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Some Windows 10 Pro Users Say Their PCs Are No Longer Activated And Are Been Prompted To Downgrade To Windows 10 Home (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the you're-not-alone dept.

If you're having trouble activating your Windows 10 Pro computer today, you're not alone. Forums and social media networks are getting flooded with complaints from users who say their machines have automatically become deactivated. Users say they are having trouble connecting with Microsoft's activation servers, with some saying they are being prompted to downgrade to Windows 10 Home. According to Microsoft Answers, the company is working to resolve the issue. Only users who had upgraded their computers to Windows 10 by using product keys of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 appear to be impacted.

15 of 271 comments (clear)

  1. lol why do you people put up with this shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    just use linux, christ.

    1. Re:lol why do you people put up with this shit by slipped_bit · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Things I have done and/or still do with Linux:
      - Embedded software development (MP-LAB for Microchip's PIC microcontrollers)
      - Schematic capture and PCB layout
      - Monitor / maintain my finances
      - Wrote and published a book
      - Developed cover art for said book
      - Have started writing / editing a second book
      - Download & manage photos from my camera
      - Play games
      - Ran an emulator to relive my Tandy CoCo days
      - Development of my web sites

      Things I do when I'm at work and my employer forces me to use Windows 10:
      - Wonder why people put up with this crap
      - Curse a hell of a lot more than I normally like to do during peacetime.

  2. I saw this on a customer's PC by TheDarkener · · Score: 5, Interesting

    On Monday I was at their office fixing an unrelated issue when I noticed the desktop graffiti/banner saying they weren't activated. Weird. I plugged in the Win10 product key on the case sticker and it activated again. I just summed it up to another M$ fuck-up, didn't know it was as widespread as it is.

    I'm so glad I use Linux at home =D

    --
    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  3. they know .... by Dave+Whiteside · · Score: 3, Interesting

    https://answers.microsoft.com/...

    but it's causing chaos in some places -

    watermarks all over ... damn you

    --
    who where what when now?
  4. Is Windows still viable as a development plaform? by El+Cubano · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I see stories like this and I have to ask myself, "Is Windows still viable as a development platform? Will it continue to be viable as a development platform in the future?"

    I develop exclusively on Linux (some libraries in C/C++, some Python applications, Java server and desktop stuff, occasionally dabble in mobile, etc.). I have some colleagues who use Mac OS X as their platform and are happy with that. I do know a small number of developers working on Windows, but as far as I can tell they don't particularly like Windows as a development platform, especially those who have had to move to Windows 10 (precisely because they no longer control the updates and stuff can just randomly break).

    I guess, all I can say is, "wow."

  5. Interesting... by the_skywise · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There was an XBox Live outage a few days ago where all digital purchases couldn't be verified. If you had the disc you could play online fine - but if you had purchased the game or even the DLC of a disc game then it was non playable as the service couldn't determine if you owned it or not.
    I wonder if these issues are related.
    (Also interesting that even if you've successfully downloaded and installed the game on their closed system they're constantly re-validating you)

    1. Re: Interesting... by sjames · · Score: 4, Interesting

      "Rights management" software is intrinsically bad software.

      Good software is designed in such a way that it runs if at all possible. If a file is missing and it can still do something useful, it still runs. If a permission is wrong, gives the user a chance to change it or save the file somewhere else. If a non-fatal error comes up, keep going. Where possible, re-try. If something isn't ready, sleep for a bit and try again.

      Rights management is the opposite of that. It has failure on a hair trigger. It looks for the slightest excuse to fail if anything at all isn't exactly right. It checks for things that aren't necessary to run. It is by it's very nature BAD software.

    2. Re: Interesting... by tepples · · Score: 3, Interesting

      However, the market has decided that it's easier to fund the development of bad software than good software. How could one go about changing that?

  6. The activation servers were acting up yesterday. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It took several attempts for me to activate 10 Pro for Workstations last night, first attempt accepted the key then promptly reverted back to before I entered it. Next attempt accepted the key and stored it, but refused to activate "Server refused the connection attempt." Called in, the new call-in process is the stupidest thing ever - hand holding through putting in the product key (never mind that you would have already been staring at the screen with a activation challenge just to get the product activation phone number...) Gave up after having to confirm every. bloody. step. of. the. way that I knew what I was doing and had a product key and entered it correctly... Tried online activation again, NXDOMAIN response for the activation servers. Waited 10 minutes, server refused connection attempt. 10 more minutes and it auto-activated, followed by an error saying the server couldn't be resolved (?)

    It doesn't help that they discontinued the awesome self-help "mobile" website for activation earlier this year - where you could copy and paste the challenge and response between your web browser and the phone-in activation window.

  7. Only upgrades by zennyboy · · Score: 3, Interesting
    "Only users who had upgraded their computers to Windows 10 by using product keys of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 appear to be impacted."

    I bought a Win 10 Pro non-upgrade key. Was activated. Today I am not activated. Worth reporting to MS?

  8. Cheap Windows 10 Pro licences by Mark4ST · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've been buying my WIN 10 Pro licences from UK eBay vendors, and they've been working fine for a year or so. Less than $5 CAD. I believe our UK friends have different rules about transferring keys from decommissioned PCs-- they can actually resell otherwise unused used licences.

    1. Re:Cheap Windows 10 Pro licences by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Microsoft claims that the license is "owned" by the computer and is non-transferrable. This argument is ridiculous as it is in conflict with the bill of first sale, but they've convinced enough regulators that it's difficult to sell oem licenses is most of the usual places.

  9. Re:I haven't noticed... by mandark1967 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Basic --> CP-642Bravo (Assembly) --> AN/UYK7&AN/UYK43 (Using CMS-2Y) --> VAX VMS --> Unix --> Minux --> DOS 3.0 --> DOS 3.1 --> DOS 4.0 --> DOS 4.01 --> DOS 5 --> Win 3.0 --> Win3.1 --> Win95 --> Win NT3.5 --> Win98 --> Win2000 --> WinXP --> Win Vista --> Win 7 --> Win 8.0 --> Win8.1 --> Win10

    (And most variants of Suse, RedHat, Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, and BSD)

    I prefer Win98

    --
    Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
  10. Reminder that ReactOS dosen't have activation. by xack · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If more people volunteered for ReactOS we could have a viable Windows Compatible OS.

  11. Assumed our company key got disabled, wasted morn by jbridges · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wasted a few hours on this insanity this morning.

    My final solution (tried many options) was to use some tools from Ratborus.

    KMS Clean to remove my existing key, and then W10 Digital Activation with KMS38 option.

    It now says:
    Windows(R), Professional edition:
        Volume activation will expire 1/18/2038

    Now where do I send an Invoice to Microsoft for wasting my morning on this BS?

    If you need a copy of KMS Tools Portable, it's here
    https://www.solidfiles.com/fol...

    The password is part of the filename, so for the latest version:
    KMS_Tools_Portable_01.11.2018_password_1234567890987654321.7z

    The password is 1234567890987654321