This Sucks!.
I bought my copy of XP pro a few years ago, I wanted all of the fruit as I
run (well most of the time it works) a small network at home.  The whole
thing runs on shoe strings, like old laptops and boxes from work.  Ok, I may
have cheated in that I thought you could install on two computers at a time,
but, I haved installed and reinstalled XP, as I have "upgraded" over the
years.  I don't have Server2003, so I run Linux.

Now, a little pop up tells me I don't have the Genuine Advantage, I have a
volume licence, but not mine.  Maybe it's from work me thinks! So I try to
reinstall with my Genuine CD, same problem!

So I follow the friendly links to send an email, post a query, call for
help.  I don't have teh "rights' to free access.  There is no email reply
line, I can write a letter!.  My only option is to vent here!.

OK, I own and run a small business, like most owners, I'm hands on; I have
about about $100k of MS products installed.  Genuine!.  I've been buying and
installing and upgrading since DOS 3.0 for my business! We then had 3
computers, now about 30.  What I have come to reaslise is that then it felt
like I bought my software, I got ownership of it.  It was mine an no one
messed with it.  That moved on to feeling like I had a licence to use it, as
I liked, and then to feeling like I only have rented it.  Now I only get the
right to access some of it.

MS, has their fingers in so deep, that I don't feel comfortable any more, I
have a small problem, and the server in Redmond cuts me off.  I'm at risk.  
Is there no human support??  I feel vunerable.

OK, the old laptop with the broken screen, but nice LCD, on my son's desk
will still work, but for how long?  Will it slowly die as services are cut
off?  We all enjoy watching Big Brother, why, cause we all have that unedgy
feeling as to not knowing how closely we're being watched... but Big Brother
in my computer makes me uneasy when resource and service is further than my
arms length away.

Am I paranoid???... I don't know, but my brother was one of the lucky ones
that bought a CD from Sony recently ... Sony felt they had teh right, and
probaly do to, to protect their intellectual or artistic property; but I
don't like it.

I've dabbled with Unbuntu and Open Office (see Google if yuio don't know
about Unbuntu) and I had some hick-ups.  BUT, I got great service from the
open groups on line, I don't own the software, but I do what I like, and feel
supported.

So what do I do?... just sit and wait.  What recourse do I have?

Peter.  (PS, but MS, knows who I am... )