for fairly complex and boring reasons I have had to perform a clean install
rather than the planned upgrade (vista home premium). a problem has arisen
however when i try to authenticate the software - although not that happy to
do so, i would pay the difference between the 2 types of licence but there
does not seem to be that option avaiable. surely this is happening all of the
time and microsoft have a way of upgrading online / by phone?????

"andy1912" <andy1912@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:55EAD7B3-6721-44C7-B435-00A8F7ADD206@microsoft.com...
> for fairly complex and boring reasons I have had to perform a clean
> install
> rather than the planned upgrade (vista home premium). a problem has arisen
> however when i try to authenticate the software - although not that happy
> to
> do so, i would pay the difference between the 2 types of licence but there
> does not seem to be that option avaiable. surely this is happening all of
> the
> time and microsoft have a way of upgrading online / by phone?????

MS has an 800 number you can call for activation or support of Vista if
that's what you're asking about.

I called the number the other day to ask where was the product key. I dialed
1-800-555-1212 and got the number for MS.

Or you can also use Google to get the MS product activation phone number,
which was rather hard to find.

Did you purchase a full retail copy or an upgrade? A full retail copy will
both upgrade and clean install, so there is no difference to pay between the
two. In actual fact even an upgrade will do a clean install, through the
back door simply by upgrading first then running setup again and selecting
custom install.

If the software has installed correctly and it is a genuine copy then there
should be no problem with activation. If you can't activate online, which I
find strange, then use the automated telephone option. If that won't
activate the copy then the automated system should put you through to a
'real' person who can guide you through the process. Obviously you will need
to be in front of your pc at the time.


--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

"andy1912" <andy1912@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:55EAD7B3-6721-44C7-B435-00A8F7ADD206@microsoft.com...
> for fairly complex and boring reasons I have had to perform a clean
> install
> rather than the planned upgrade (vista home premium). a problem has arisen
> however when i try to authenticate the software - although not that happy
> to
> do so, i would pay the difference between the 2 types of licence but there
> does not seem to be that option avaiable. surely this is happening all of
> the
> time and microsoft have a way of upgrading online / by phone?????

He did a format with his friends disk and now, sadly he forgot to pay.....

"John Barnett MVP" <freelanceit@mvps.org.NOSPAM> wrote in message
news:uXKrdlNkHHA.4112@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Did you purchase a full retail copy or an upgrade? A full retail copy will
> both upgrade and clean install, so there is no difference to pay between
> the two. In actual fact even an upgrade will do a clean install, through
> the back door simply by upgrading first then running setup again and
> selecting custom install.
>
> If the software has installed correctly and it is a genuine copy then
> there should be no problem with activation. If you can't activate online,
> which I find strange, then use the automated telephone option. If that
> won't activate the copy then the automated system should put you through
> to a 'real' person who can guide you through the process. Obviously you
> will need to be in front of your pc at the time.
>
>
> --
> John Barnett MVP
> Associate Expert
> Windows - Shell/User
>
> Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
> Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
>
> The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
> kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
> reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable
> for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out
> of the use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in
> this mail/post..
>
> "andy1912" <andy1912@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:55EAD7B3-6721-44C7-B435-00A8F7ADD206@microsoft.com...
>> for fairly complex and boring reasons I have had to perform a clean
>> install
>> rather than the planned upgrade (vista home premium). a problem has
>> arisen
>> however when i try to authenticate the software - although not that happy
>> to
>> do so, i would pay the difference between the 2 types of licence but
>> there
>> does not seem to be that option avaiable. surely this is happening all of
>> the
>> time and microsoft have a way of upgrading online / by phone?????
>

The legal term, 'innocent until proven guilty' springs to mind. Supposition
only clouds judgment.

--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows - Shell/User

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable for
any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of the
use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in this
mail/post..

"tomlives2000" <mail@mail.com> wrote in message
news:44R%h.17006$YL5.9227@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...
> He did a format with his friends disk and now, sadly he forgot to pay.....
>
> "John Barnett MVP" <freelanceit@mvps.org.NOSPAM> wrote in message
> news:uXKrdlNkHHA.4112@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Did you purchase a full retail copy or an upgrade? A full retail copy
>> will both upgrade and clean install, so there is no difference to pay
>> between the two. In actual fact even an upgrade will do a clean install,
>> through the back door simply by upgrading first then running setup again
>> and selecting custom install.
>>
>> If the software has installed correctly and it is a genuine copy then
>> there should be no problem with activation. If you can't activate online,
>> which I find strange, then use the automated telephone option. If that
>> won't activate the copy then the automated system should put you through
>> to a 'real' person who can guide you through the process. Obviously you
>> will need to be in front of your pc at the time.
>>
>>
>> --
>> John Barnett MVP
>> Associate Expert
>> Windows - Shell/User
>>
>> Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
>> Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org
>>
>> The information in this mail/post is supplied "as is". No warranty of any
>> kind, either expressed or implied, is made in relation to the accuracy,
>> reliability or content of this mail/post. The Author shall not be liable
>> for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out
>> of the use of, or inability to use, information or opinions expressed in
>> this mail/post..
>>
>> "andy1912" <andy1912@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:55EAD7B3-6721-44C7-B435-00A8F7ADD206@microsoft.com...
>>> for fairly complex and boring reasons I have had to perform a clean
>>> install
>>> rather than the planned upgrade (vista home premium). a problem has
>>> arisen
>>> however when i try to authenticate the software - although not that
>>> happy to
>>> do so, i would pay the difference between the 2 types of licence but
>>> there
>>> does not seem to be that option avaiable. surely this is happening all
>>> of the
>>> time and microsoft have a way of upgrading online / by phone?????
>>
>