Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: ZmaN on March 02, 2006, 12:35:58 pm

Title: Is this legal???
Post by: ZmaN on March 02, 2006, 12:35:58 pm
I bought software off this site once.

http://best-oem.com/

Their old domain was soft4download.com and they changed it like 3 or 4 times from what I can remember.  I had bought a copy of XP pro with SP2 preinstalled to it and used it on a clients computer (the client bought it, not me) and when I tried to do that Windows Geniune Validation thing, it wouldnt work and it said that the key I had was known to be pirated (no clue how microsoft knows this stuff, i think its just a cover up)...

Now the wierd thing about it is that it comes PRE-ACTIVATED!!!  Once you install it, theres no sign of activation being needed...  I kinda borrowed that copy from the client (shes my fathers friend) and used it on another computer and its been running for about 3 months now and hasnt needed activation.....

Do you think this is legal?  If it isnt, i'll never go near that site again...  I'm not gunna buy a vendors software if that software is pirated directly from MS.....
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: FireCrack on March 02, 2006, 12:40:10 pm
There's lots of stuff like this that  is jsut selling you stuff you could bit-torent, ciould be illegal.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Taristin on March 02, 2006, 12:57:26 pm
My corporate edition of microsoft XP didn't need authentication either, unless you intend to install SP2. Probably illegal software, ya.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Windrunner on March 02, 2006, 01:30:38 pm
it depends if this version you bought is OEM. I know that Microsoft had problems with windows genuine advantage and the OEM version of the OS
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Fineus on March 02, 2006, 01:48:32 pm
Quote
Is this legal???
I will make it legal.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: vyper on March 02, 2006, 01:50:54 pm
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.

(Just jumping on the band wagon.)
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: MicroPsycho on March 02, 2006, 01:53:47 pm
I don't think windows XP Pro needs to be activated, mine didn't.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: aldo_14 on March 02, 2006, 02:01:07 pm
I think home XP needs to be activated, but XP Pro doesn't.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: achtung on March 02, 2006, 03:27:47 pm
XP pro does require activation, got some pc's at school with xp pro on them.  They all needed activation, until they were reimaged of course.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Grey Wolf on March 02, 2006, 03:31:38 pm
Even OEM copies of XP Pro require activation. I know this from experience.

Hmm.... I think I am in violation of the liscence agreement though. I didn't put the sticker on my case.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: ZmaN on March 02, 2006, 03:36:39 pm
My OEM XP Pro with SP2 installed (it installs with SP1) needed activation and has never had problems doing the genuine validation thingy.....

Yea i think its illegal software...  oh well.  No more 50 dollar packages of XP Pro.....
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: ZmaN on March 02, 2006, 03:38:19 pm
Quote
Is this legal???
I will make it legal.

oh really?...  hows that?
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: vyper on March 02, 2006, 03:50:01 pm
Quote
Is this legal???
I will make it legal.

oh really?...  hows that?

/me holds head in hands

Oh boy...
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Grey Wolf on March 02, 2006, 04:02:28 pm
My OEM XP Pro with SP2 installed (it installs with SP1) needed activation and has never had problems doing the genuine validation thingy.....

Yea i think its illegal software...  oh well.  No more 50 dollar packages of XP Pro.....
Just go to a reputable site like Newegg and buy an OEM copy with some hardware for ~100 USD.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: BlackDove on March 02, 2006, 04:02:52 pm
Hahahahaha.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Nuclear1 on March 02, 2006, 04:54:22 pm
Quote
Is this legal???
I will make it legal.

Bad Kal! No single-handedly altering the law!
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: MatthewPapa on March 02, 2006, 05:01:17 pm
hmmm....pre activated?

definitely pirated
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Col. Fishguts on March 02, 2006, 05:56:32 pm
Even OEM copies of XP Pro require activation. I know this from experience.

Hmm.... I think I am in violation of the liscence agreement though. I didn't put the sticker on my case.

There are some enterprise versions of XP Pro which don't need activation. But then again, private persons shouldn't have one of those :nervous:
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Grey Wolf on March 02, 2006, 06:55:58 pm
Even OEM copies of XP Pro require activation. I know this from experience.

Hmm.... I think I am in violation of the liscence agreement though. I didn't put the sticker on my case.

There are some enterprise versions of XP Pro which don't need activation. But then again, private persons shouldn't have one of those :nervous:
That would be corporate, not Enterprise. The Enterprise versions are something else entirely.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Nix on March 02, 2006, 11:20:07 pm
No no, yes there's corporate versions, but there are fully legitimate copies of Windows XP that come without the activation components.  Usually, they are used in large, site-licensed environments, such as a university with 250+ workstations.  This way, the owner purchases a license, basically a piece of paper granting permission from Microsoft to install it on as many workstations as they want as long as it's on that premesis.  Our campus actually has such a copy and license, as I've seen and helped install it on a few machines before I left that job. 
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Grey Wolf on March 03, 2006, 12:14:42 am
And that would be the corporate version of XP Pro, Nix.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Col. Fishguts on March 03, 2006, 04:28:02 am
Whatever it's called, it runs fine.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: aldo_14 on March 03, 2006, 05:27:54 am
XP pro does require activation, got some pc's at school with xp pro on them.  They all needed activation, until they were reimaged of course.

I was in an office full of machines, and we didn't require activation.  Although most of the cd keys were lost, so we needed to use copies of XP Home.  And then the MS activation process was such a waste of our time, we ended up just using the same disk and a crack/keygen.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: ZmaN on March 03, 2006, 11:08:17 am
I could definitly use a Decent XP Keygen....  anyone got one thats not clogged with virusses?
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: Fineus on March 03, 2006, 11:27:58 am
ZmaN, please do not publically request keygens, cracks, activation keys or anything similar here. We can not condone warez.
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: jr2 on March 03, 2006, 11:46:11 am
Re: Is this legal???
 :wtf: No, it's not   :(
Stop talking about it b4 you get us in trouble.  With the moderators.  :eek2:  Or  :nervous: M$. :nervous: :shaking:
However, if you have a legal  :yes: copy of XP Pro,
I'd say you have a reason  :ha: to filch  :arrr: a corporate edition, just so you wouldn't have to activate,   :mad: and so you don't have to buy other copies of XP for (if you're like me) the 3-6 computers (166-3000 MHz) that you have around.  :hopping: :mad2: :mad: :no:

EDIT:
@Kalfireth:
You beat me to it.   :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Is this legal???
Post by: ZmaN on March 03, 2006, 09:32:45 pm
ZmaN, please do not publically request keygens, cracks, activation keys or anything similar here. We can not condone warez.

Oh!  I'm really sorry about that...  I forgot the forum rules...  I'll delete my post I made...

Once again, sorry..