Microsoft halves number of available TechNet keys

[devHead]

It depends on the key. if its retail(OS like win 7 vista) key you can use 1 key in 10 PC's and any number of activation on that 10 PC.

you wont be able to install on the 11 PC with that same key.

Office keys are different and each key can be activated only 10 times and after that its gone.

Lucky that i got all my 10 keys.

No, I believe all retail keys, whether OS or for Office Products will activate indefinitely on the same machine once it is used.

[Joshie]

The irony is that if Microsoft switched Windows to a pay-monthly subscription service with upgrades to new versions completely included in the contract and only charged people $5/mo...

...you'd still wind up paying roughly the same amount you're paying today for the OEM version of Windows 7 Ultimate (assuming a 3yr OS cycle). That's only 1/3 the cost of a WoW subscription, with no initial purchase fee. 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of your unlimited texting plan, and no angry letters if you happen to be logged onto Windows for longer than their definition of 'reasonable use'.

OMG SO ESPENSIV

[Kpssst]

The irony is that if Microsoft switched Windows to a pay-monthly subscription service with upgrades to new versions completely included in the contract and only charged people $5/mo...

...you'd still wind up paying roughly the same amount you're paying today for the OEM version of Windows 7 Ultimate (assuming a 3yr OS cycle). That's only 1/3 the cost of a WoW subscription, with no initial purchase fee. 1/3 to 1/4 the cost of your unlimited texting plan, and no angry letters if you happen to be logged onto Windows for longer than their definition of 'reasonable use'.

OMG SO ESPENSIV

People are short-sighted.

[Argi]

One word - ebay.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

People here are using software from TechNet in a production environment, when TechNet actually only gives you limited evaluation licenses. You are not allowed to download, say, Windows 7 and put it on your PC for everyday use. If you've been here a while, it's blatantly obvious that this is what most on Neowin do.

Obviously there are also legitimate users here, but they are a minority.

If they've subscribed as an individual and use it in a corporate environment, then yes.

I've put my subscription on a corporation (which I own) and I use the software for both business and personal reasons equally the same. And yes, I evaluate it every day, every time I use it :laugh: No one can prove that I don't. There are PCs in my company with retail versions on them, so I'm clean.

[simsie]

To all the people saying it'd be nice to get an email from Microsoft:

It would've been nice, but then people would be aware of the change and go and generate all 10 keys, which is what they're trying to avoid people having: more than 5 keys without good reason.

[Intersect]

Not unless there's anything in the contract.

Somewhere between 99.5 and 99.9987% of Neowin users with TechNet subscriptions are already violating the terms anyway and so should simply shut up and be happy they're allowed to do so at all.

LMFAO gota love it when n00bs make up percentages like that.

[TC17]

EVERY single time a Technet article comes up, you have these people who crawl out of their holes, and appear on the forums accusing everyone of being a pirate. Apparently "pirates" pay big money for software. Idiots.

I would even say what Microsoft is doing here is illegal. You can't change the rules after people already paid money for it. Then they need to be offering full refunds.

None of the subscriptions are for "the home users" and none of them allow what you're saying. TechNet is not a cheap way to buy software in bulk, it's a service designed to provide you with tools to evaluate and test Microsoft solutions. That is why the cost is low. Can you please show exactly where in the license it says what you're claiming? I am asking because the Microsoft site explicitly states the exact opposite of what you are claiming.

Actually it IS for home use. NOT for business use.

And what does ANY of this have do do with what Microsoft has done? I get so sick of people like your posts who think you are some kind of law. You can't see to comprehend the fact that people paid for this. Yet all you want to do is accuse people of being a pirate. All this will do is cause people to use the pirated versions. You can mark my words.

[TC17]

Exactly ;) If you're a home user they won't do anything, not worth the costs. However if you use Technet in a production environment (ie servers etc) and MS finds out, you might be in serious trouble.

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if half the keys on eBay and stuff are just technet licenses being resold. And this is probably what MS is trying to avoid. I mean if they're giving you 10 keys+ for like $200, and then you go and sell 9 of them for like $100 each..

And this excuse is nonsense. Fact is, Micrcosoft just looks up the keys being sold, and voids all the keys that belong to that account. In fact keys aren't even allowed to be sold on Ebay, normally the persons ebay account gets banned, or at least the auction gets shut down.

People here are just twisting the dang truth around in an attempt to defend Microsoft stealing from paying customers. Which they appear to be good at (stealing from customers)... judges have even ruled in many different states against Microsoft for stealing from (overcharging) customers.

[Pharos]

I would even say what Microsoft is doing here is illegal. You can't change the rules after people already paid money for it. Then they need to be offering full refunds.

I'm pretty sure there is a clause somewhere in the contract that we all agreed to that allowed them to do this.

I agree with what Microsoft is doing, though not giving subscribers an early notice was unethical...

But who am I to say that? I have to admit I have given away keys to some people, I realized that was a huge mistake and I won't be doing it ever again.

[Tews]

In fact keys aren't even allowed to be sold on Ebay, normally the persons ebay account gets banned, or at least the auction gets shut down.

Really...

http://shop.ebay.com/items/windows%207%20keys?_dmd=1&_sop=12&rvr_id=145713411681&keyword=windows+7+keys&geo_id=1&crlp=4810855613_1&MT_ID=341&tt_encode=raw

Sorry, try again...

[Pharos]

Really...

="http://shop.ebay.com/items/windows%207%20keys?_dmd=1&_sop=12&rvr_id=145713411681&keyword=windows+7+keys&geo_id=1&crlp=4810855613_1&MT_ID=341&tt_encode=raw"]Windows 7 key auctions

Sorry, try again...

-1

What he said is accurate. Please do click on some of those links (there aren't many right now anyway, that already speaks volumes), bookmark them, and come back several minutes later to see it taken down. Kthanx.

[COKid]

People here are just twisting the dang truth around in an attempt to defend Microsoft stealing from paying customers. Which they appear to be good at (stealing from customers)... judges have even ruled in many different states against Microsoft for stealing from (overcharging) customers.

No one is forcing you to use Microsoft products. Get over it. :p

[Mr. Gibs]

LMFAO gota love it when n00bs make up percentages like that.

Yup because 90%+ of people here who buy technet licenses are only doing it for evaluating MS products right? They didn't get the license just to get access to the software for a lot cheaper than retail right?

Actually it IS for home use. NOT for business use.

And what does ANY of this have do do with what Microsoft has done? I get so sick of people like your posts who think you are some kind of law. You can't see to comprehend the fact that people paid for this. Yet all you want to do is accuse people of being a pirate. All this will do is cause people to use the pirated versions. You can mark my words.

How about you go ****ing read? Please just READ. It is for both HOME and BUSINESS use, however only for EVALUATION

You CANNOT use it as a main OS, in the case of Windows, as per the agreement you signed.

And this excuse is nonsense. Fact is, Micrcosoft just looks up the keys being sold, and voids all the keys that belong to that account. In fact keys aren't even allowed to be sold on Ebay, normally the persons ebay account gets banned, or at least the auction gets shut down.

People here are just twisting the dang truth around in an attempt to defend Microsoft stealing from paying customers. Which they appear to be good at (stealing from customers)... judges have even ruled in many different states against Microsoft for stealing from (overcharging) customers.

Really? Please explain to me, how does MS know if they key being sold on eBay are technet ones or regular retail ones? Oh that's right they don't.

And MS overcharging? So paying $200 that gives you access to most MS software, no enterprise ones, is overcharging? I believe thats the same price as one copy of Windows.

If you have a genuine need for more keys, go email MS and they'll give you more.

What Professional Lurker said is accurate. Please do click on some of those links (there aren't many right now anyway, that already speaks volumes), bookmark them, and come back several minutes later to see it taken down. Kthanx.

Again. PLEASE explain to me how Microsoft will know that, say, Windows 7 being sold on eBay is a retail copy or a technet copy? I mean if you're an idiot and actually post that this is a technet key and I have 10, then sure..but apart from that they have no clue.

There's nothing stating that I can't walk into Best Buy, pick up a copy of Windows 7 and then sell it on eBay. It's perfectly valid and legal.

As for not being many: 32,086 results found for windows 7. And you even have people selling Dell's windows 7 keys and disc.

[Tews]

-1

What he said is accurate. Please do click on some of those links (there aren't many right now anyway, that already speaks volumes), bookmark them, and come back several minutes later to see it taken down. Kthanx.

Sorry, but they are all still up and running.... try again...

[Pharos]

Again. PLEASE explain to me how Microsoft will know that, say, Windows 7 being sold on eBay is a retail copy or a technet copy? I mean if you're an idiot and actually post that this is a technet key and I have 10, then sure..but apart from that they have no clue.

There's nothing stating that I can't walk into Best Buy, pick up a copy of Windows 7 and then sell it on eBay. It's perfectly valid and legal.

As for not being many: 32,086 results found for windows 7

I am talking about Technet keys, so the search results discussion you pulled is moot.

Microsoft knows where the keys come from.

A Technet subscription is to be used for ONLY ONE individual. When you activate your awesome Technet key you just bought on eBay, all kinds of information are sent to Microsoft, including a unique hardware ID, your IP Address, etc.

So what happens?

Microsoft looks for illegal activity. If several keys that come from the same Technet subscriber (like I said, Microsoft knows who the Technet keys belong to) are being activated at different locations, they can and they will void those keys.

Surely one individual can't activate several computers in different locations. Not only that, but one key is supposed to be used for one computer only. But Technet's rules are so relaxed that you can abuse the hell out of it.

[treemonster]

as a point of reference, how much does cs/official support for premium linux distros cost these days?

what is the effective cost of OSX when you factor in the retail value of hardware in macs?

what other company has a service that turns a blind eye for the most part of misuse of a paid service which allows you to say, download a full working non trial copy of both windows and say office, for the retail/OEM price of just one of those?

and GL using a pirated version of window 7 or vista. the activation is pretty hardcore these days, even for legit licenses.

people seem to think you can activate a normal win 7 key on 10 computers likel unlimited numbers of times using the automatic activiation process, which so far from the truth it's hilarious. go ahead try it, after the first set of hardware is activated you will have to phone in. keep phoning in for more PCs and see how long it takes for the key to be invalidated.

ms does sell family packs of windows, and iirc there are office versions with multiple activations/use on multiple machines allowed, each at a discount, especially if you're a student. the upgrade package is also pretty cheap, and at one point for office if you bought the 07 package from a store you got a free upgrade to 2010 when it released.

for what they are MS software products are very reasonably priced imho. and worth paying for. there are free/cheaper alternatives, but they often have quirks in them. for example i use open office, but keeping formatting between versions of it alone, and using the .doc file format for example in resumes, often displays something completely different in ms word, that the employer you are sending your resume is using in their office. i've used open office at work and it was often hit or miss for viability in that environment. but i didn't have the operating budget to get a copy of ms office(i was lucky to get a cheap computer to do my work on instead of using a pen and paper for my job)

[hdood]

Really...

http://shop.ebay.com/items/windows%207%20keys?_dmd=1&_sop=12&rvr_id=145713411681&keyword=windows+7+keys&geo_id=1&crlp=4810855613_1&MT_ID=341&tt_encode=raw

Sorry, try again...

Selling a product key as a genuine Microsoft product constitutes fraud and is illegal, and if you buy one, you do not get the right to make copies of the product (including copying it to a hard drive when installing). All you've got is a cryptic string of number and letters that you can't do anything with. You can go to Microsoft's site about counterfeiting where they have forms you can fill out specifically for online auctions if you feel like being internet police.

[hdood]

Actually it IS for home use. NOT for business use.

It is not for "home use," it is a service that provides "IT professionals" with resources to evaluate and test Microsoft solutions, including but not limited to evaluation licenses for most Microsoft products. "IT professionals" are people who "plan, install or configure, deploy, integrate, manage and support the technology infrastructure for their organization and its end users and may be either employees of the organization or employees of a vendor hired to perform the relevant IT services for it. Positions held and/or functions performed by IT Pros include: Help Desk Technicians, Desktop Technicians, Desktop Administrators, Server Administrator, Database Administrator, IT Manager, and Infrastructure Specialist."

Now, it is of course perfectly legitimate for an IT professional to evaluate and test at home (especially if they do contract work.)

And what does ANY of this have do do with what Microsoft has done? I get so sick of people like your posts who think you are some kind of law. You can't see to comprehend the fact that people paid for this. Yet all you want to do is accuse people of being a pirate. All this will do is cause people to use the pirated versions. You can mark my words.

Not much, but the overwhelming majority of the people who are complaining are those that are already violating the license and using software they got from TechNet illegally. If you have a legitimate evaluation or testing scenario (but not software development) where you require more than five keys, you can contact Microsoft and work something out instead of complaining on the internet.

Since you've been here this long, I find it slightly surprising that you don't know that the TechNet threads here are almost always about people using it as a cheap way to buy software in bulk, and not because they're interested in any of the other resources that come with a TechNet subscriptions or are interested in evaluating the software. People don't even try to hide it, they say it right out. There's little difference between this and just going to a warez site and downloading it, except that if you do the latter you'll be saving some money.

[FireRx]

The system does get thoroughly and blatantly abused. I see these things for sale on Craigslist pretty much every day (valid product keys for every edition of Windows, 30$ each, etc). I suspect that people who can prove a legitimate need for keys will still be able to access them by contacting Microsoft.

Fine, Bust those that sold the key, and leave the good costumers alone. I've been a Technet sub for 11 years. This could end it for me. I don't like being punish for *******s. >:(

[Kpssst]

Fine, Bust those that sold the key, and leave the good costumers alone. I've been a Technet sub for 11 years. This could end it for me. I don't like being punish for *******s. >:(

How exactly is this a problem? If you need more keys you can always call to request more. Is the current number of keys available not enough for you?

[Night Prowler]

Not unless there's anything in the contract.

Somewhere between 99.5 and 99.9987% of Neowin users with TechNet subscriptions are already violating the terms anyway and so should simply shut up and be happy they're allowed to do so at all.

+1

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

There's little difference between this and just going to a warez site and downloading it, except that if you do the latter you'll be saving some money.

yeah, the difference is as little as a few hundred bucks per year :rofl: ROFL

[hdood]

yeah, the difference is as little as a few hundred bucks per year :rofl: ROFL

Yes. If you're going to violate the license, why bother paying at all?

[Chris123NT]

How exactly is this a problem? If you need more keys you can always call to request more. Is the current number of keys available not enough for you?

Actually I investigated that point, an no, you CANNOT call and request more keys. Now they want you to buy another sub.