Microsoft's antipiracy tool phones home daily

LOL!I m in Italy right now,and things are like this: 1)You can only call on office hours and no weekends,2)They have an automatic service in MS ,where theoretically you should just insert the (48?) digit crap you get after the internet activation fails.Well,it never worked for me.An operator confirmed that it never works and i ll always have to talk to a real person (then why on earth do they torture the user having to put all that digits through the phone dials?).Then the times i called (about 4),none of them was native Italian.My Italian was MUCH better than his,with the result that i had several times to ask them to repeat the code that they give you.BTW,do they also make you the "usual interrogation" there too?(did you format?Do you install it for the first time?Is this the same PC,or a second PC? and the memorable "Thank you for calling MS" at the end?ROFL!As if i had a choice!).

Anyway,guess what.After the last time,i got irritated with the interrogation and bought a pirate copy that they sell right out of my univ.I used it for about 4 months.In the meantime,i decided to use Nero Back it Up,since it's the only imaging solution that doesn't require background service and thought of enduring yet another interrogation.So i thought "i ll put the legal XP back,make an image of it with just the drivers and patience".To my great surprise,they have reactivated me the internet activation.I didn't have to call MS this time.I don't know how this happened,since the operator had clearly told me that i would not be able to activate it through internet ever again.Maybe these 4 months with my serial disappearing from their database,windows update etc,made them more soft again in order to "locate" me once more?I don't know.
Anyway,now with the images i format less than in the past,but if they start asking me to phone again,now i know the "cure".It's sad to have the legal XP (and 98SE) and resort to that,but i m changing things too often on my PC and i want it without garbage drivers.

Anyway,next stop is Linux,if i ever make it.

 

I think that simply with the almost perfect monopoly they have,they just don't care.When i had first called them,i had asked the operator if she could reactivate me again the internet activation for the same amount of limited times i had before.The answer was a dry "no,you ll have to call us from now on".All the times i was irritated.And all the times,as if nothing was wrong they ended with a cheerful "thank you for calling MS".I mean,first they punish you with the office hours in which they are available,then with the auto service crap that doesn' work,then you have to go through the interrogation and finally a cheerful "thank you for calling MS" which makes you feel like a TOTAL idiot.

 

Hello,
Our phone calls must help. Just call them and tell them this: I am a customer, blah blah, I even bought MS shares once, but now I sold them, because they predict a massive downfall because of your wga, I this that, lawyer blah blah, etc. And do it three times a week. It should work. I hope.
Mrk

 

Ok,i just called or to say it best,tried to I m always more convinced that they simply don't care.I found out that i have the right for 2 support questions either via phone calls or emails ,after which i ll have to pay 49 Euros + 20% VAT for every other question i have : I 'd better keep them for something more important,i m on a student budget.
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=it&prid=3987&gprid=78515

So i thought i d better see if there is a "green" phone line (toll free).
And in deed found these "green lines" :

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/6088/screenhunter0436ux.jpg

Apart XBox and Product activation,i ve no idea what the others are for.So i called "Antipiracy Hotline",which was supposed to be functional till 13:00.I called on 12:36 as seen in the screenshot too.All i got was an automatic message that told me that the service is functional from Monday to Friday etc bla bla (same thing as in the link) and that the operators are "momentarily occupied and to please try to call again later or leave my name and phone number and they will contact me".Yeah,i plan becoming friend with the operators soon and send them post cards at Xmas.I think they should rename it to "coldline".

It's the same chaos with their auto activating procedure if you ask me.I m sure they 're all on their way to their dinning tables and left the answering machine on.ROFL!Occupied too much that couldn't even put me on hold?YEah,right,i m sure...Here they sell pirate copies at street and on squares with the police that passes by,the "pirates" whistle ,they cover the CDs with a piece of cloth and uncover them once the police passes and goes back to their car that is stationed 20 meters further.It's the "understanding" between the police officers and the pirates.No wonder they ve put the answering machines and gone.I bet nobody calls them ever.

This is lost time,i 'd better go back to read for my exams and prepare better for Linux.

 

Hello,
I'm actually talking to the local ms representatives. No automated messages or anything. The number ain't toll free, but it's local, plus that's what the work phone is for.
Mrk

 

yep. i also wonder what else it's sending home. checking every update was excessive. Now they say it will happen every two weeks or monthly, then stop altogether. that doesn't make sense...unless they really are gathering data and will have enough data at that time.

 

I'm glad we can use the same security softwares to protect us against the good guys.