FSX-MS Why Does Microsoft Still Control Activation?

[JSkorna 137]

I'm sure Super Meat Boy is a HUGE software company. Who are they, and why should we listen to Tommy Refenes?

 

Yep, that typing in of that 25 character code is a real pain in the rear, isn't it?

[goates 576]

I do not see how, (1)when Microsoft were alive in the Flight Sim game, and they have a record of the activation key from the disks when it was first activated, so they well know it is a legit piece of software,(2) they can still, after they are long dead and buried in the Flight Sim real world, still be able to dictate 'you have exceeded the number of times activated' crap when going through a pointless activation nonsense.

 

They can do it because software is covered by copyright laws in most countries. For copyrighted works in the US created by a corporation, copyright can last up 120 years from the date it was created, or 95 years after it was published, whichever is shorter. This is also why analogies to physical goods such as cars or steak don't work very well when discussing software. So unless Microsoft says otherwise, FSX is still under their control and there is nothing we can do about it.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_law_of_the_United_States_of_America#Duration_of_copyright

 

As for Microsoft's activation DRM, it is far better than many schemes out there. It is really aimed at discouraging casual piracy, such as lending to a family member or friend. Or companies buying one copy and installing it on a hundred machines in their office. They do realize that they can't completely stop piracy when it comes to the far more dedicated ones out there. Do a search on the DRM methods Ubisoft, EA and Sony have tried over the years. For most people the worst thing that happens with MS is that you have to phone in (and these days it can be done through a completely automated system). With one of Sony's poorly thought out attempts, you ended up with an unsecured rootkit installed on your machine. And Ubisoft had one great system with a nasty habit of disabling people's DVD drives, sometimes requiring a complete system re-install to fix.

 

DRM sucks, but the blame lies with the pirates for making it a necessary evil.

[yellowjack 28]

Jim, you are joking aren't you, every time I try a  phone activation I get a no go message and to activate via phone, perhaps it varies with Country of Origin?

[JRBarrett 3,035]

Any philosophical debates about product activation aside, the simple fact of the matter is that the DVD version of FSX is hard coded to reach out to a specific IP address at Microsoft to activate itself on initial installation. Even if MS decided to drop product activation going forward - particularly on digitally-downloaded versions of the program - they cannot magically change the hard-coded activation system on the hundreds of thousands of FSX DVDs that have sold to customers over the past 8 years.

 

When a pre-existing FSX DVD is first installed, it is (in a manner of speaking) automatically going to "phone home" to Microsoft for activation. Who else is it going to call? Microsoft is the only phone number in the DVD's contact list!

[goates 576]

Jim, you are joking aren't you, every time I try a  phone activation I get a no go message and to activate via phone, perhaps it varies with Country of Origin?

 

Maybe it is different for different countries (Canada in my case), and possibly products too, but I recently had to re-activate a Windows install and only dealt with an automated system. Took less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

Even if MS decided to drop product activation going forward - particularly on digitally-downloaded versions of the program - they cannot magically change the hard-coded activation system on the hundreds of thousands of FSX DVDs that have sold to customers over the past 8 years.

 

Sure they could. All they have to do is release a new installer for people to download that looks to a new server, or removes the activation requirement entirely. Every so often a software company will do something like this with an old application or version they want to make freely available. Not too common though, and I can't remember an example off the top of my head. Some companies, like Id Software, will also just release the source code for old programs for everyone to download. Which ever way it goes, however, the decision is still up to the copyright owner.

[vc10man 732]

I have no issues per se with having a licence key, or having to activate it. What I do have an issue with is despite having such a key, Microsoft not being in the ball-park and realising that nobody installs their licensed piece of software on just one motherboard/CPU system built in 1970 et al. They do not seem to take into account that systems will continually be upgraded. After all, they are the prime propagators of this upgrade route trying to push their OS. Try purchasing any Windows 7 platform from their website and see how far you get. It's all Windows 8.1----another piece of screw-up like their Vista, IMHO.

 

So, why can I not just activate inputting that 25-digit code without the nonsense of having to call their stupid call-centres where half the people have no idea what you are talking about or have the nous to communicate?

[Paul Golding 92]

I have no issues per se with having a licence key, or having to activate it. What I do have an issue with is despite having such a key, Microsoft not being in the ball-park and realising that nobody installs their licensed piece of software on just one motherboard/CPU system built in 1970 et al. They do not seem to take into account that systems will continually be upgraded. After all, they are the prime propagators of this upgrade route trying to push their OS. Try purchasing any Windows 7 platform from their website and see how far you get. It's all Windows 8.1----another piece of screw-up like their Vista, IMHO.

 

So, why can I not just activate inputting that 25-digit code without the nonsense of having to call their stupid call-centres where half the people have no idea what you are talking about or have the nous to communicate?

Simply because there would be no obstacle for the disk and code to be used over and over again by anyone else.

 

I really find it amazing that anyone wants to make an issue out of tapping a few numbers into either their keyboard or god forbid, their phone as well.  Think about all the hassle and grief you get re-installing all of your add-ons into that new shiny PC and compare that to how much time it takes to activate FSX.  

[Ray Proudfoot 8,926]

 

 

And we need passports to visit our southern neighbor, Canada.

 

Jim, I didn't realise you lived in the Arctic! Northern neighbour perhaps?

[JSkorna 137]

Jim, I didn't realise you lived in the Arctic! Northern neighbour perhaps?

 

LOL, no Ray, i did that on purpose. Detroit, Michigan is the only city in the lower 48 states that is actually NORTH of Canada. If we were to visit Windsor, Canada, we would actually need to travel SOUTH!

 

 

 

So, why can I not just activate inputting that 25-digit code without the nonsense of having to call their stupid call-centres where half the people have no idea what you are talking about or have the nous to communicate?

 

You can and you NEVER need to talk to a human. You are still making a big deal out of nothing and now you are bringing in operating systems. Next you are going to complain about the price of tea in China!

[crackfire 2]

I think some of us are missing the point. I don't mind at all that Microsoft require us to register our copy on installation and probably vc10man doesn't mind that either really. It is the feeling that Microsoft don't do anything willingly, have you ever tried to get them on the phone when your registration key doesn't work? And eventually some bloke in Korea answers after some considerable time to give you a 27 digit code to put in that hopefully might do the trick. No, Microsoft are clearly only interested in selling you something mostly without commitment, just try getting an answer from them to a W7 question, never mind FSX which they have already sold you and want to sell you another.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,926]

 

 

LOL, no Ray, i did that on purpose. Detroit, Michigan is the only city in the lower 48 states that is actually NORTH of Canada. If we were to visit Windsor, Canada, we would actually need to travel SOUTH!

 

Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation. I'm so pleased you know your north and south. :smile:

[JSkorna 137]

I think some of us are missing the point. I don't mind at all that Microsoft require us to register our copy on installation and probably vc10man doesn't mind that either really. It is the feeling that Microsoft don't do anything willingly, have you ever tried to get them on the phone when your registration key doesn't work? And eventually some bloke in Korea answers after some considerable time to give you a 27 digit code to put in that hopefully might do the trick. No, Microsoft are clearly only interested in selling you something mostly without commitment, just try getting an answer from them to a W7 question, never mind FSX which they have already sold you and want to sell you another.

I think you have missed the point that you NEVER need to talk to a person on the phone if your FSX or any other piece of MS software fails to activate, hence the term automated activation system.

[vc10man 732]

You are still making a big deal out of nothing and now you are bringing in operating systems

Am I? Really? It seems you are missing the fact that both MSFX and OS's are sold by the same company, so why should there not be a common link? Same set of hassles.

 

I've just re-installed a heap of Aerosoft software from the DVDs I bought or downloaded directly from Aerosoft, And they are not a two--bit small fry player in this market. It was so simple. Just input the CD/DVD key, and bingo! All installed without having error flags thrown up, or being forced to call a call-centre in some obscure cheap-labour place. Again, another common link, Aerosoft sells software, so if it is no big issue to them, I cannot see a logical stance taken by the pro-MS support. Unless it is their MS share market taking a hit?

 

And I never buy tea from China!

[JSkorna 137]

 

 

Same set of hassles.

 

Yep, enter a key and click a button. Quite the hassle I'm sure.

 

 

All installed without having error flags thrown up, or being forced to call a call-centre in some obscure cheap-labour place.

 

And if had received an error flag, you would had to e-mail Aerosoft and you would then be complaining about that also.

 

 

 

And I never buy tea from China!

 

No, just making mountains out of molehills!

[vc10man 732]

 

 

No, just making mountains out of molehills!

Not even worthy of a comment having read some of your previous stuff!