Microsoft lost my activation???

[Imakeholesinu]

So about 6 days ago, I created an account on my PC so my friend could play battlefield 2 while I was away and he wouldn't go snooping around in places where he shouldn't be. So I created this new user and I noticed when I logged into it for the first time it told me that my version of Windows needed to be activated in 2 days. I thought this was a bunch of crap but sure enough, two days later, I can't login to windows and must activate it via the internet. No problem since I have a legit copy. But why was I asked to activate again? Yes it's been more than a year since I last formatted, but still what the hell? Then I get to try to fuck around with Office and I get this nice little message.


Microsoft Office XP Professional with FrontPage has detected significant changes on your machine configuration. For Microsoft Office XP Professional with FrontPage to continue functioning properly, and to avoid entry into reduced functionality mode, you must reactivate your product. With the product in reduced functionality mode, you will not be able to save or create new documents, and other product functionality will be reduced. For more information about reduced functionality mode, click the Help button.

So much for AD101. I need office with Access, Word, Powerpoint, and Excel for Introduction to Microsoft Applications. I guess now I need to really try and test out of the class. Then they ask for my Office XP Professional with FrontPage disc to activate office. This disc I don't have at the moment because it is at my mothers house. Notice, I believe all of this shit started happening after the last microsoft update. Anyone else experience this at all or am I alone on this one? I tried also using my student teacher edition disc to activate it but that doesn't seem to work. It needs some ProPlus.msi file. *sigh* Microsoft, you shit hooks. I didn't change anything, your damn updates did.

[SineSwiper]

Looks like MS is trying to clamp down on piracy again. You should probably do a search on The Register for articles. A quick search on my end found this one, and the other related links are probably a good read, too.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Operating systems should be free of charge. and so should basic word processing applications. (And they shouldn't have this anti-piracy bullshit that comes with the $$$ OS.) Without them, a computer is useless. It's like offering a motherboard without a BIOS.