*screams loudly with incoherent rage*

[Knight Errant]

Well... you all know (if you care remotely about my appearances and disappearances) that I recently resurrected my poor laptop from its dead state into a new desktop which is STRONG! And ALIVE!

Well... just recently I got a lovely message... from Microsoft. Saying "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting"

Lovely wording on that... but I'll get back to it.

See the thing is, Windows has decided that... since my machine is new... the software running it MUST be false! And if that logic makes any sense to you just wait... it gets better.

So now I get some... "Microsoft Genuine Advantage" piece of *censored* pop ups (which I eventually got rid of) and this obnoxious alert covering the bottom right hand corner of my screen... and also blanking out my desktop wallpaper into nothing for indescribable reasons.

Back to... "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting"

Think about that long and hard... who is the victim here? The damn thing was running fine until MICROSOFT decided to crowbar into my *censored* operating system and hassle me. So YES. I AM a victim... and *censored* Microsoft is victimizing me!

And its not as if my copy is even a fake! Its the *censored* one Dell installed onto my hard drive!

*chuckles* Ahhh Dell... I'll get back to THEM soon.

Anyway, so I get around to calling Microsoft to resolve this... idiotic problem. And find out I need the product key for my copy of XP. Which, conveniently, isnt on my laptop at all.

So they tell me I need to call up Dell and ask them for it...

But... SURPRISE! Since my warranty is no longer valid, they want me to PAY THEM for giving me *censored* TECHNICAL SUPPORT.

Thats right... Dell wont even give me the time of day unless I pay them or have a current warranty.

My rage was... indescribable. I ran around the house cursing for about... five minutes.

Now since I cant get my key, and since I cant fix the problem without my key... I am left with but two options.

Shell out my hard earned money to the undeserving and overbearing company which is playing its part in victimizing its OWN *CENSORED* CONSUMERS.

Or... turn to the dark side...

They say I have a counterfeited piece of software? Oh I'll SHOW them a piece of *censored* counterfeited software!

And when I am done, not a dime will be spent, not an alert will be on my computer, and not one *censored* inch will be given to THE MAN. *shakefist!*

[Mitera Nikkou]

It's the circle of life, man. It screws us all.

[Knight Errant]

What I hate is that they are making me do this... by not letting me legally fix my problem without me giving them money they neither need nor deserve.

[Haylie]

*I appear wearing a Darth Vader mask*
Come over to the Dark Side.

No, seriously. If you don't think you should have to pay them, don't. Stick it to the Gates. He's the riches man on the frickin' planet, for God's sakes. He doesn't need that money.

[Mitera Nikkou]

Actually, I've got a question. What was the term(s) of the warranty?

[Knight Errant]

The usual... something breaks, they fix or replace it... all that stuff.

It expired before my laptop broke... of course...

[Selena Aninikkou]

There are other options than Windows, you know...

Microsoft's genuine advantage program is complete BS anyway. It's easy to circumvent, and only regular people who have no clue get nailed by it. BTW, the reason you're getting it now is because Windows is rigged to assume if a certain percentage of the hardware changes, it MUST be a new computer, and according to Microsoft, you are not legally allowed to move Windows from one computer to another (don't even get me started on that...).

[Helel]

He doesn't need that money.

Third now, actually. He's given away a rather sizable amount of money for philantropy and such.

Anyways, to the main matter at hand, sorry to hear about this KE and hopefully you'll get things straightened out soonish. :O

[Knight Errant]

I got everything straightened out!

By reformatting my hard drive and installing a bitching copy of XP my dad found on the internet... heheheh...

Not a penny to godsdamned Microsoft! Not one penny! *shakefist!*

And so, my story ends with me sticking it to the Man and coming out on top.... peasants rejoice!

*lays out a feast!*

[Haylie]

So... if you're not a peasant... can you still rejoice?

*Steals some food to be on the safe side*

[Knight Errant]

Eh, sure... *hands Haylie a pot of mashed potatoes and a turkey!*

After the festivities we are going to go burn Bill Gates in effigy!

[Haylie]

*I take the pot and turkey*
Finally! A use for all those Molotov's!