Arg...get a new system with some of the latest hardware...it all works fine...get the latest operating system and everything goes down hill from there.

I know they like to have their security with product keys, licenses etc.  But this is when it crosses the line into downright pathetic.  As with Windows XP it has to be activated.  Simple...right   Wrong   All started when I got the system up and running with the 32-bit version of Vista Home Basic...it activated just fine.  Received the 64-bit DVD a couple days later and since I hadn't done much work yet I decided to format and install the 64-bit.  No problem, it works great, only had one driver issue, and it was with the printer...but its ancient anyways.  Then a couple days of running smooth and getting my FS2004 running smoothly and working on add-ons, I get this message saying Windows is not activated.  Ok...no problem.  Typed in the product key again and then all hell broke loose.  Said that key was already in use and I would have to purchase another...mind you...your supposed to use the same key for the 32-bit and 64-bit disks, didn't get a new one with the 64-bit DVD.  Finally managed to weed through the mess of Microsoft and contact a representative.  They said to try the phone activation...which is a mess requiring entering a 48 digit "installation ID" then get a 48 digit confirmation ID to enter.  Well...installation ID was invalid.  Been emailing back and forth to the rep all week and have yet to get anywhere.  They got special permission and contacted the verification center themselves and an hour ago I received a confirmation ID.  Typed it in just to get another error saying the confirmation doesn't match the installation ID.  Looked at the screen shot I sent them of the ID last time, its now changed.  So replied back letting them know it didn't work and gave them the old and new installation IDs.  Only hardware change was the sound card I installed last night, no software changes.  I don't know what all goes into that installation ID.  But if a simple change in hardware such as a sound card can make the ID change then what kind of problems are going to appear in the future with newer upgrades

I used the same XP disk on 3 systems and never had any issue.  All XP looked for was the product key.  Vista on the other hand actually looks into the systems configuration to make sure your only using it on one system.  With every clean install it requires reactivation.  This could be a pain when the semi annual file backup and complete hard drive bleach comes along.  Shouldn't have to go through this just to get a damn operating system to work.

Wouldn't be a big deal...but after 30 days if not activated it goes into a "limited" mode that pretty much locks the computer except the activation crap.  Vista is officially the new PITA Microcrap threw out on the market before it was thoroughly tested and somewhat de-bugged.

Another annoying thing with Vista is these pop-ups asking for administrator permission to do something.  So much as copy a file from the desktop into the FS9 folder and you have to give Vista permission 3 times   I am the freaking administrator...I think its ok just to move a simple file   Not like I am trying to drop a 747 into the main Windows folder

But while I have contact with the Microsoft reps I am getting a few other things figured out.  Once I get the activation taken care of they said they would get to the other issues I asked about.  One of which is disabling the stupid permission pop-ups.  So hopefully within a few days I will be running an activated version and not have to deal with the hundreds of security pop-ups that are like the never ending plague

According to the emails they have let their software people know about the issues.  Hopefully within a few months they will release an update that will kill most of the problems.  I doubt I'm the only one with this problem.  My emails were pretty mild compared to others they probably receive

Yes, please if anybody can figure out how to kill that UAC thing, please share.

I set up a wolfenstein et server yesterday, and it took me about 4 hours. I spent two hours editing all the configuration files, a further hour installing ai bots, and then came to running it. It gave me an error, saying it couldnt execute my config files. I stared at the pc for a while, thinking "what the...?". My config files were all there, and I'd just written them so there was no way they could be faulty. I hovered my mouse over one of them and was shocked to see that the filesize was 0bytes. Vista, without telling me, had stopped me from saving my work as i went along. So I had to do the whole thing again in my documents, and copy the files over. Talk about irritating.

Also, why is it that Vista sucks down so much RAM? I know it looks cooler than XP and all that, but it cant seriously be eating up 450mb of my RAM after booting! I'm using 1gb of RAM at the moment, and its like having 512mb. I cant even run CFS3 MAW any more, as it runs out of memory on startup and crashes. I'm going to go and buy a further 2gb of RAM as soon as possible.

And apparently if I upgrade my graphics or RAM or something, I'll have to buy another license for the OS! This is ridiculous... I do like Vista, but for the above reasons, I'm thinking long and hard about dual-booting to winXP on another hard disk.

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GOD ALMIGHTY! Is that true? If it is I am NEVER buying vista!

MS doesn't need all this security. It's all about da' money. (I'm not refering to employs, anyone who works with MS except for high ups). The majority of users will not pirate Vista!

The problem isn't the product key...its an Installation ID that is used to Re-Activate Vista after a fresh install.  What happened here was I wiped out 32-bit and put in 64-bit.  It didn't tell me it wasn't activated till a few days later.  Product key already being in use was the problem, it was used for the 32-bit, their system basically thought it was a different computer.  Web activation wasn't an option in this case.  The phone activation requires you enter a 48 digit Installation ID, which in return you get a Confirmation ID to enter, then Vista SHOULD activate.  In my case I gave up on the phone activation after I couldn't understand a word that machine was saying.  Contacted Microsoft via Email, they worked on it and got me a confirmation for the Install ID.  Well before i got that confirmation I installed the sound card.  It changed the Install ID which meant the Confirmation ID wouldn't work.  So after a few more emails I got a new confirmation that worked.  So alls activated now and the product key should be set for the 64-bit version.  So SHOULDN'T have this problem again unless I change more hardware...but the actual product key should work next time...which is eventually inevitable.  You don't have to purchase a new key, its just when you have to use the Installation ID to activate any hardware changes like a sound card will change the ID.  I asked, RAM upgrades shouldn't effect it.  Mostly this problem is with hardware that requires a CD to install drivers.  He confirmed I'm not the first to have this problem.

As for the UAC messages...thats a work in progress.  Hopefully have that solved this week and will post the disable steps in a new post

Another problem found is with a lot of DVD/CD burners.  My Sony is only recognized as a readable drive.  Can not use it to write anything.  Thats another problem that will be worked on after the UAC.  It may just require a new drive completely but hopefully there is a solution other then replacement.

After 90 days of activation if you need support help from Microsoft its like $60 a pop.  So anyone with problems should contact them quickly.  We ought to eventually make a sticky of Vista fixes once we get a few around.  Save everyone time and money...my support at the moment is still free but its a lot waiting for replies.  Since first contact I have sent and received around 50 emails...and still sorting issues.  Would be nice to eventually have a thread to turn to and possibly find the solution without the hassle.