Vista - Microsoft's AnyWasteOfTime Upgrade - Now with new useless locker.

Microsoft - What's up with this?!

1) Laptop comes with Vista Business, I purchase an upgrade to Ultimate with the vista anytime upgrade DVD (10 bucks + upgrade cost). I run fine for a little over a year including the service pack 1 install recently.

2) Vista decides to stop working. I had a trojan/virus and though I thought I cleaned it, I suspect I didn't. Computer won't boot whatsoever. Typical MS OS - reboot automatically after/during crcdisk.sys safe or no safe boot.

3) I could spend time fixing it, but a year plus on Vista equals a 15+ minute reboot time so I figure why not just reinstall.

4) Knowing this might be an issue but assuming microsoft would not be completely lame about it, I decide to install Vista Ultimate vs do the business + ultimate upgrade + service pack 1 dance.

5) After I install I go to my precious Microsoft Digital Locker and try to install the key. It says no dice, not compatible with this version of Windows. Joy.

6) I then click on the help link in the error window only to be sent to a now completely defunct website na.windowsanytimeupgradestore.com. Bad certifcate and then a 404 - graceful exit on that one MS.

7) Then I call the 877 666 2296 (such an ironic prefix huh?) only to be told that it too has been shutdown, permanently.

8) Then I send email via web form and get told that I have to call customer support, etc.

9) After a rediculous 3 ring circus act with pass the hot potato play with MS I decide that I'd rather just air this BS out here and see if anyone wants to do the right thing.

Should I have installed Business and then done the Ultimate upgrade and then installed Service Pack 1? - The answer is NO. The key process, especially the locker, which btw will only generously display your key for 3 lousy days after your purchase is flawed, discountinued and useless.

All I can say is this silliness is weak cheese. Knowing all the ways around the stupid key process, being an MS partner with tons of vista ult keys, I still tried to be legit about this and the only thing I asked of MS was to not have to go through an upgrade process for an operating system I paid for. For that I am rewarded completely lousy and useless support.

MS - Not a shining moment for you.

jp

Cleaning a Compromised System
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...mt/sm0504.mspx

After reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling your operating system,
consider installing a good antivirus program, such as Windows OneCare.
You can try it absolutely FREE for 90 days.
http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/default.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

"jprall" wrote:

Microsoft - What's up with this?!

1) Laptop comes with Vista Business, I purchase an upgrade to Ultimate
with the vista anytime upgrade DVD (10 bucks + upgrade cost). I run fine
for a little over a year including the service pack 1 install recently.

2) Vista decides to stop working. I had a trojan/virus and though I
thought I cleaned it, I suspect I didn't. Computer won't boot
whatsoever. Typical MS OS - reboot automatically after/during
crcdisk.sys safe or no safe boot.

3) I could spend time fixing it, but a year plus on Vista equals a 15+
minute reboot time so I figure why not just reinstall.

4) Knowing this might be an issue but assuming microsoft would not be
completely lame about it, I decide to install Vista Ultimate vs do the
business + ultimate upgrade + service pack 1 dance.

5) After I install I go to my precious Microsoft Digital Locker and try
to install the key. It says no dice, not compatible with this version of
Windows. Joy.

6) I then click on the help link in the error window only to be sent to
a now completely defunct website na.windowsanytimeupgradestore.com. Bad
certifcate and then a 404 - graceful exit on that one MS.

7) Then I call the 877 666 2296 (such an ironic prefix huh?) only to be
told that it too has been shutdown, permanently.

8) Then I send email via web form and get told that I have to call
customer support, etc.

9) After a rediculous 3 ring circus act with pass the hot potato play
with MS I decide that I'd rather just air this BS out here and see if
anyone wants to do the right thing.

Should I have installed Business and then done the Ultimate upgrade and
then installed Service Pack 1? - The answer is NO. The key process,
especially the locker, which btw will only generously display your key
for 3 lousy days after your purchase is flawed, discountinued and
useless.

All I can say is this silliness is weak cheese. Knowing all the ways
around the stupid key process, being an MS partner with tons of vista
ult keys, I still tried to be legit about this and the only thing I
asked of MS was to not have to go through an upgrade process for an
operating system I paid for. For that I am rewarded completely lousy and
useless support.

MS - Not a shining moment for you.

jp


--
jprall

Yeah, thanks for the help. It would be a waste of time (sense a theme yet?) to install all that fancy for pay software from MS to protect an Operating System WITH NO KEY. Even though I paid for the upgrade.

Is your Arsenal of Good Advice filled with nothing but 2004 documents?

Thanks so very much for your assistance. Have a wonderful Monday.

I just checked my online digital locker and my key is retrievable. I bought
my upgrade about 6 months ago.
I went to "Programs and Features", on the left panel is "View purchased
software (digital locker)".
I then sign in and can view the software or what ever it is. I click on View
License and click on the link "Windows Vista Home Premium to Ultimate" and a
window comes up labeled "Software Licensing Commerce Client".
I can Save the license or Install the license.
Since my copy is Vista Ultimate and is already activated, I can't test if a
new install can then be "licensed" with this key.


"jprall" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:74d997a4a11982e98546b6093bf42661@xxxxxx-gateway.com...