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Looks like they are disabling Prated XP Also
My X's Grandmother called me the other night saying she updated her computer to the new WGA and now it wont boot into windows. I went over there and sure enough it gets to the windows splash screen and stays there. It would boot into safe mode though.
She did not have the restore disk because her computer is an old dell she bought at a garage sale for $50.00. Shes on a fixed income and that is the only way she could afford one.
She new she had a pirated version of XP once WGA came out. I offered then to load FreeSpire on it for her but she was worried about having to learn all new programs and losing some. Mostly games she loaded for the grandkids and a knitting program.
I did the usual Virus/Trojan scan, restore etc just in case in safe mode all to no avail. I tried to get her to let me load FreeSpire again and promised to help her learn how to use it but she felt she was to old and she knew and liked windows. When I told her it would cost at least $100.00 to buy the XP upgrade (I'm sure the dell had 98/Mil on it) it looked like she was about to cry. Then I really felt bad when she reached for the Grandkids Birthday/Christmas jar to give me the money to get XP for her. So I Called My X, Her granddaughter and guilted her into buying her the XP upgrade. If I can work for free she can pony up for the upgrades.
I did the upgrade over the old install. Cant lose all those pics of the grandkids. And guess what, It no longer would give you 30 days before activation, you had to activate it before it would boot up. In this case over the phone because it would not recognize the wireless lan card until it booted completely.
So know she has a legal copy of XP but what about all those other grandmothers on fixed incomes with garage sale computers that don't have some one like myself and a relative that can help?
Way to go MS!! I hope you are Proud!!!

PS. Sorry for the length of the post but seeing an old lady about to cry because she cant afford the MS Tax really tore me up!!!!
Posted by: bka1959   Posted on: 03/30/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Every coin only spent once...  John Le'Brecage | 03/30/07
Does it matter?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
How much older ?  mKind | 03/30/07
Looks like they are disabling Prated XP Also  bka1959 | 03/30/07
Oops, Should read "Pirated" NT  bka1959 | 03/30/07
Really Care, Huh?  DarienHawk67 | 04/02/07
God damns pirate  pa2004 | 03/30/07
Then there's a free ticket to heaven  pueblonative | 03/30/07
Free only if you know how...  Confused by religion | 03/30/07
Chapter and verse?  credmedia | 03/30/07
Which?  Saugus | 03/30/07
But wait, MS makes products EASY to pirate on purpose. They want them to  DonnieBoy | 03/30/07
Vista makes copying a monster task  Chad_z | 03/30/07
What a silly and useless rant. (And full of BS)  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Steady a little on please  Ross44 | 03/30/07
Chad catch a clue?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Why not post a link from the National Enquirer, also  GuidingLight | 03/30/07
And of course the company you work for  John Zern | 03/30/07
PID  paperclipmonkey | 03/30/07
I don't know why the pirates are even bothering.  Henry Miller | 03/30/07
Becauie they, like others, want the best  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Then they need to look a little harder...  Henry Miller | 03/30/07
re: Vista Can Be Taken Down by an Animated Cursor  M.R. Kennedy | 03/30/07
Out of the muck.  Henry Miller | 03/30/07
And, by the way...  Henry Miller | 03/30/07
Let's tell the whole story then...  Knorthern Knight | 03/30/07
That's why WE use linux! (NT)  linux for me | 03/30/07
Mac OSX is the  Linux User 147560 | 03/30/07
And that woold make Linux, what?  John Zern | 03/30/07
Nope...  Linux User 147560 | 03/30/07
I thought it was what tool to get the job done.  osreinstall | 03/31/07
Mac OSX  A.Sinic | 03/31/07
You've Got to be Kidding!  Saugus | 03/30/07
And that would be Windows 7 perhaps?  B.O.F.H. | 03/30/07
Best supported OS yes - best OS, questionable  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
Hmmm...  Saugus | 03/30/07
11/10  MacCanuck | 03/30/07
If Ever. . .  boilers78 | 03/30/07
don't think it could be #1 or #2...  jmelnik | 04/04/07
The Best?????  rattatatt@... | 03/30/07
Becauie No Axe Can't Spell & Vista is Average at best  johnpall@... | 04/01/07
I would beg to differ  GuidingLight | 03/30/07
We can all sleep easy now  whisperycat | 03/30/07
Vista's Misplaced Focus?  ReverendK | 03/30/07
Say what?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Right......  linux for me | 03/30/07
So what do you use  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
It is not needed..  Patrick Jones | 03/30/07
You are, for once, correct!  linux for me | 03/30/07
Good gosh-  justanitguy | 03/30/07
You need to go to Onecare's forum and read !  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
UAC? (nt)  CobraA1 | 03/31/07
DRM is a waste of time  cyngaines | 03/30/07
Hardware DRM  M.R. Kennedy | 03/30/07
Expensive new closed architecture is expensive.  miyojim | 03/31/07
Made me switch to Linux  sweklaweklfwe@... | 03/30/07
Yawn Linux  Elder Developer | 03/30/07
I'm glad it works for you and what you do with it  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
well said both of you  doas777 | 03/30/07
hate to disagree  ivanotter | 03/30/07
Um..., to stray a little more off-topic  Saugus | 03/31/07
Source please  ITGuy04 | 03/30/07
Does anyone care about me ( user) ?  ARyKaXaN | 03/30/07
Hardware acceleration isn't the problem  CobraA1 | 04/01/07
Works for me  macoafi | 04/03/07
ME too...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
I really think you need to need to be informed  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
?????  slow_descent | 03/30/07
And That's Why No One Will Hire You  itanalyst | 03/30/07
Bull!  linux for me | 03/30/07
I'm still waiting for the list of supposed "missing" applications (nt)  CobraA1 | 04/01/07
Try this...  macoafi | 04/03/07
Made You Switch to Linux  bkelly@... | 03/30/07
So if someone uses something other  Linux User 147560 | 03/30/07
need to correct something  macoafi | 04/03/07
Ignorance is your bliss  sweklaweklfwe@... | 03/30/07
Have to agree...  fiodoir_daibhi@... | 03/30/07
Microsoft makes copying Vista a monster task  Loverock Davidson | 03/30/07
I'm surprised!  Reverend MacFellow | 03/30/07
me too!  Loverock Davidson | 03/30/07
Good for users? I think not  itanalyst | 03/30/07
That's great!  John Zern | 03/30/07
well thank goodness you told us that!  tubr0 | 04/03/07
I agree with you, MS should protect their OS  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
And so I buy my Mac  nucrash | 03/30/07
No! The truth is  Ole Man | 03/30/07
Drug trafic is a better analogy.  miyojim | 03/31/07
Easier than XP to Copy  Elder Developer | 03/30/07
seriously folks  jcohen@... | 03/30/07
BULL  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Why bother with Vista pirates?  roger@... | 03/30/07
Yeah, well I hated Luna  CobraA1 | 03/31/07
grammar and spelling  opinionated@... | 03/30/07
Yes, here in Mexico too.  bigmutt | 03/30/07
Is this a press release?  rikkuotaku | 03/30/07
Couldn't agree more!  roger@... | 03/30/07
activation mess  kulkan | 03/30/07
Vista? XP? Linux?  robert@... | 03/30/07
Linux - Mac - Windows - support  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
Ubuntu 7.04?  macoafi | 04/03/07
why do pirates bother? simple!!  badolato@... | 03/30/07
Where there is a will, there is a way  ds80501 | 03/30/07
If you don't like the price  Shelendrea | 03/30/07
I'd pay double the price for a better activation  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
Price is an issue but quality is a greater...  fiodoir_daibhi@... | 03/30/07
Preach  gotitright | 03/30/07
lol wink  klumper | 03/31/07
Imagine for a minute that  gotitright | 03/30/07
Not hardly...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
Actually if the rest of the world shifts  Linux User 147560 | 03/30/07
C'mon, there are over 300 million in the US!  B.O.F.H. | 03/30/07
What a narowed way of thinking  ARyKaXaN | 03/30/07
What a sad little boy you are.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
You are joking right?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
Linux works fine with Windows and Office  CobraA1 | 03/31/07
Really....  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
Other than you, who is whining? (nt)  CobraA1 | 04/01/07
Not Hardly  leewen@... | 04/07/07
Anti-piracy = more viruses.  CanOpener | 03/30/07
So your suggestions is what?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/30/07
You kill me...  PC Geek | 03/30/07
You have noticed where MS caters to, right?  klumper | 03/30/07
Sorry you are wrong...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
This is not a reaction to need, it's a reaction to greed  klumper | 03/31/07
What a envious silly diatribe!  osreinstall | 03/31/07
You're certainly on the right trail now  Ole Man | 03/31/07
Just remember  frgough | 03/30/07
Appreciation  M.R. Kennedy | 03/30/07
Really?  Rick_K | 03/30/07
How can you seriously compare the two?  John Zern | 03/30/07
Really.  M.R. Kennedy | 03/31/07
Point to be made...  Rick_K | 04/01/07
Point Returned For Insufficient Postage  M.R. Kennedy | 04/01/07
And all this crap makes it even harder for legal users to live with Windows  BitTwiddler | 03/30/07
Constant Validation Notices?  -Kestrel- | 03/30/07
Consider Yourself Lucky and Fortunate  Ole Man | 03/30/07
ABMer "OleMan" said:  M.R. Kennedy | 03/31/07
Never used Vista  Ole Man | 03/31/07
re: Never Used Vista  M.R. Kennedy | 03/31/07
Any Who Has Any Reading Ability AT All  Ole Man | 03/31/07
If you haven't seen it reported  John Zern | 03/30/07
I couldn't agree with you more  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
You're in good company  Ole Man | 03/30/07
So vote with your wallet  ITGuy04 | 03/30/07
Constant??!  rock06r | 04/02/07
Why concern ourselves with MS Piracy ?  intrepi@... | 03/30/07
Piracy is a must do  rhon@... | 03/30/07
Absolutely!  bigmutt | 03/30/07
A sinking ship  ninja@... | 03/30/07
Yeah, that's believable  John Zern | 03/30/07
Here is how a big company can sink.  miyojim | 03/31/07
Next you're going to predict...  rock06r | 04/02/07
Windows Genuine Advantage ... not  fiodoir_daibhi@... | 03/30/07
Having just rebuilt a friends' box...  8string | 03/30/07
The Reason People Pirate Windows  Ole Man | 03/30/07
Pirating Linux?  M.R. Kennedy | 03/31/07
Because even pirated WIndows is better than any Linux  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
I disagree  voska | 04/02/07
You can only pirate wares that have monetary value.  osreinstall | 03/31/07
I'd hate to be a comedian in this crowd  Ole Man | 03/31/07
Never a Comedian...  M.R. Kennedy | 03/31/07
Your Opinion Is Like Your Feet  Ole Man | 03/31/07
Comparisons  M.R. Kennedy | 04/01/07
You are not the only one.  osreinstall | 04/01/07
Great advice!  Ole Man | 04/01/07
It always is.  osreinstall | 04/01/07
Don't worry, and don't fret  Ole Man | 04/01/07
I'm not you knucklehead.  osreinstall | 04/01/07
Um, pirates don't complain  voska | 04/02/07
The wannabees do all the time.  osreinstall | 04/02/07
Simply about FREE CHOICE.  linuxiac | 03/30/07
Frre to chose limited apps and badly written drivers.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 03/31/07
I've been waiting for evidence of this, I imagine I'll always be waiting nt  CobraA1 | 04/01/07
If dell is banking on Linux...  rock06r | 04/02/07
Never had that problem  voska | 04/02/07
If dell is banking on Linux...  leewen@... | 04/07/07
Why not  wuboyblue | 03/31/07
You shouldn't speak of that...  Rick_K | 04/01/07
M$ has a history of Piracy: It takes one to know one  Old Timer 8080 | 03/31/07
Microsoft, Apple and Sun have a long road ahead  Boot_Agnostic | 03/31/07
too funny  ChazzMatt | 04/01/07
If I can't copy it I don't want it.  Resuna | 04/02/07
Should still work  voska | 04/02/07
ZDNet TheMicrosoft shill once again!!!!  wizardb@... | 04/02/07
too funny  ChazzMatt | 04/02/07
MS should be free  brike@... | 04/02/07
I'll try not to laugh too much  Ole Man | 04/02/07
What's the matter sorehead?  osreinstall | 04/03/07
What do we have to gain from Microsoft's anti-piracy measures?  chasmagc@... | 04/03/07
Microsoft makes invalidating Vista an easy task  Eight_Quarter_Bit | 04/10/07

What do you think?

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