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vc10man

Why Does Microsoft Still Control Activation?

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Oh, for the days of FS2........If you think it's a hassle when things go wrong with FSX, well...I guess it's just the exuberance of youth.......Sigh.....  :rolleyes:

 

Doug

 

Edited because I can't spel


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Look this is probably what's going to happen.

 

MS will maintain the activiation servers as long as people are using them. It's very possible these will never go down as OTHER products they make often use the SAME server.

 

However, if the server is shut down it will most likely after the DVD edition is "phased out" and most people are using the Steam version. This could be many years from now.

 

Personally I think the servers are combined, so it probably will never go down.

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I think you have missed the point that you NEVER need to talk to a person on the phone if your FSX or any other piece of MS software fails to activate, hence the term automated activation system.

 

Jim,

 

Just as a point of order - From experience I can say that the automated phone methods will not successfully activate your software if you have reached your activation limits. You do need to speak with one of their reps at that point so they can give you the activation code, as the Internet and automated phone methods will both fail and force you over to a representative.

 

While the vast majority of users will only use the Internet method and never even pick up the phone for that automated service, there will be a few users (*like myself) who seem to rebuild their PCs from scratch a lot, thus burn through a lot of activations for your OS and/or simulator. My bounces between Win7, Win8, Win8.1 all racked up a bunch of install activations and I needed to deal with a human on several occasions during my flurry of installs, reinstalls, and re-reinstalls.

 

All told, such occasions are FAR MORE of an exception than the rule, and on top of that the call is a completely painless process that is one of the least annoying part of rebuilding an entire computer from scratch, should you encounter it. 

 

I only point this out to dispute the assertion that one never needs to talk to someone to activate. Sometimes you do...

 

-Greg

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Thanks Greg,

 

I never knew that part about the automated system not being able to handle the activation limits. Was the rep able to go through the process or is it like pulling teeth as with the Help Desk?

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I think the verbal process depends on the local accent of the rep. Its not just a matter of speaking English (in my case) but being able to annunciate clearly and have the proper speech rhythms, pretty essential for effective communication especially when transmitting a long series of numbers.

 

The big surprise to me was the reps. total unawareness of the existence of MS Flight Simulator.

 

My solution was to buy a cheap copy of Flight Simulator Gold and I'll use it's key next time I upgrade my hardware. :lol:  


John

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Now we've gone to critiquing the language patterns of those that man a help desk. I sure hope that discussing their dress code while at work isn't next up!!

 

It is not a big surprise because live Help Desk assistance ended months ago for FSX.

 

You can just use your old key because every six months activation counts reset themselves. It's many activations all within six months is when users MAY run into problems. The MS stockholders love you!!

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You can just use your old key because every six months activation counts reset themselves. It's many activations all within six months is when users MAY run into problems

 

That's very reassuring Jim and thanks for posting it. I bought FSX in 2006 and installed it on a hopelessly inadequate PC. Then in 2008 I upgraded and installed a second time. Not quite as bad but not really flyable. Stayed with FS9 until 2013 when I finally got a decent PC and installed for the third time.

 

So it sounds to me as though I still have a full set of activations. Not that I'm planning another PC just yet. But should I upgrade in 2016 would it be painless and not require a phone call?


Ray (Cheshire, England).
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It's unbelievable that this topic has lasted for four pages... MS controls activation since MS owns the product.  Pretty simple.  If you don't like that, that's tough.  Get over it.  Jim's comments regarding reactivation are correct.

 

DJ

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Ray,

 

You are allowed 2 installs no matter when they were made, even on 2 different computers at the same time.

 

Seeing that WAY more time than 6 months has passed since your last activation(s) you will be good to go now, or in the future!

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I never knew that part about the automated system not being able to handle the activation limits. Was the rep able to go through the process or is it like pulling teeth as with the Help Desk?

 

There is sometimes a slight accent barrier to overcome, but it's not painful in the slightest. Some might disagree with that and consider the fact it needs to be done at all is a crime against humanity, but it's really not that bad...

 

Rep - "Hello - what product are you trying to activate"

GregGerm - "Flight Simulator X"

R - "Ok, are you at the activation screen with the code on the screen?"

GG - "Yes"

R - "Ok - please read the code..."

GG - "12345..."

R - "Ok - Is this software installed on any other computers?"

GG - "No, I am doing a reinstall."

R - "Ok - please wait a moment while I obtain your activation code...."

R - "Please enter the following numbers into the spaces on your screen."

 

GG - Flying in FSX.

 

Total time is about 5-10 minutes.

 

And as another point of order, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th FSX installation since the start of the year and I have not yet been asked to "manually" reactivate my FSX/Acceleration installations in all that time. It's really not bad.

 

-Greg

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Yup, that's for one product. Due to a MB and CPU change I was recently stuck with three MS product live activations, including FSX (from an "activation centre" not a "help desk"). That's 216 numbers to read out and 216 new numbers to enter using my keyboard and screen, no mistakes allowed or you start again, so getting an effective two way communication going is essential.

 

A few days later my new SSD (system drive of course) failed and crashed the whole system badly. After recovery from a clone image and a change of SSD. It was off to the re-activation centre yet again for another 216 number interchange. Of course unlike other people I am only talking about the activation experience as an Australian resident. I neither know or care what happens in other countries. 


John

Rig: Gigabyte B550 AORUS Master Motherboard, AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT CPU, 32GB DDR4 Ram, Gigabyte RTX 2070 Super Graphics,  Samsung Odyssey  wide view display (5120 x 1440 pixels) with VSYNC on.

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