract. I cannot however see Plod hot on the heels of the user as reasonable mitigation would be present.

The two are NOT analogous.

Sprogget - If you read my OP I did not accuse anyone of trying to do anything illegal, I simply offered a caveat against doing so in a later post.

[Saab Dastard]

This is going nowhere, I've had enough, I can't take any more.

Closed

SD