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Microsoft mistake leaves Windows 10 users fuming

Microsoft Windows 10 users were livid late last week after Microsoft mistakenly told them that their licenses were invalid.
Written by
November 12, 2018
Naked Security DRM Microsoft Windows Windows 10 Windows Home Windows Pro

Microsoft Windows 10 users were left livid late last week after Microsoft mistakenly told them that their licenses were invalid.
On Thursday, Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise customers began complaining online that Microsoft was declaring their license keys invalid. The users, who confirmed that they had legal copies of the operating system, were told that they were actually using Windows Home. When they checked, the Pro version was still installed.
The problem led to Windows deactivation, according to some:

My digital entitlement is gone from my Microsoft account and I have a Windows 10 Home key now. Windows is deactivated because I went from Windows 10 Pro to Home and it doesn’t match anymore.

The issue affected both Pro and Home versions of Windows 10 that had been upgraded from earlier versions of the operating system, along with clean Windows 10 installs, according to posters on Reddit.
One Windows user reported that purchasing a Windows 10 Pro key in the Microsoft store was listed as an option for him, even though he had already upgraded to Windows 10 Pro years ago. When he tried to repurchase the key, it would not let him.
Customers were confused by what seemed to be inconsistent responses from Microsoft. Microsoft Support’s Twitter account denied any knowledge of a problem with Windows activation:


It then fell to a mixture of customers and volunteer moderators to tell the rest of the customer base what was happening. One of them posted this response from a Microsoft live chat support agent:

I am very sorry to inform you that there is a temporary issue with Microsoft’s activation server at the moment and some customers might experience this issue where Windows is displayed as not activated. Our engineers are working tirelessly to resolve this issue and it is expected to be corrected within one to two business days.

An actual Microsoft employee then commented on the customer’s post to offer an official explanation, and a volunteer moderator on the company’s forums also stepped in to relay information about the issue.
By the end of the day on Thursday, the company had indeed fixed the problem, according to reports.
Users also said that they were able to run the Activation Troubleshooter program manually to fix the problem if Microsoft’s changes didn’t correct it automatically.
Some customers were irked by Microsoft’s regular online checks for operating system legitimacy. “And someone please once again explain why DRM for an operating system was a good idea?” quipped one. Another complained that Microsoft had created a system to deter pirates with its regular online checks but ended up causing trouble for paying users.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that Microsoft has let users down with its constantly connected operating system, which also offers the ability to install updates automatically for users. Just last month, the company had to stop offering its October 2018 update after users complained that it was deleting files.

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58 Comments

Windows 10 has been closer to a malware-type problem for many users than actual malware. (Note: I’ve never said anything like that previously about Win10 – I’ve given it more than a fair shake for a long time – but they have clearly lost the plot.

It’s an Operating System! It doesn’t DO ANYTHING! Micro$oft should give it away and end this crap. Make windows 10 free forever, and make it great so that people Choose too use it. Applications are where the functionality is. Charge for them! I wish Linux had Adobe support. Then I could finally dump Microsoft for good!

Not sure what you mean by Adobe support, but Adobe is a port from MacOS to Windows, Mac has always performed AV (audio visual not Sophos) tasks better

I’ve been a MS user and fan for a long time but when you combine all these Win10 updating problem with the direction MS seems to be going of not allowing you to own your own OS anymore I am really starting to think a lot more about switching to Ubuntu or Mint.

“By the end of the day on Thursday, the company had indeed fixed the problem, according to reports.”
Wrong! There are still many many users on the forums complaining that the deactivation is still in force. I know of several computers of people I know personally that still are not reactivated for Windows 10.

Microsoft’s issues are growing daily. They no longer care about their end users experience or their system admins. They only thing they care about is making money, and I understand that as they’re in the business to make money. But they do it with little regard to their end users experience. As long as you have big wallets, they’ll take care of you. But for those little shops that are barely making it as it is, Microsoft has taken away administrative control from the system admins. Because i can’t afford an enterprise agreement, I have to allow my end users access to Windows Store? Apple and Google both have are constantly removing malware related apps from their app stores. Do we honestly believe Microsoft will be any better than these two companies? Far be it! Their checks of applications will fail and fail miserably and we’ll be the ones to pay the price because of data breaches in our networks. Big props to Sophos for allowing application control and allowing us to block Windows Store.

Presumably MS has fired most of the testers of new releases to save money. If they’re really stupid, Nadella won’t bother to reverse this plan.

Sad days for desktop OS users as Microsoft moves on to cloud computing as its primary revenue source and is interested in Windows mainly as a user activity big data information source that they can monetize. Since search engines and social media accounts are free, how successful will MS be with a strategy based on a paid OS and what happens if/when they completely lose interest in Windows? Personally I’ve been testing life without Windows for a couple weeks, and with options like Fedora and Ubuntu it is pretty easy to miss Windows very little.

“”…what happens if/when they completely lose interest in Windows?…I’ve been testing life without Windows for a couple weeks, and with options like Fedora and Ubuntu it is pretty easy to miss Windows very little.”
I’ve been Microsoft-less at home since late 2007, when a similar round of failed updates made my PC life miserable. I don’t miss it at all. And no, I’m not a hater of everything out of Redmond. I used to be a big fan, but even I got tired of the baggage that went with Windows.

I want a check for the mental stress it caused me.

Actually this is exactly what should happen. I should be able to bill Microsoft for the time my engineers had to spend with our end users troubleshooting this. We and our clients lost over a half day because of this nonsense.

The solution is very simple. Just abandon the MS Windows ship altogether and install your free Linux distro. There are so many available and they are all free as of free of charge.

Or try one of the BSDs (including macOS, although that one is only free if you buy an Apple computer first :-)

Happened to me last week on my new Dell XPS 13 laptop when updated to 1809 for Insider Program to have black explorer windows. I had upgraded from Home to Pro a few days earlier before that and activated fine. Had to phone MS and he reactivated. Said Pro activated again. Then after a few days now it says something different. [Digital license activated and “linked to your Microsoft Account”]! Not showing the last block of my Pro license key any more!
Running this command in a CMD dosbox;
slmgr -dli
Shows licensed and shows the last block of license key. Seems chaotic at MS update coders team currently.

Similar problem here, on my MS pro, showing invalid licence unlicensed copy on OFFICE 365, hence total Business held up for past few days,

How about a different problem. I run two computers on win 10 and each has google chrome. This morning google chrome would not start in one of the computers nor could I install a new copy over it. Microsoft in your zeal to convince customers that edge is better are you messing with google ???

I cannot even go online. I been dealing with this since last night without any luck. Error message to update but I have the latest version and I couldn’t download chrome or Firefox.

As of this Sunday 11/11 I still have the license issues.
Uninstalled the Cumulative Update 2048-10 KB4462933 , and reboot my workstation an it fixed for me.

This is the main reason we are still on Win7 and will remain there. M$ turned us off to upgrading with Win8.

Windows 10 had more flaws, than all the prior windows combined!
Seems like a bunch of school kids, writing code for a school project.
I wonder if it’s true, that half of MS coding is now done in India, vs 100% in USA before?

On the topic of what may be consumer irk, the Microsoft store caught a missing C:\windows\system32\drivers\ReFS.sys in the install disk. My copy of the installation USB system disk perhaps could have been corrupted, but the USB was only used to install, and repair, the same Windows 10Pro. Without Internet access I was forced to return the USB disk to the point of purchase.

Happened on my work machine. Got a white screen with a warning that Windows needed activation. The activation troubleshooter was able to fix it. This is a high end machine that was bought from Lenovo with a valid Win10 pro license. Linux is looking better and better every day, now using it at home with zero activation problems, no calling home, and amazing functionality. MS is making me a fan of alternatives.

Did anyone else have issues with the browser. I have the updated version but now I am getting error message that its out dated but it’s not.

If this event doesn’t get you thinking about the imminent subscription model for future Windows, it should. Imagine a future where Microsoft can disable your managed desktop for non-payment or even a payment glitch. That’s a bit too invasive for my taste. When my Pro license for Windows rolled back to Home a few days ago I almost wiped my drive to reinstall Ubuntu. Yes, it pissed me off that badly. I’m still thinking about doing it even now.

I have to admit that I’m pretty nervous about jumping ship to another operating system after 25 years with Windows, but I can no longer afford the amount of time it typically takes to fix the problems Windows constantly causes. Plus, there’s no way I can afford a monthly fee for Windows in the future, so that’s the end of that.
Would Bill Gates have let this happen?

Linux all the way, I truly believe that some of the current crop of Linux distros blow windows away.

Good.. people like you should go in with that mindset all the way. To make sure you’re not a hypocrite remove any and all M$ OS’s on anything you use. Then comeback and tell us how productive everything is in your soley Linux world. This also includes no Xbox and I have a very strong feeling you live with your mother…hence all the freebie talk. 🤣

I mean… It does pretty well. Some applications are lost because they only run on Windows, but I love my operating systems.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for a desktop OS. Some users will require MS Windows for a variety of reasons. Those who have only used MS Windows and have no experience with Unix/Linux may face a painful transition from Windows. My biggest concern with MS Windows is that it is no longer the cornerstone of their business. In terms of Microsoft executive performance incentives, Windows 10 is weighted 11% as opposed to cloud revenue and subscribers which together are weighted 67%. (Search: zdnet microsoft executive compensation metrics) They’re clearly de-emphasizing their desktop OS product as the world moves to mobile devices and the cloud (which only makes sense), and this appears to be having a negative impact on quality and delivery. Hopefully Microsoft gets their arms around these issues, and if they can only successfully monetize Windows by leasing it like they do Office I’m out, just as I’ve abandoned MS Office for LibreOffice at home. Happily there are a variety of Linux distros that are quite nice for everyday usage, an easy decision for me as I cut my teeth on BSD Unix in the early 80’s. This is from an engineer who appreciates a high quality free OS and hasn’t lived with mom or dad for decades!

Right, because nothing says “productive” like Xbox. That must be why the Xbox app comes installed on the professional and even the enterprise versions of Windows 10; for productivity’s sake! Microsoft also makes it more difficult to uninstall than the other bloatware; you can’t just simply right-click and uninstall Xbox, but you must use Powershell instead. They must really want to keep people productive!

and Server 2016 LTSC with GUI… I’m still not sure what server SAC is for, but with these sort of issues in the similar code base, not inspiring confidence.

Xbox, Candy Crush Saga, Solitaire… How many hundreds of times have I been forced to jump into a PowerShell command to remove these from corporate workstations?

This is the problem stop competing with Mac and do ur own thing windows 7 was and is the best!u had options and privacy!

Win 10 april update deleted my files and completely changed everything. It went to all default settings and everything was gone. Looked like a fresh install. I only need windows for 1 piece of software. Other than when i need it i use linux mint. 99% of the time. The average user is using a computer for online usage. So linux is perfect for you if this is you. Linux has what 89% of us need. there is a full suit of office software called libre office. Every year that passes, windows becomes less relevent. It wont be long before its gone.

It’s always so funny with Microsoft! This company always exceeds itself in proving that problems can occur from the most unexpected places, it’s crazy…

Every new version of windows gets worse and more intrusive. If there was any os out there which would run all of my existing cad applications I’d jump ship like my ass was on fire. I’m so done done with all of them. I think i’ll jump to cracked windows 7 for my cad apps, block all connections to micro sh** in the firewall, run linix for everything else and cut the ms cord completely. Even millennium and Vista was better than this junk.

It literally brought my company to a halt. We are a small, self funded company that is extremely busy as we grow. We rely on Windows for our team and this brought both development and business development down. That is without the other driver issue we had with the latest update that literally brought one of our product demos to a halt right in the middle with a lovely blue screen and reboot. We literally lost 40+ hours of work across all of the issues. For the first time ever we are considering moving to Macs. Personally I love and use Linux, but due to some of the tools we have to use it is not an option in the company. Just amazing how incompetent Microsoft has come. What makes this all worse is, despite having W10 Pro set for delayed installs of feature releases and busy times set during the day, it decided to do a driver upgrade during the day. It was embarrassing for our company and it wasted a lot of our already limited resources. I’m done.

Clint: save just enough of the Win10 computers, store them in the server room and then have your new replacement MacBooks remote into them with RDP. Your problem is solved. You could even consider pushing those images to the cloud in some cases.

I have to agree with a few of the comments here. I did get frustrated enough with windows 10 to turn my main computer to a “Linux” (Ubuntu). I did keep one with Windows 7, just because of some software I enjoy using (it is not online).

I’ve successfully replaced Windows with Xubuntu Linux. Don’t miss anything. For Windows only programs there is wine and VirtualBox. The latter requires a Windows license so looking for a Linux alternative to Quicken

I switched from Chrome OS to Windows a few months back, as there are some things I needed to do on Windows that Chrome OS couldn’t handle. I’m pretty close to switching back to Chrome and getting a dirt cheap old Windows machine to do the 2% of stuff that I need that Chrome OS couldn’t do for me. I’ve had nothing but problems like these since switching to Windows; I never had any problems while on Chrome OS.

Don’t forget (or learn about it) that all user input in chrome is proxy’d through google analytics (for marketing data) in exchange for using it – you are sharing all your input with google.

I did not know that… And I suppose that explains why I can’t route chrome through a burp proxy…

One of the updates wiped out my hard drive got it revived but short lived it went out again on a one year old computer. I generally don’t like apple but I’m thinking about going to it next time

Plus windows saturated market long ago, few work at home jobs use anything else. I’d love to use ubuntu

As of this Sunday 11/11 I still have the license issues.
Uninstalled the Cumulative Update 2048-10 KB4462933 , and reboot my workstation an it fixed for me.

Windows 10 is a big mistake in my opinion when I have 7 I turned off the automatic updates and NEVER had a problem now with 10 everytime there’s a system update I have to reset everything

managed to swerve this particular SNAFU thankfully, gotten so fed up with the ‘bloatware’ of Win10 running down my system performance, and various other irritating niggles like Edge continually deciding to make itself default for PDF’s instead of Acrobat Reader, I just put a clean HDU in, and upgraded back to a clean Win7 install. been an MS partner for years, and support a varied number of small business clients, all in the MS world – it’s getting harder by the day to be an apologist for MS,

Slow and steady wins the race, all of us know about its. If the Microsoft has some problems upon fixing windows 10 then they need some time. Let us give them support, let them to take some time. And also Microsoft has serviced us a lot, so let them fix the problem and i am definitely sure that they will fix the problem.

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