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Windows Forum / Windows XP / Setup and Deployment / February 2008XP Plus
I've noticed that MicroSoft has discontinued "The Plus" for XP and has made most (if not all) of the extra products and features part of Vista and/or free web downloads for users of XP. Does anybody know how this will affect license keys for those who bought the retail version of "The Plus"? Is free activation available on the web for multiple installations? After all; If I can download everything for free, does it really make sense to say I can only load the CDROM version onto one computer? Just wondering. (I have a couple computers that I'd like to add "The Plus". I only have dial-up, so I'd rather not download 150 MB each time.) The retail version of Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP is licensed for one (1) computer only.  SignatureCarey Frisch Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User --------------------------------------------------------------- I've noticed that MicroSoft has discontinued "The Plus" for XP and has made most (if not all) of the extra products and features part of Vista and/or free web downloads for users of XP. Does anybody know how this will affect license keys for those who bought the retail version of "The Plus"? Is free activation available on the web for multiple installations? After all; If I can download everything for free, does it really make sense to say I can only load the CDROM version onto one computer? Just wondering. (I have a couple computers that I'd like to add "The Plus". I only have dial-up, so I'd rather not download 150 MB each time.) Yes, I realize that. But as I asked; If I can download everything the CDROM contains for free anyway, does it really make sense to say I can only load the CDROM version onto only one computer? The logic simply doesn't make sence. Do you know if MicroSoft is planning on releasing a key activator program for this particular product? > The retail version of Microsoft Plus! for Windows XP is > licensed for one (1) computer only. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > Plus". > I only have dial-up, so I'd rather not download 150 MB each time.) Actually, I think your OS license validates Microsoft Plus! and has since Windows 95. Prior to Win 95, the Plus stuff was on the OS CDs - just not installed by defult. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Plus! For each version of Windows since '95, MS created an OS "enhancement package" for those interested - free download or send for the CD at a token charge. Businesses never wanted 'Plus' (mostly games etc.) so they were never included on the OS CDs since '95. But were always available online free, or on CD nominal charge. Even their Digital Media Edition was available for d/l (free) as was their "Super Pack" which included both the XP Plus and Digital stuff. MS stopped the free downloads the day Vista was released as everything in Plus for prior OS's and in the DME are std in Vista. MS stopped it because, they don't want their old OS's competing with Vista! First, read the license on your XP Plus CD ROM. I think it will tell you you can install it on any "genuine" XP PC. If restricted, you couldn't pass the authenicating process once installed. But to be sure, contact Microsoft directly. See: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/aa948864.aspx and read the part that starts: How many devices can I install the products on? Ed > I've noticed that MicroSoft has discontinued "The Plus" for XP and > has made most (if not all) of the extra products and features part [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > "The Plus". I only have dial-up, so I'd rather not download 150 MB > each time.) First off - where can you download the components for the "Microsoft Plus!" or "Microsoft Plus! SuperPack" Windows XP that you speak of? The main page for the "Microsoft Plus!" product states, "Many of the features and tools that have been enjoyed for years now can be found in new Microsoft titles and services including Windows Vista™." I don't see any mention of "now can be downloaded for free for users of Windows XP..." http://www.microsoft.com/windows/plus/default.mspx In other words - since you said the "Plus!" pack and not the "Plus! SuperPack" - where can you download these items for Windows XP: Plus! for Windows XP includes: - Plus! Themes - Plus! Screen Savers - Plus! Voice Command for Windows Media Player - Plus! Personal DJ - Plus! MP3 Converter - Plus! CD Label Maker - Plus! Speaker Enhancement - Plus! 3D Visualizations for Windows Media Player - Plus! Skins for Windows Media Player - Plus! Hyperbowl - Plus! Russian Square - Plus! Labyrinth Just because they are now included (as the web page says) in "new Microsoft titles and services" does not mean the old stuff is now free. ;-) If you can show me where most (3/4 or more?) of the above stuff can be downloaded for free (legitimately) for Windows XP users - then you have a pretty valid point. Otherwise - those products are still not freely available, are they? ;-) Secondly - you may be dial-up - but I bet you have a friend/family member or know someone that works someplace with high-speed internet who could download them for you ONCE and then you have them Burn them to your own CD, copy them to a USB thumb drive, etc... No one says you have to download something over and over - and with CD/DVDs as inexpensive as they are and as easy as they are to burn - it makes no sense you would think you had to do that. ;-) SignatureShenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html > In other words - since you said the "Plus!" pack and not the "Plus! > SuperPack" - where can you download these items for Windows XP: "It would appear that I perhaps confused a couple of products. They are quite similarly named. Thanks for the clarification. > Secondly - you may be dial-up - but I bet you have a friend/family member > or know someone that works someplace with high-speed internet who could > download them for you ONCE and then you have them Burn them to your own > CD, copy them to a USB thumb drive, etc... Too bad you didn't bet money on this one. I'd have a nice wad 'bout now. I live in a small rural community. High speed is not an option. It simply isn't available here. > No one says you have to download something over and over - and with > CD/DVDs as inexpensive as they are and as easy as they are to burn - it > makes no sense you would think you had to do that. ;-) Except that with the 'Genuine Advantage" verification procedure, how do I get the install (patches and updates) to work on a second machine? Wouldn't this be an issue? And where exactly do they hide on my HD after they have been installed? The other machines may not be necessarily be connected to the internet. (Periodically I plug in a modem and update them directly.) > Shenan Stanley > MS-MVP >> In other words - since you said the "Plus!" pack and not the "Plus! >> SuperPack" - where can you download these items for Windows XP: > "It would appear that I perhaps confused a couple of products. They > are quite similarly named. Thanks for the clarification. But that did not answer the question of where to download said items... Can you not copy/paste the links here? >> Secondly - you may be dial-up - but I bet you have a friend/family >> member or know someone that works someplace with high-speed >> internet who could download them for you ONCE and then you have >> them Burn them to your own CD, copy them to a USB thumb drive, >> etc... > Too bad you didn't bet money on this one. I'd have a nice wad 'bout > now. I live in a small rural community. High speed is not an > option. It simply isn't available here. So your entire family and everyone you know lives in your town? If you have a friend/family member/someone you can call or email with high speed Internet Service and can tell them the various links to get the products you want - I would bet they could spend $3 for the CD and the mail to get it to you. >> No one says you have to download something over and over - and with >> CD/DVDs as inexpensive as they are and as easy as they are to burn >> - it makes no sense you would think you had to do that. ;-) > Except that with the 'Genuine Advantage" verification procedure, > how do I get the install (patches and updates) to work on a second > machine? Wouldn't this be an issue? And where exactly do they hide > on my HD after they have been installed? The other machines may not > be necessarily be connected to the internet. (Periodically I plug > in a modem and update them directly.) Once you have the download - you already passed the genuine advantage. Installing them should not be a problem. SignatureShenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html As I said previously, I misunderstood what was being said concerning the product. As for the rest, you should know the following: For themes: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?NextOrPrevClause=1%7c-2362&Displ ayLang=en&freetext=theme&sortCriteria=popularity&sortOrder=ascending&nr=20 For Wallpaper http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?pocId=&freetext=wallpaper&Displa yLang=en As well as many other utilities, add-ons, Etc, ad verbatum, ad naseum: Are they exactly the same as the PLUS? No. They are not the exact same downloads. It would appear that I was in error. (as stated in the last post) But regardless, there is still a rather nice selection on MS's own download site. > So your entire family and everyone you know lives in your town? Not quite. My parents have high speed where they live. But they don't have a burner and if they did, I'd probably have to spend more time instructing them how to use it than downloading stuff myself. They are just not that computer savy. > Once you have the download - you already passed the genuine advantage. > Installing them should not be a problem. That's a comfort. Now to find out where it hides them on my HD when it downloads stuff... This conversation, archived indefinitely: http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment/brows e_frm/thread/e1b69e74a763f368/b71a951201c2bb71#b71a951201c2bb71 > I've noticed that MicroSoft has discontinued "The Plus" for XP and > has made most (if not all) of the extra products and features part [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > "The Plus". I only have dial-up, so I'd rather not download 150 MB > each time.) Shenan Stanley wrote: > First off - where can you download the components for the > "Microsoft Plus!" or "Microsoft Plus! SuperPack" Windows XP that [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > CD/DVDs as inexpensive as they are and as easy as they are to burn > - it makes no sense you would think you had to do that. ;-) Pat Glenn wrote (responses were snipoped/inline, so I left the quote that way): >> In other words - since you said the "Plus!" pack and not the "Plus! >> SuperPack" - where can you download these items for Windows XP: [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > be necessarily be connected to the internet. (Periodically I plug > in a modem and update them directly.) Shenan Stanley wrote: > But that did not answer the question of where to download said > items... Can you not copy/paste the links here? [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Once you have the download - you already passed the genuine > advantage. Installing them should not be a problem. > As I said previously, I misunderstood what was being said > concerning the product. As for the rest, you should know the [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > more time instructing them how to use it than downloading stuff > myself. They are just not that computer savy. You seemed to say in the last posting that you were confused by the "Microsoft Plus!" vs "Microsoft Plus! SuperPack", not that you were confused about the status of the product or what was said on the web page... But we can write all that off to misunderstanding and move on. Send them a thumb drive in the mail, have them copy and paste to it and mail it back. It's no different than sending them a floppy diskette, etc at that point. Drag and drop. ;-) BTW - looks like you would have lost that bet you were saying you won... *grin* SignatureShenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html |
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