Microsoft Genuine Advantage Program

[Walts]

 

...I am gathering documentation in preparation to going to battle with Microsoft. They have blocked the product key for my MS Office Pro for some reason and I am going to try to find out why and get them to reinstate it.

Not sure what you mean?

 :yy:

[Spock]

 Not sure what you mean?

A copy of Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003 I purchased online back on 8/13/2005 has had its Product Key blocked. It was only just blocked sometime late last year, around August or September of 2006 (will try to pinpoint the exact date later).

I had just wiped the hard drive of a notebook I was going to give to my mother and was trying to reinstall any software I thought would be useful to her. When the message came up I decided I couldn't pursue the matter further as I was trying to get ready to go down to Florida. Since then, my mother had a stroke, went from the hospital to a Rehabilitation facility, went to a Nursing Facility, and finally died. For some reason, I never thought to pursue further that puzzling error message I got from Microsoft, especially since the notebook is now in pieces waiting for a new display.

Just a couple of days ago, I was trying to research some information for a forum user and got the same error message; this time on one of my LAN computers that had not given me any indications of any problem up until this time. I now decided that I needed to investigate further.

I finally got through to a live person with Microsoft a couple of days ago and was transferred to several differentCustomer Service Techs in different departments. They all gave the same reply but sent me on to someone else who might have been able to help further. Their reply was basically the same, "The Product Key you are using has been blocked because we have detected that it is being used to pirate copies of Microsoft Office."

I have original CDs, though I did not get a box, documentation, or a COA as I specifically ordered an OEM version as I didn't need any of that. I wanted a multi-use copy so I could install it on any of my active computers here in my local office. I "was told" it was a five computer license, so installed it on 3 PCs, one notebook, and was going to reinstall it on the notebook I was going to give my mother to use.

I don't need this frustration at this time but I also don't need Microsoft to deny me use of something I bought and paid for. The CDs have their labels printed on the CD and there is a Microsoft hologram, also imprinted on the CD, on each of the 3 CDs I got.

Does that explain sufficiently what I am going through?

[Walts]

 

Does that explain sufficiently what I am going through?

It would seem that someone's (Microsoft / the merchant from whom you purchased the 5 machine version) "records" do not support what you purchased and installed as being an "original" version.

I did not get a box, documentation, or a COA as I specifically ordered an OEM version

FWIW, all "original" OEM products come with documentation and a COLA, usually shrink-wrapped.

All that said, I am somewhat surprised that Microsoft did not pass you off to a "problem resolution" group.

Microsoft gave you now "resolution" steps?

 :yy:

[Spock]

... Microsoft gave you no "resolution" steps?

Sure they did, :contact the original vendor and get (him?) to send me a valid Product Key" or (from their website) buy a new copy at almost $600.00 x 5 machine minimum! I use this to learn enough about their software so I can teach bare minimum usage to my adult students. Even an Academic License is $92 X 5 machines!

[RANT ]I don't want to buy anything from them, I want a Product Key that works! I finally found the packaging that the disks were mailed in. The return address is on the package and will be provided to paypal and Microsoft with the hope that one of them can get a response. The original email address no longer provides a route of communication, it appears to be invalid.

I never posted this in the hopes that you would be able to help. I can understand a company wanting to protect their vested interests. I can also understand a company doing what's right rather than what's strictly the letter of the law. The biggest treason Microsoft has the reputation it does with so many people is that they don't seem to care about anything but raking in the money. If the original provider sent a pirated copy, I hope they get everything they deserve. I have had my own, personally developed and published software stolen, so I know how it feels. I just think that Microsofts response could be a little more helpful.[/RANT ]

[cmptch]

It's a real pain in the butt. When you have crackers out there making key generators from reverse engineered code, who knows what number these pirates are using?

Not to be helpful, but did you register the software? I look at registration like a plague and avoid it at all costs.

(For other user reading this)
Registration does provide a sort of proof of ownership with the software company when you prepare to do battle.

If your unable to use your office package and need to, might I recommend Openoffice.org? It has all the features of microsoft office, with the added bonus of: you can save documents in just about every other office package format. it's free too.

[Spock]

If I remember correctly, I did register my software as soon as I installed it. Not that it has done me much good to this point. I have also found the new email address of the company I bought the software from and sent them an email (CC to Microsoft, paypal, and pricegrabber) asking them to make good by supplying a valid Product Key.

I have also now installed Open Office and will be using it in future classes, whether this is straightened up with Microsoft or not. We are due to get some donated computers to replace the old ones in the class and they will all have Open Office installed, so I need to learn how to use it anyway.

It is just such happenings as this that drive customers away from Microsoft. While I feel they have done some good by forcing many diverse groups to standardise, they have also done much harm by stifling competition. Only time will tell how long they will stay in business.

I would much rather be a supporter than a detractor of anyone offering sales and service but I will only offer support to the extent that I get service. When the service is negative ...

[Walts]

...I am gathering documentation in preparation to going to battle with Microsoft. They have blocked the product key for my MS Office Pro...

Read Scot’s Newsletter (http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/89.htm)

Microsoft WGA Returns to Windows XP

Over the past couple of weeks Microsoft has attempted to slip in a modified version of its WGA Notifications anti-piracy functionality. All of my several Windows XP machines, which have the Automatic Updates feature throttled back to notify only about pending updates, have tried once again to install WGA Notifications — even though I've previously declined this patch, and have properly indicated to Automatic Updates not to offer me this software again. For Microsoft, though, this is apparently a whole new thing that wipes the slate clean. They have a major new update of WGA Notifications. So they're apparently allowed to sneak this in again? Right. That wasn't a self-serving decision.

Microsoft's Knowledgebase article for the update doesn't tell you what's new in this latest release. It's just an undocumented update of WGA Notifications. (For more info, read this description of the Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications application.)

I continue to recommend that you not accept this update, even though it's not really the business end of Microsoft's anti-piracy measures for XP. The heart of Microsoft's WGA for XP is a related but separate program called WGA Validation. It is also an optional installation that dates back to July 2005. But most people's PCs have this bit installed. WGA Validation determines the validity of your Windows installation; WGA Notifications is the tool that communicates with you when WGA Validation determines your copy of Windows XP might not be legitimate. Microsoft's companion Knowledgebase article for WGA Validation is: Description of Windows Genuine Advantage.

The WGA Notifications Knowledgebase article now claims you can't uninstall WGA Notifications permanently. (Microsoft is nuts!) You used to be able to uninstall it, and they gave you directions in an older version of this very document on how to do that.

For more information about WGA Validation and WGA Notifications, including how to both block and uninstall the latter (at least in the previous versions of it), please see this SFNL story from last summer — and read it carefully:

• What Is WGA? (http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/83.htm#wgaoff)
• How to Block WGA Notifications from Installing (http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/83.htm#preventdef)
• How to Uninstall WGA Notifications (may not work for latest version) (http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/83.htm#stepbystep)

Good Luck!

p.s. let us know

[Spock]

Thanks! I have saved the pertinent sections as a text file and am now printing them out. I will let you know if it is successful.

[Spock]

Just to update this discussion, the Microsoft reps I "talked" with did nothing but parrot the party line. I did not have a valid copy, so there is nothing they will do for me. The vendor refuses to acknowledge my communications, and PayPal is keeping well out of it all.

To make a long story short, I have removed the software from my computer and am refusing to teach it to my students any more. I have found a viable alternative in OpenOffice.org and will be teaching that instead. It's an almost direct replacement for MS Office and it costs far less ... it's free! As far as I can tell, it successfully reads MS Office documents of all types and displays them as if it were MS Office. The control layout is different, so I will have to learn that but I am now MS Office free and, if I have anything to do with it, so will all my students and anyone else they talk with.