November 23, 2008 by
Jason
Windows XP has less stringent Windows Product Activation algorithm compared with Windows Vista. For example, PC computers from branded OEM (original equipment manufacturer) is activated out-of-factory, and most hackers and pirates go for volume licensing (commonly known as VL or VOL) version of Windows XP Professional which when installed with a volume product key (VLK), does not require user to activate again online or by phone.
However, Windows XP does require product activation too. Doesn’t need (as in the case of when using OEM or VLK product key, which is instantly and automated activated) to perform steps to activate Windows XP doesn’t mean that Windows XP is not activated, and activated Windows XP is one of the requirement for the installed copy of operating system to be considered by genuine by Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Validation Tool.
To check, view or verify the Windows XP current activation status, open Run command from Start Menu, and run the following command: Read More»
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October 12, 2008 by
Jason Microsoft gave computer makers a six-month extension for offering Windows XP on newly-shipped PCs. While this doesn’t impact enterprise IT because volume licensing agreements will allow IT to keep installing Windows XP for many years to come the move is another symbolic nail in Vista’s coffin.
The public reputation of Windows Vista is in shambles, as Microsoft itself tacitly acknowledged in its Mojave ad campaign.
IT departments are largely ignoring Vista. In June (18 months after Vista’s launch), Forrester Research reported that just 8.8% of enterprise PCs worldwide were running Vista. Meanwhile, Microsoft appears to have put Windows 7 on an accelerated schedule that could see it released in 2010. That will provide IT departments with all the justification they need to simply skip Vista and wait to eventually standardize on Windows 7 as the next OS for business.
So how did Vista get left holding the bag?
Let’s look at the five most important reasons why Vista failed. Read More»
Posted in windows vista | 2 Comments »
Microsoft has adapted the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool to the third and last service pack for Windows XP. Designed to inform the end users that their operating system has failed to pass the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation process, the WGA Notifications component is now set up to integrate seamlessly not only with XP SP2 but also with Service Pack 3.
While avoiding terminology such as “pirated” and “counterfeit,” WGA Notifications will provide end users running Windows XP copies detected as non-genuine with the necessary information and assistance for them to get valid licenses for the operating system.
“Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications notifies you if a copy of Microsoft Windows XP is not genuine. The notification messages only appear on computers that have failed the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process and that are running a copy of Windows XP that is not genuine. If you are running a validated, genuine copy of Windows XP, you will not receive notification messages,” reads an excerpt from the tools description. Read More»
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Windows Product Activation (WPA) is Microsoft’s way of keeping you from installing a copy of Windows Vista on more than one computer. It basically marries the copy of Windows Vista you’ve purchased to the computer’s hardware it’s installed on.
The WPA Process
When you enter the product key three identifiers are generated and collected:
* Hardware ID: A unique identifier that’s generated from information gathered about the computer’s hardware.
* Product ID: A 25-character unique key supplied when you purchase Windows Vista.
* Installation ID: An identifier Windows Vista creates from the hardware ID and product ID. Read More»
Posted in Windows XP, windows vista | 1 Comment »
