Microsoft Reader Activation

[themop]

I'm not sure this is the right place to ask this question, but let's try it. I've been trying to activate the Reader that comes on the companion CD, and I've been rather unsuccessful. Using Internet Explorer (desktop) I try to log in my existing .Net passport and the only thing it does is to bring me right back to the welcome screen (http://das.microsoft.com/activate/en-us/default.asp?) each time I click on the Sign In icon. I use Zone AlarmPro, but even with it turned off, I still get back to the same page.

Anybody had better results?

[dwinget]

Your Pocket PC has to be connected to the desktop computer and ActiveSync has to running while you activate the Reader program. During the activation, some files are downloaded from the internet and installed onto your device. The web browser on your desktop also needs to be configured to accept cookies or else the process won't work. I hope this helps.

[themop]

Thank you for your answer! I tried as you described below, and still it brings me back to my original welcome page. I'm really at lost as to why it wouldn't work. I "turned off" all of the security/privacy feature, and yet it doesn't see my wanting to log in. Strangely enough, I use Hotmail and I can log without any problems. I'm really wondering about the Zone Alarm Pro... Even when it's closed, the True vector is still going...

Anybody out there running Zone Alarm?

[themop]

I shut down IE, I went around in my cookies and deleted the reference to my passport, then restarted IE. It worked! Happily, I was browsing the Reader website, and in some FAQ section got this little one. Interestingly enough, when I did a search on activation, it didn't come up! Oh well. Here's the details on how to do it if you run into the same problem I had:

Why can't I activate my new copy of Microsoft Reader 2.0? I have a Passport, but when I click YES on the Passport site, I see the same question repeatedly.
You may have to delete your Passport cookie to activate Microsoft Reader 2.0.

To remove Passport cookies

If you're using Internet Explorer
1. Click Tools, then Internet Options.
2. Under Temporary Internet files, click Settings.
3. Click the View Files button.
4. Right click and delete the following files:
[YourName]@passport.com
[YourName]@passporttest.com
Cookie:[your name]@das.microsoft.com/
Cookie:[your name]@passport.com/
Cookie:[your name]@passport.com/ppsecure
5. Close all your browser windows, and reopen your browser to the Microsoft activation site.

[rasputinj]

I had the same problem was sort of a pain..

[dwinget]

It is really too bad M$ puts everbody through the pain of going through activation processes for every program and OS they develop.:mad:

[doogald]

Originally posted by dwinget
It is really too bad M$ puts everbody through the pain of going through activation processes for every program and OS they develop.:mad:

As far as I know, the only reason that you need to activate the application is to read secure eBooks. If you are not going to buy secure eBooks, there is no need to activate the app.

As for Microsoft's other applications that require activation, as their apps are one of the most pirated apps on PCs, is it any wonder that they make us activate? If we were all just globally trustworthy enough not to pirate content, there would be no reason to activate anything.

[dwinget]

I agree that they are probably doing it to prevent pirating. However, I think the reason people are pirating their programs is that they cost way too much. If Bill wasn't so greedy, maybe everybody would purchase the programs like they should.

[mason hatcher]

Originally posted by dwinget
I agree that they are probably doing it to prevent pirating. However, I think the reason people are pirating their programs is that they cost way too much. If Bill wasn't so greedy, maybe everybody would purchase the programs like they should.

So its not MY fault if I steal, it is someone elses? Cool, Satellite is too high, DSL costs too much and CD's are a rip off. I think I will start stealing their stuff cause they are so greedy.

:rolleyes:

[dwinget]

I am not saying it is alright to steal if prices are too high. The point is that if people cannot afford something, they are more likely to be tempted to steal, or mentioned in the above posts, pirate the software.

Microsoft's software prices have been skyrocketing in recent years. At the same time, the economy has been in a slump. This situation has made software become unaffordable for many consumers . It should come as no surprise to Microsoft or anybody else that pirating has become a big issue.

While I agree that something needs to be done to stop pirating, I don't agree with the methods being used to stop it. By using activation codes, they are making it difficult for all the honest people in the world to use products they have paid for. Why should they be punished for being honest? They should have unfettered access to whatever is legally theirs. I also think Microsoft is overcharging for Windows XP and Microsoft Office. It is ridiculous that they charge over $250 USD just for the operating system. Microsoft Office costs over $500 USD. If you can afford programs at these prices, you are definitely in the high income bracket. Or perhaps you work for Microsoft and want to defend their greediness so you can get a big check in the mail.

[doogald]

Originally posted by dwinget
While I agree that something needs to be done to stop pirating, I don't agree with the methods being used to stop it. By using activation codes, they are making it difficult for all the honest people in the world to use products they have paid for. Why should they be punished for being honest? They should have unfettered access to whatever is legally theirs. I also think Microsoft is overcharging for Windows XP and Microsoft Office. It is ridiculous that they charge over $250 USD just for the operating system. Microsoft Office costs over $500 USD. If you can afford programs at these prices, you are definitely in the high income bracket. Or perhaps you work for Microsoft and want to defend their greediness so you can get a big check in the mail.

I just looked and I can buy a new copy of Office Standard for $349, Professional for $434 - which is pretty close to the same price that it has been since Office 95, 97 and 2000.

You can buy XP Home Edition upgrade for about $100, XP Professional Upgrade for about $283 - which, again, are about the same prices that they charged for Win95, Win98 and WinME upgrades (compared to Home) and NT 4.0 Workstation and Win2000 upgrades (compared to Professional). Yes, they are a bit higher, but it is only a few dollars more. Even DOS plus Windows 3.x upgrades were about $90.

Apple OS X V10.2 costs about $120. It certainly appears to me that WinOS is in the right price ballpark.

If you don't like it, it still does not give you the right to steal it. Since enough people do so, the rest of us have to deal with the protections that Microsoft has put in place to prevent stealing their property. And I can honestly say that I have never had an issue with activation at all, and I manage IT in a medium sized company. And in case you think that I am a Microsoft lackey, that is not the case; we use MS products for their desktop OS and office apps, we use Netware for file and print services, and are about to switch groupware/email from Groupwise to Lotus Notes (I wouldn't touch Exchange with a virtual 10 foot pole), and I remain disappointed that Microsoft was not penalized more for what I think is their egregious violation of antitrust law.

[dwinget]

In Hong Kong, where I currently live, the prices are higher than what you mentioned. I, too, am not into stealing software. I don't condone stealing software and I don't think that high prices justify the actions of those involved in stealing software. But I have seen how the bad economy affects the behavior of people. With the economy still bad in Asia,the black market is still quite strong in Hong Kong. There are shops selling pirated software, video cds, and DVD movies. There are people smuggling in cable descramblers from Mainland China, etc.

I, for one, do not get illegal software. In addition to it being illegal, often times, the disks contain viruses or the programs don't work properly. I can also purchase software legally with an education discount, since I work in a school.

In the school, we are also running Novell Netware and GroupWise on our network. We have never used Microsoft Exchange and have no plans to start using it. Especially with all the viruses written to attack Microsoft based networks and email systems going around. It also seems like there is a new service pack released on a daily basis.

We are thinking of switching to either Macintosh or Linux on our workstations. We have had lots of problems using Norton Ghost to clone Windows XP workstations because of the activation process. Activation codes do not transfer to the cloned machines. When you run the activation wizard at Microsoft's web site, it rejects the activation code from the cloned machine. Windows then stops the computer from booting up after 30 days have gone by. You need a site license of Windows before it will work. That site license costs $$$$! Since the site license is so expensive, we have downgraded the workstations to Windows 2000 Professional. Microsoft lets you use your XP license to run 2000, even though you need a separate cd key for the 2000 disk.

So, don't accuse me of being a software pirate and thief, because I am not!

[doogald]

Originally posted by dwinget
So, don't accuse me of being a software pirate and thief, because I am not!

My apologies; I was using 'you' in the generic sense, not specifically accusing you.

[dwinget]

Thanks for your apologies. I am also sorry for being so hard about the activation process. This issue with Norton Ghost has really got me frustrated. Without Ghost, I have to install the software manually on hundreds of workstations.