Kesal dengan Microsoft

Kemarin, salah satu PC rekan kerja saya rusak. Padahal belum lama diinstalkan MS Windows XP original. Sehingga mau tidak mau harus mengganti dengan PC yang baru. Nah, masalahnya ketika mau install dengan CD Windows XP yang sebelumnya, saya tidak bisa melakukan aktifasi. Menurut Salah seorang Tech. Support Microsoft, ternyata memang tidak bisa, yaitu berdasarkan aturan seperti berikut ini :

1. Can I transfer my operating system license from an old PC to a new one?
   ANSWER. Not unless it was purchased as a Full-Packaged Product from a retail store (i.e., Windows in a box). Current OEM licenses for all Microsoft operating system products are not transferable from one machine to another. The End User License Agreement (EULA) governs the terms for transfer of licenses. Some EULAs for copies of certain older OEM operating system products (i.e., MS-DOS®, Windows® 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups 3.1) distributed in 1995 or earlier may permit transfer of the OEM operating system software license under limited circumstances. (See Software Product Transfer section of your End User License Agreement.)
2. If I “retire” a PC with an OEM license on it, can I use that software on a new PC?
   ANSWER. No. To put it simply, OEM product is “married” to the original PC on which it was installed. Current OEM licenses are not transferable from one machine to another. The software cannot be moved from PC to PC, even if the original PC it was installed on is no longer in use. This is true for all OEM software – operating systems and applications.
3. Rather than purchase completely new PCs, my organization performs in-place upgrades to the hardware on many of our computers. We often times only replace the motherboard, processor, and memory. Since the COA is still on the case and the OS is still installed on the hard drive, this computer is still licensed, right?
   ANSWER. Generally, you may upgrade or replace all of the hardware components on your computer and maintain the license for the original Microsoft OEM operating system software, with the exception of an upgrade or replacement of the motherboard. An upgrade of the motherboard is considered to result in a "new personal computer." Microsoft OEM operating system software cannot be transferred from one computer to another. Therefore, if the motherboard is upgraded or replaced for reasons other than a defect then a new computer has been created, the original license expires, and a new full operating system license (not upgrade) is required. This is true even if the computer is covered under Software Assurance or other Volume License programs.

Masalahnya, seorang kawan saya ketika menghadapi masalah serupa koq bisa. Lalu kenapa sekarang saya tidak bisa? Itu yang saya sampaikan ke Support Microsoft. Selanjutnya dia menyarankan untuk membeli yang versi retail, loh ! Barang sudah beli, koq disuruh beli yang versi retail, lalu bagaimana dengan CD original yang sudah saya beli? Apakah menjadi hangus begitu saja? Dengan ringan dijawab, ya menjadi hangus. Dan dengan arogan tech support tersebut bertanya lebih lanjut dengan menanyakan nomor telp saya, dan juga e-mail, loh? Jadi malah menginterogasi? Tech Support yang aneh!

Penasaran, akhirnya saya telepon kembali ke Tech Support dan beruntung yang menerima adalah orang lain. Dan dengan hitungan beberapa menit saja persoalan yang saya hadapi dapat terselesaikan.