Review on Microsoft off-line license registration/authentication

[Neto]

I have used the Microsoft telephone registration process for over 700 systems for just the operating system registrations, and multiple times on some of these, due to either a failing HDD, upgrade from 32-bit Windows to 64-bit, or updates from one OS to a later one., And then many other Microsoft programs as well, such as various Office versions, and Streets & Trips, etc.

When I first started this, the telephone process took about 5 to 6 minutes. Over the years they have switched voices (from a man to a woman), added more security protection to prevent bots from messing with them, permission request for recording the call, and additional language choices.

Some months ago they added a second recording process, which takes around 11 minutes to complete, and doesn’t allow you to hear the entire response code again at the end, in case you missed one of the early number groups. But that isn’t the only problem. Each time the machine plays the next segment of this woman’s voice, it starts out very quite, so that you cannot hear clearly what is said. Then the volume comes up after a bit.

So for some time I have been just hanging up if it was this younger woman’s voice the machine played, and then call again. Usually that brought up the older recording (a mixture of the original recording of a man’s voice, and an older woman’s voice). Always at least 6 minutes to get it done, but it rarely failed to complete the process for me.

Yesterday I was attempting to register a Microsoft program for an off-line business, and although I hung up and called many times, it was always the newer system. Finally I gave up on getting the older, better process, but it took 3 tries before I could get the entire code. One time it got to the part where they read out the response code, but it missed two blocks of numbers. (There are nine blocks of 6 digits each. The codes you have to read off to them is also 9 sets, but newer program versions and Windows 10 now have 7 digits in each of the nine sets. The point is that this can get really tedious.)

Why am I writing a review for this here? Because I cannot find a single review on this service anywhere, and of course Microsoft doesn’t want to hear from anyone, much less someone who doesn’t like what they’ve done, even on a small thing like this off-line registration process.

I am curious if ANYONE here has ever attempted to register a Microsoft software product using this telephone system. I MUST say, however, that I appreciate the fact that they are still offering this option for registration. Other software companies (like Intuit, for QuickBooks) used to have decent systems like this, but have dropped this option entirely. I suppose it is only a matter of time before Microsoft follows suit, and offers only on-line registration, and probably only subscription-based services as well. Anyone from the old days when the license code came with the installation media, and there was no separate registration required? MS-DOS, anyone?? (Now I’m being ridiculous.)

[Josh]

I've done lots of those registrations, and yes, it's become much harder than it used to be.

In the case of Intuit it is now impossible to do it at all. Your only option is to buy old used copies of software.

[Ken]

Are you doing this for people who don't have internet?

My frustration with Microsoft is the requirement to have a Microsoft ID that I don't actually use for any other purpose and that I am force to use to log-in to complete various such tasks.

I'm about to the point of just getting rid of PCs and using a Chromebook for everything. That is going in the opposite direction from being offline. But at least it is so much simpler and easier and I never have to fuss around with authentications and license registrations for chrome apps.

[mike]

Are you doing this for people who don't have internet?

My frustration with Microsoft is the requirement to have a Microsoft ID that I don't actually use for any other purpose and that I am force to use to log-in to complete various such tasks.

I'm about to the point of just getting rid of PCs and using a Chromebook for everything. That is going in the opposite direction from being offline. But at least it is so much simpler and easier and I never have to fuss around with authentications and license registrations for chrome apps.

I got tired of fixing my parents' PC from troubles with viruses, inexplicable performance lags, hard drive issues, etc. so I got them a high-end Chromebook. It works very well and my tech support time for them dropped by as much as 99%.

[Neto]

Are you doing this for people who don't have internet?

My frustration with Microsoft is the requirement to have a Microsoft ID that I don't actually use for any other purpose and that I am force to use to log-in to complete various such tasks.
....

Yes. My business is building and configuring what we call 'word processors' - limited use Windows systems that do not have games, video, sound, or internet. (Locked down so that the user cannot add those things as well.) And yes, it is getting more & more difficult to achieve this objective. My customers are all either Amish or very conservative Mennonite business owners.

[Ken]

Are you doing this for people who don't have internet?

My frustration with Microsoft is the requirement to have a Microsoft ID that I don't actually use for any other purpose and that I am force to use to log-in to complete various such tasks.
....

Yes. My business is building and configuring what we call 'word processors' - limited use Windows systems that do not have games, video, sound, or internet. (Locked down so that the user cannot add those things as well.) And yes, it is getting more & more difficult to achieve this objective. My customers are all either Amish or very conservative Mennonite business owners.

Sounds like at some point the more sensible approach would be to just configure up a simple Linux box that does what they need and then clone it rather than sticking with Windows.

[Neto]

Are you doing this for people who don't have internet?

My frustration with Microsoft is the requirement to have a Microsoft ID that I don't actually use for any other purpose and that I am force to use to log-in to complete various such tasks.
....

Yes. My business is building and configuring what we call 'word processors' - limited use Windows systems that do not have games, video, sound, or internet. (Locked down so that the user cannot add those things as well.) And yes, it is getting more & more difficult to achieve this objective. My customers are all either Amish or very conservative Mennonite business owners.

Sounds like at some point the more sensible approach would be to just configure up a simple Linux box that does what they need and then clone it rather than sticking with Windows.

I do clone them, sort of. (I create an image, then after applying it to each new HDD or SSD, perform the final configurations (like changing the Windows license, the system name, & create a unique Admin password).

Linux would be great, except that there are very few program options available for that OS. A good accounting system that is familiar to accountants. CAD programs for designing all sorts of different parts or machinery, creating drawing files in formats that can be shared cross platform. Photo manipulation (for brochures & catalogs), etc. In the beginning the objective was almost entirely something that would run QuickBooks. But it grows from there, with many businesses now doing things in-house that they used to send to another business. That may seem like a bad choice, but when the print shop messes up your catalog and prints hundreds of unusable copies (and doesn't take responsibility for their mistake), then doing things in-house makes a lot more sense (or maybe 'cents').