I’m an owner of legit Windows XP Professional, and I do some computer builds and repairs from time to time.  I don’t blame Microsoft wanting to protect their Operating system from illegal coping, and that will in return reduce cost because no more stolen copies and they clam it’s Easy. The problem is “Windows Activation”, and you get treated as criminal. The Activation is Judge and Jury!

So what’s the problem with Windows Activation? 

Microsoft Assumption
Well for one thing is Windows XP been around for awhile. Microsoft has such high hopes that your computer will never run into problems, or need upgrades.

Failing Scenarios
You upgrade to a DVD burner, and increase your hard drive to 20gb to 200gb Drive, and that new powerful graphics card you been eyeballing. Of course you backup your drive restore this to a new drive, well your hardware hash has changed and you will be calling up Microsoft to get to your computer running again.

There are a lot of other scenarios but it comes down to this do a fresh install of windows XP your PC will Fail, your first install was free,  Microsoft ploy is Install your OS once, but NEVER again!

Making the Call
What really annoying is Calling Microsoft Activation! First you hear that Windows 95 Logo sound, so old!  Second you be talking to a Voice activated phone system. Which want to tell you to hang up now and try activating Windows Online. Of course that failed only works once! Then they want you to read a 54 Digit number. “What they never tell you can also use the Telephone Keypad to enter this 54 Digit number”, and you that half of Americans can even speak clearly!  Of course this whole automated system is a waste of you time, even if you clearly give this 54 digit number to the automated system with a legal copy of Windows XP. You’re going to fail! The best bet is to punch wrong number to get the live person. 

Now I’m not going to ditch India people or workers, their just as much as a hostage as your are to Windows Activation. That’s where you be speaking to a “Microsoft Rep” From the sounds of the background noise you hear thousands of enslaved India people trying to help the rest of the world get their legit copies of windows running again!  Now they can tell with your 54 Digit Number they know if it a legal Copy of window Key or of one that been circling the internet.  Microsoft goal is not to have one key on two computers, and they really can’t tell if that true, so that why you’re jumping the HOOPS! After you read off the 54 Digit number they will do the honest system, have you installed this on another computer? Yes / No, of course my answer No! Anyway they read this long number back where you type it in to get your PC back again.   Hopefully you can make out what your Microsoft Rep has said. Again I don’t blame India workers, some have to learn the language and speak it to deal with us and Microsoft failed activation system.

Conclusion
Microsoft claims this to protect from illegal copies. My questions to Microsoft, how is this costing the IT world to jump threw their hoops on other companies dime, how much is this costing Microsoft to keep this horrible Activation system going. How much is this adding to the cost of the operating system to hire all these workers to give out new keys? After all us legit users are paying the price, and then again!

Some of the pirates will always find a way to keep their illegal copies running. The vast Marjory of the illegal keys are known keys which will wipe out millions illegal copies. If you left it at that then the loss won’t be a much. Its balance and Microsoft has none!  Vista Activation outlook look don’t look so bright either, and word of a much higher cost.  The higher price lead to more illegal copies finding loops holes.

I expect in the future the pirates and hackers to blow up this Activation system in Microsoft face one day, by simply sending the OS a new registry key to change your legit key into a illegal key, and the WGA update on your system will claim your copy is illegal, overloading the Windows Telephone activation system with millions of more calls, and upset people.  Then Microsoft will be facing Judge and Jury why legal copies are hostage to their own Activation system.

Solution
I’m not an expert on creating a system to stop illegal keys. I do notice what works. It’s called a hardware key. The good ones come in USB Format. Really though stuff to break or copy this key.

First, motherboard manufactures could add an internal USB key so you can install it like memory chip. If you don’t have that option you can just plug it in your USB port.

If  Microsoft would make the following changes. Allow The OS to be installed on ANY computer. Just won’t let you log in unless the USB key is present.  This will make the roaming user VERY HAPPY.  To my desktop to my laptop with one copy of windows.
After all most of those users feel double charged. Also PC manufactures and home builders could offer the PC with the OS just not the key, reducing cost, and anyone can grab a copy of that OS for free. Again the cost is in the key to make the OS work.

USB keys if produced by Microsoft would bring down the normal cost big time when mass produced, heck it would be cheaper than that huge of people activating people system, on top of that nearly kill pirated copies, and making happy customers again.  They could even allow users to store their profile on the USB Drive. Allowing to change from one system to another quickly with almost no extra cost.

This USB key would have more advantages too as they can allow Microsoft Office Key to be hashed with the USB Window Key. Possibly killing illegal copies with other applications.

Hardware keys have been around in the form of LPT port for years, only a few been copied, and the USB keys are even harder. With Microsoft working with the kernel could allow a better trust between the OS>USB key. Preventing emulation from happening. The Hardware Key has special hardware that can be controlled by Microsoft. Even if the hacker was able to figure out how to make a key, it’s easier to trace them and shut them down. This answer would be a billion times better than the current system. Why has Microsoft made the right investment and make the right choices?