Microsoft Reduces Number of Technet keys available without notifying customers...

Microsoft quietly cuts number of product keys available to TechNet subscribers | ZDNet

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/09/23/technet_subscribers_product_key_reduction/

Sounds like you now get two product keys per product with the new Standard subscription and only five (instead of ten previously) with the Professional subscription.

The worse part is this is retroactive to everyone that already has a subscription and not only to new subscribers.

This really sucks for those of us that run virtual PC's and blow through lots of activations, not to mention a handful of physical PC's that you reinstall periodically. Basically this forces you to create a new account any time you run out of keys or activations.

I guess for $149 Standard renewal you can't complain, but for $349 for a new pro subscription is crazy. Not to mention you actually have to use a new email/account if you need more you can't just pay to have new keys added. Really silly.

 

You could request to get more.

 

Nope, you cannot.

Microsoft TechNet Changes Explained | GeekSmack

Under the new system, there are now two subscription tiers. The first is called TechNet Standard, which is a new, lower level and less expensive tier. This subscription entitles the user to 2 keys per product. TechNet Plus has been renamed to TechNet Professional, and the number of keys has been cut in half from TechNet Plus, from 10 to 5. Now if that isn’t enough of a kick in the pants, under the new system, you can no longer request additional keys should the need arise. So now of course you’re asking, well what does Microsoft expect you to do if you run out of activations? Well their answer is simple, they want you to buy another subscription and fork over more money of course!

 

Well I just checked the FAQ

 

Ah, I see here:

IMPORTANT - If you use products that require activation, many allow up to 30 days usage without activating. If you re-image your computers more frequently than every 30 days, you may want to consider NOT activating them if you have that option based on the product you are installing.

If you deplete activations for a key, you may be able to claim additional keys for that product. Additional keys would have their own set of activations.

If you are unable to claim additional keys and you have depleted all activations on ALL keys claimed, you can request additional keys by contacting your local Customer Service Center (click the Support tab above). A Customer Service Representative will validate your request and will submit the request to have additional keys provisioned for you. The additional keys will be claimable from the site.

But all the articles I've read have stated otherwise. You can request but they don't have to grant.

 

There are only so many codes that fit the algorithm, it might not just be an austerity measure.

 

I seriously doubt Microsoft would be so short sighted. They've been using keys for a LONG time. This is probably just an attempt to keep up with unauthorized activations and piracy.

 

They claim it's for piracy. But it's really to prevent people abusing it. Selling a "one time use key" for $30 each with 10 activations x 10 keys = $3000. Do that for Ultimate, Professional, and Home Premium and you've made $9000 for an investment of $350. Or someone getting a subscription and offering it all their friends and family.

Although I don't know why MS can't use some more fancy anti-piracy measures. I mean if you have one key being activated at ten different IP's/locations throughout the country it should raise a flag.

In any case, for the regular home user, two keys per product with ten activations each for $199 (for Standard subscription) is still an awesome deal considering even OEM Windows Pro costs $130-$140 from legit companies not to mention office and other MS products. I've read in some places that if you activate it on the same machine it doesn't count as an activation, but then I've also read the contrary, not sure which is true.

What I don't like is that it sounds like if you have the standard subscription (which I renewed), you only get 2 keys now. If you have Pro and you had more than 5 keys, you get to keep all your keys. So in other words if you pulled all your 10 keys at once you get access to all of them, but if you didn't, you only get 5. That makes no sense to me. Either make it same for everyone or not. I lost several keys, and probably only have a handful of activations left of Windows 7 between my two keys of both Pro and Ultimate because I did multiple reinstalls (unless same machine reinstalls doesn't count), not to mention several virtual machines that I only activated once I exceeded the 30 days.

 

I can pretty much guess how this all came about and you know i'm right. It's because some people were making a business out of Technet and selling their generated keys on ebay. MS got fed up with blacklisting thousands of keys and shutting down Technet accounts.

 

That's what it sounds like. I don't get it though. Again punish the honest customer. Maybe they will have no problem granting extra keys if you request them if its clear you're not abusing the system.

It ticks me off now. If I had known this, I would have pulled 10 keys for all products. I pulled 3 keys for Win 7 Pro and they're all active, just can't pull any more. So those that really abused the system initially pulling all keys up front get an advantage over those of us that just pulled them as we needed them? What a load of crap.

 

So how would YOU propose they fix the problem? What could you possibly do to prevent piracy without affecting the honest customer? Instead of just bemoaning the situation, recommend so solution to Microsoft that might work. I am sure they are as frustrated as you are with the piracy that has forced this issue.

Gary

 

I did recommend a solution, monitor what IPs are registering the software and use a little common sense to set up red flags. If one key has registrations scattered across the USA then at least investigate.

Either way, they're the one with the deep pockets and resources, not me. It shouldn't be up to the consumer to come up with a solution. If your transmission dies on your car, you take it back, probably angry, and ask them to fix it. You don't suggest how they modify the drivetrain.

I see it more as a money making opportunity for them. Like I said too, for people that abused the system and pulled all ten keys they get to keep them. For those of us that pulled them as needed get screwed. That can easily be remedied by allowing existing customers to keep their full allotment of keys they were promised when signing up.

Clear enough for you? Even though I already stated all this in my earlier posts.

 

I use virtual PCs all the time at work and never had an issue with running out of keys. Disk differencing is a very useful feature that allows one to create multiple virtual PCs using the same OS/activation. I use this feature for testing with each version of IE and Firefox. I don't actually install and activate different virtual PCs for every version. Also, one could always backup the virtual PC after activating it. When they are done with the current virtual PC, just delete it and start fresh again with the backup.

 

So I renewed my Pro subscription and today the account info was updated. However, my keys from the past year (all generated/downloaded) are still there and there is no link for me to get any new keys from my renewed subscription. Doesn't the account refresh itself with a renewal, providing me with new keys?

 

Nope. You have to use up all your keys and activations for at least one piece of software before they will issue you a new set of keys. Otherwise you'll have to pay for a new account with a new email. At least you have your keys. I'm just irked that people that pulled all their keys get to keep them but those of us that didn't do not get the chance.

Just for the record, I just called Microsoft and asked about adding additional keys. They told me they cannot do that. I expressed my displeasure about users that pulled ten keys for everything and get to keep them but for customers that pulled them on an as-needed basis (me) get screwed because they didn't go ahead an pull new keys. I also stated in the FAQ it says you can call and request new keys but she said those are for critical need only and usually are denied unless there is a very compelling reason.

 

Update. I made another request for additional keys. They gave me an electronic form to fill out and I wrote a nastygram, completely politically correct, stating my utter dissatisfaction with how they handled this change in program. I only asked for a couple more keys for a couple versions of Windows 7. It's taken nearly two weeks, but they just got back to me today and will update my subscription to a Professional version from Standard for free.

Bottom line is, it sounds like you need a really compelling case to get additional keys, and in my case, I guess I said the right words so that they just bumped me up. I'm surprised at that, as I was expecting nothing but a "sorry buddy" response. I guess Microsoft has a little personality and isn't a complete robot.

 

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH this blows...I have technet pro and had only claimed 3-4 keys for win 7.

I should have claimed my 10 keys ...but dammit, how was I suppoesed to know MS would do this? They are just screwing legitimate customers.

AFAIK, MS has been regularly deactivating keys sold illegally, so what gives that they are doing this????

PS: ANyone know if there is a vista ultimate version on technet that is not the "check" version?