Want to know everything about Windows Vista License
It looks like Microsoft has finally applied their intelligent brain to work! It has almost stunned piracy market world, by introducing a bunch of new key features in its products, remarkably with Windows Vista. What sprang me into surprise is, the Microsoft’s new way of handling the non-genuine products. Now, here, let me explain what is licensed software is, and it’s all about.
In the early days of computers and software, people used to only copy the software directly from the installation sources and were installing it on to their computer systems. This continued till MS-DOS days. Microsoft almost wrote a new chapter in computer history by bringing a new concept, which was earlier well popularly known as CD-Key, into its Windows family of operating systems.
Windows Vista cd key
The CD-Key was a unique 25 to 30 digit long number, which was usually a mixture of alphabets and numbers. When the user enters the CD-Key into the text boxes meant for it, it is compared with the key numbers stored in the installation CD from which the software is being installed. The CD keys were unique for each and every CD’s. This concept did not became a successful concept, because, the CD’s can get duplicated to any other CD’s.
However, CD Key concept remained till 2002 and till today. However, a new concept of authentication through the internet got introduced. Internet authentication enables one to get authenticated through internet. The product key will be sent to the website for getting verified.
Windows genuine advantage validation
The verification process compares the product key sent by the software to the product key which is stored in the servers, which informs the users of genuineness of the product. If the product is genuine, it stores the system information such as mother board id, CPU id, hard disk ids into the server against the Product key.
This enables one to identify the systems in which, the same copies of the operating system is being made. But, Microsoft has admitted that, there was a major problem with the concept, especially when there was a hardware change. The authentication process will reject Windows Vista whenever the PC undergoes hardware changes.
Authenticate on phone
Users of Windows Vista are also able to authenticate using the telephone numbers provided at the Microsoft websites. This process needs the user to make a call. Microsoft will collect the details about the product one has purchased, such as serial number of the product, product key and gives an activation key number to the user. Windows Vista gets activated, once the activation key has been entered. However, Microsoft will soon withdraw this kind of activation, resulting in, making an internet connection, mandatory.
Single user or Volume License
There are two types of licensing, one is single user license, and the other one is volume license. Single user license, will enable Windows Vista user to install the product on a single system. He cannot activate the product on different computer systems.
However, a volume license will enable one to install and activate the product on more than one system. The user has to provide Microsoft, number of activations, he want to make. Volume licensing is most useful for companies, institutions and other commercial establishments, and also to the home where there is more than one system installed.
Rethinking on price
Microsoft has fixed the prices of Windows Vista to such a high, in a way that, an ordinary user cannot afford to purchase the Vista’s full fledged edition, Windows Vista Ultimate. However, if he want to see the full power of Vista, then he needs to buy Windows Vista ultimate itself. Microsoft has fixed abnormal rates to Windows Vista Home edition too, which encourages users to make pirated copies of it and sell it. In order to make the “Original Software” plan to work successfully, people at Microsoft should make up their mind to rethink on prices for the products.
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