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Free Technet Subscriptions

spacetrader said:
in general, don't you EVER dare to keep the actual value of win7 realistic. in fact, don't speak of win7 in any type of negative light what-so-ever, because it not only makes vista look like an amateur os, it also took a great engineering feat to create the PERFECT os in just two years flat. to go from the shit vista os to the perfect win7 is just amazing. to everyone. so eat it.
Click to expand...

And this is the kind of thing that makes me feel like us good old windows boys are going the way of the Macs. Vista, awesome and improved faster then XP ever did since it launched; Windows 7, glorified Vista Service Pack with some extra features like the classic Plus packs they use to sell with MS OS. Windows 7 has no value if your going to say that Vista has no value.
 
batteriesnotincluded said:
How long does it normally take them to activate a purchased account, does anyone know?
Click to expand...

Once you go in an associate your subscriber number with a Windows Live ID it should be almost instant. That's what I did. After paying for it I was downloading and generating keys inside of five minutes.
 
I keep getting this:
their page said:
Activate my Subscription
Unrecognized Subscription Data
The data that you have provided could not be located in our system.

You can try to:

* Reenter the data, making sure that all information provided is typed accurately.
* Check to see if this subscription is already in the subscription list on the Subscription Management page.
* Contact Support
Click to expand...

I've called in twice, and it's been roughly 2 hours since I bought it.

I'm wondering if their blacklisting things could be messing me up.
 
Dan_D said:
You guys do realize that using the keys and software you downloaded after your TechNet subscriptions were revoked is probably illegal?
Click to expand...

i did and thats why i didn't bother using any of the keys I claimed.

going to sign up for a sub once i get home from work.
 
I logged into my account today and it seems there's site maintenance going on now. The download links are greyed out. I hope my subscription is still active.
 
Dan_D said:
You guys do realize that using the keys and software you downloaded after your TechNet subscriptions were revoked is probably illegal?
Click to expand...

its more legal then running an activation hack on a pirated install... that was a joke

it still isnt clear if they blacklisted the keys. its really up to them if people are going to use the keys or not. if they work, people will use them.
 
Other then activation, there isn't a need to contact MS servers, you can use offline updates and would not have to install the guenuine advantage thinger you have to install if you go to the updates page, so, if someone was to do an install, get activated, then use CTUpgrade to get your updates.

So, if the key did become blacklisted down the road...

Not advocating piracy, just thinking out loud.
 
"The Free TechNet Subscription Fiasco - From Rationalization to Workarounds..."

NEXT... ON FOX!!!

Will it ever end?
 
im leaving my office 07 installed and auto-updated. im actually curious to what happens if they de-authenticate it
 
It will still get updates, I have never had a product get de-activated. I have however, had a lot of software that shouldn't have activated in the first place ;-)
 
No, I didn't miss out, it still works for me, go figure. I'm sure it'll get aborted at some point but, I can log in, I see the downloads, I can generate a key, etc. They're slowly getting around to everyone so I don't expect it to last for me, no worries.

I'm not bitter, I just get sick of mindless drivel being tossed about as though it were actual discussions... this thing stopped being a discussion thread about 45 seconds after the second post was made and it's been veering off course further and further with each new post (save mine, of course) HEHEHEHE :D

It was something that never should have happened, period, and since it did, it's over now, people need to deal with it and move on. But, the "discussion" will continue about how unfair it is/was, how Microsoft should give people their accounts anyway (beginning rationalization), how they'll continue to use the products anyway (beginning piracy), and then ways to possibly use the stuff even after keys are blacklisted (beginning workarounds).

Bleh... I'm surprised the Admins/Mods have let it go this long, I really and truly am.
 
aaronearles said:
It will still get updates, I have never had a product get de-activated. I have however, had a lot of software that shouldn't have activated in the first place ;-)
Click to expand...

i saw a slew of vista's get de-activated a while back because someone passed around a dell oem vista disk and they blacklisted the built in key....so it HAS happened, and its tricky because some of the people who asked me about it swear they didn't do anything to set it off....some of them are smart enough, some i think were full of shit. But still.

that being said i'm still playing nice on this one.
 
Aww hell... my subscription finally disappeared today. I was one of the first to sign up for this and I actually did the survey. It said active, expires 6/1/2010, and everything worked up until today when I clicked manage accounts and it was just gone. I didn't download anything or get any keys because I already had everything I wanted from a previous subscription. This was purely for Windows 7.
 
Joe Average said:
No, I didn't miss out, it still works for me, go figure. I'm sure it'll get aborted at some point but, I can log in, I see the downloads, I can generate a key, etc. They're slowly getting around to everyone so I don't expect it to last for me, no worries.

I'm not bitter, I just get sick of mindless drivel being tossed about as though it were actual discussions... this thing stopped being a discussion thread about 45 seconds after the second post was made and it's been veering off course further and further with each new post (save mine, of course) HEHEHEHE :D

It was something that never should have happened, period, and since it did, it's over now, people need to deal with it and move on. But, the "discussion" will continue about how unfair it is/was, how Microsoft should give people their accounts anyway (beginning rationalization), how they'll continue to use the products anyway (beginning piracy), and then ways to possibly use the stuff even after keys are blacklisted (beginning workarounds).

Bleh... I'm surprised the Admins/Mods have let it go this long, I really and truly am.
Click to expand...

you might want to change your handle to 'space police'. ;) i dont know your posts just seem a little condescending, because microsoft really did screw up this deal, and you really cant blame people for wanting to take advantage of it.
 
Off topic question... Since the subscription I bought last year just recently expired, will I still be able to install and activate with the keys I got from that subscription?
 
gtg465x said:
Off topic question... Since the subscription I bought last year just recently expired, will I still be able to install and activate with the keys I got from that subscription?
Click to expand...

Yes.

However, if you do not have an active subscription, you are suppose to destroy any discs, delete any files, and not use your keys.

Joe Average will kick your ass, the internets are seris busniz y0!
 
spacetrader said:
you might want to change your handle to 'space police'. ;) i dont know your posts just seem a little condescending, because microsoft really did screw up this deal, and you really cant blame people for wanting to take advantage of it.
Click to expand...

Exactly, why the hell wouldn't we?
 
sc0tty8 said:
Yes.

However, if you do not have an active subscription, you are suppose to destroy any discs, delete any files, and not use your keys.

Joe Average will kick your ass, the internets are seris busniz y0!
Click to expand...

This is false. Read the ageement. You are allowed to activate and use any keys that you obtained while your sub was active after it expires. You will not be able to obtain new keys or downloads and updates from technet. This doesn't affect regular MS updates for products.

There is so much bad info flying around about technet.
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
They could very well capitalize on this train wreck and bring back the $99 Technet sub deal... But we all know it won't happen.
 
fleggett said:
This is akin to your next-door neighbor announcing a party with free beer and chips. Then, when you get there, he's changed his mind and has everything locked away behind glass displays demanding to be paid before he'll allow access the goodies.

Is he within his rights to do so? Yes. Is it nice and what many would consider ethical behavior? Not in the slightest.

This is hardly a case of leaving your doors open for any Tom, Dick, or Harry thief to traipse on through. Microsoft made the offer and many of us accepted.

The "respectable" thing to've done in this situation, IMO, was to honor the subs for those that got their foot in the door. I tend to agree with a previous poster that this entire bait-and-switch was engineered to spotlight Technet and get people to pay for subs who otherwise would've had no clue.

BTW, leezard, I'm not pissed over keys getting revoked. I'm pissed that the entire program got revoked. I never had a chance to get any keys to get revoked.
Click to expand...

Unless I've misunderstood, MS has said they will honors those people who took the survey (and live in the country that the survey was for).

And it's not a bait and switch. Technet is for IT professionals, not just people looking for free software. I would have loved to have gotten in on the deal and taken the survey...but I didn't. If I'd gotten in via the direct links and they revoked it, I'd be bummed, but their response is perfectly reasonable.

If Technet isn't worth 200-300 bucks to you, then you're probably not someone who should get a Technet subscription (even if it's free). And if you're in college, you can probably find a good deal on a sub through school (assuming your school doesn't offer it for free).
 
Stanley Pain said:
TechNet is pretty damn awesome. I think I've had a sub for it for about 3-4 years now. Being able to install and use all the server OSes + applications like Exchange, etc is worth the price of entry.
Click to expand...

I really like having the ISOs with integrated service packs. One thing that kinda ticks me off is that, as far as I could tell, they never integrated service packs into the Office ISOs.

Before my sub ran out I got keys for all kinds of stuff, but never bothered getting all the ISOs. I was pretty sure I'd resubscribe before the end of the month. MS left a message today to call them about renewing. I'll probably call jsut to see if they're offering a better deal than the email offer.
 
batteriesnotincluded said:
Agreed. I'm not looking forward to spending $280 on a new subscription, but I know it'll still be cheaper than updating my 4 PCs to Windows 7.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. If that best buy memo is real, you'll be able to get 4 home premium upgrades for just under $200.00....if you want/need pro on all systems, then it's a wash (if all you need is 7).

I wanted new media (which will work with my old keys) and Win7 when it comes out.
Click to expand...

Updated ISOs are definitely nice.
 
nilepez said:
Unless I've misunderstood, MS has said they will honors those people who took the survey (and live in the country that the survey was for).
Click to expand...
That remains to be seen. The whole thing, at this point, is a cluster. Those of you who paid for one I'm sure are fine, but for the others, all bets seem to be off.

And it's not a bait and switch. Technet is for IT professionals, not just people looking for free software.
Click to expand...
It IS a bait-and-switch, by any reasonable definition of the phrase. And what client base Technet primarily serves is irrelevant in the context of this discussion. The chronology in my case was thus:


  • It was reported, in here, that a technical website had details on how to obtain a pilot Technet subscription for free and (and this part is critical) links to both UK and US signups were provided.
  • Nowhere in this process was it mentioned you had to've 1) lived in in the UK, 2) had already taken some pre-surveys of some sort, and 3) had to've been a part of this ITAC group.
  • A few clicks later (in my case, to the US signup site) and I was asked my personal info, including home phone numbers. I surrendered this information. A few moments later, an email lands in my mailbox with instructions as to how to access your member benefits.
  • I follow the instructions, do a copy-and-paste on the benefit access number, and voila!, I'm in. As I'm at work, though, I can't download some badly needed LEGAL ISOs (I have two Vista Ultimate retail licenses and have been trying, so far without any success, to get ahold of genuine MS slipstreamed SP2-level media for such. I was overjoyed when I found it as part of the downloads for Vista, then crushed when I got home and discovered my sub had effectively been canceled for no apparent reason - no email, nothing).
There was NOTHING underhanded in ANYTHING I did. I was unaware of these entry stipulations and Microsoft made no mention of any of these requirements during the registration process, either (except maybe in 3-point fine print).

I'm sorry if this is coming off as combative, but I'm getting a little tired of people thinking I'm part of some sort of "entitlement" cult. All I did was sign up for what looked like a fantastic, time-limited program that would allow me to get ahold of some Vista ISOs I've been trying to avoid accessing by "other means". Microsoft extended THEIR hand, not mine, and when I reached out to grab it, all I got was one of those nasty sideshow buzzers.

The entire point of my beer and chips analogy was this. If you were the homeowner that threw this metaphorical party and you started not only handing out invitations willy-nilly, but also accepting and processing them as they returned without even bothering to read the information therein, what are you going to do when these "undesirables" show up at your doorstep through no fault of their own? You can either tell them to hit the road OR you can suck it up, conceal your mistake, and let these total strangers enjoy themselves on your dime. It's called having character. Yes, you can explain what happened in the most calm and rational terms possible, but then you're no longer accepting responsibility and, by doing that, forcing them to come up with their own character when that wasn't their responsibility to do so.

Badly worded, but I think you get my point.

In my youth, we had a term for this. It was called indian-giving and my parents punished me SEVERELY when they found out I had engaged in this unethical, immoral, and possibly illegal behavior. Part of that punishment was returning whatever I had demanded back. Needless to say, I only did it once (maybe twice) before the message stuck.

In any event, this will probably be my last post on this subject, as I can't compete with the rabid pro-MS fanbase in here. However, I canNOT, at this time, afford the full asking price MS is charging for a "legitimate" sub. If they want to knock it down to $100 or maybe even $125, I'd do it, but $300 just isn't possible for the foreseeable future. Note that I'm NOT saying it's not worth it at that price point, just that it's beyond my current fiscal means.
 
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fleggett said:
The whole thing, at this point, is a cluster.
Click to expand...
True.
fleggett said:
Those of you who paid for one I'm sure are fine, but for the others, all bets seem to be off.
Click to expand...
Again, seens to be true.
fleggett said:
It IS a bait-and-switch, by any reasonable definition of the phrase. And what client base Technet primarily serves is irrelevant in the context of this discussion.
Click to expand...
It doesn't, in my mind, class as a real bait-and-switch........but the program was handled wrong by Microsoft, and then taken advantage of once the mistakes were noticed.
fleggett said:
The chronology in my case was thus:
  • It was reported, in here, that a technical website had details on how to obtain a pilot Technet subscription for free and (and this part is critical) links to both UK and US signups were provided.
  • Nowhere in this process was it mentioned you had to've 1) lived in in the UK, 2) had already taken some pre-surveys of some sort, and 3) had to've been a part of this ITAC group.
  • A few clicks later (in my case, to the US signup site) and I was asked my personal info, including home phone numbers. I surrendered this information. A few moments later, an email lands in my mailbox with instructions as to how to access your member benefits.
  • I follow the instructions, do a copy-and-paste on the benefit access number, and voila!, I'm in. I was overjoyed when I found it as part of the downloads for Vista, then crushed when I got home and discovered my sub had effectively been canceled for no apparent reason - no email, nothing).
There was NOTHING underhanded in ANYTHING I did. I was unaware of these entry stipulations and Microsoft made no mention of any of these requirements during the registration process, either (except maybe in 3-point fine print).
Click to expand...
True. All I saw was a link to a great offer....complete a survey, agree to complete more in the future along with blogging/posting regularly....and get a free year of Technet.

THE VERY FIRST QUESTION ON THE INITIAL QUALIFYING SURVEY was US or UK. I put US. If this was a program supposedly for UK only, why didn't it boot me out saying something like "we're sorry, you are ineligable.....bleh, bleh". Nope. It took it, said I was in, gave me a benefit number, and had me sign up. I used all my real info seeing as I'm legit - and signing up legit. Then get blown out of the water by a bunch of dopes who sign in with bogus info to grab as many keys as they can for no good reason.
fleggett said:
In any event, this will probably be my last post on this subject, as I can't compete with the rabid pro-MS fanbase in here.
Click to expand...
I don't think it's rabid pro or con really (although there are exceptions -heh). Yes, I know they have the right to pull the plug completely for a program that got messed up, but is it the right way to handle it? I don't think it would take much to separate the honest people who signed up from the bogus, and allow some to continue with the program like it was originally intended. At least have the common courtesy to fire off an email or something saying, " sorry.......yadda-yadda..........try next time".
fleggett said:
However, I canNOT, at this time, afford the full asking price MS is charging for a "legitimate" sub. If they want to knock it down to $100 or maybe even $125, I'd do it, but $300 just isn't possible for the foreseeable future. Note that I'm NOT saying it's not worth it at that price point, just that it's beyond my current fiscal means.
Click to expand...
Same here.:(

I'm thinking of calling them to say WTF.
 
don't call them. it's not like they sent you the invite to do the survey, it was a freebie you found and tried to take advantage of. it didn't work, so youre out 10min of your life, thats all.

sub is still down... seems very permanent...
 
The thing is... this was promotion was originally an invite-only (they would have to invite you to participate via email)... until some guy decided to post the sign-up links, even though HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DO IT.

Those complaining have absolutely no basis to bitch at Microsoft as they aren't entitled to anything.
 
I think if they would have sent 150 to 200 dollar coupon codes to those who Were canceled, 50 percent or so would of bit.
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
Devil24 said:
The thing is... this was promotion was originally an invite-only (they would have to invite you to participate via email)... until some guy decided to post the sign-up links, even though HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO DO IT.

Those complaining have absolutely no basis to bitch at Microsoft as they aren't entitled to anything.
Click to expand...

The thing about this argument is that at the end of the survey it stated that you could share the link with friends whom also may wish to participate....
 
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