All I Want To Do Is Activate Windows!

I’ve never liked the idea of the Windows Product Activation, though over the years I’ve grown fairly accustomed to the process which can frequently require a call to Microsoft and the reading of a 54-digit long “Installation ID” to a friendly computer with speech recognition (something Microsoft is still working on). Tonight, however, was the first time that many of my misgivings over the activation process were realized and validated. If that picture of a nearly 22 minute phone call with Microsoft’s activation hotline has peaked your interest, please do read on.

I am quite thankful that I have never run into such a problem. This is like punishing people who legally fork over the $300 for a copy of Windows. Doesn’t seem that fair.