T&T: MS Vista, A marine PC train wreck?

[Michael Eedy]

Good evening,

<< i'm sure there is a manual way to validate the install, maybe call MS or
something.>>

First you need to understand that validation is a separate process from the
initial activation.
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>From the Microsoft End User Legal Agreement (EULA) - which almost no one
ever reads!

http://tinyurl.com/yhmyjk

5. VALIDATION.
a. The software will from time to time validate the software, update or
require download of the validation feature of the software.

b. During a validation check, the software will send information about the
software and the device to Microsoft. This information includes the version
and product key of the software, and the Internet protocol address of the
device.
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So the concern is that if you are away from the Net for a time or you have
added/removed hardware or you're accessing the Net via a marina WAP for the
evening and DHCP has assigned you a different IP address, this is the
process that may disable your computer
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Also "Windows Defender" is enabled by default and again from the EULA

Any potentially unwanted software rated "high" or "severe," will
automatically be removed after scanning unless you change the default
setting.
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So VISTA may arbitrarily decide to remove some of your non-MS and/or third
party software if it thinks it needs to and not even ask your permission
first.

These things are already causing enough troubles for people sitting at their
desks with good broadband and telephone access. Fighting through this during
a crisis at sea could be catastrophic.

It also regularly phones home and doesn't even indicate that it is
transferring a substantial amount of information to MS

I'm sure it will all work out in the end, but I'd hold off on being on the
leading edge much less the bleeding edge of this software on a marine
application till things settle down.

CHeers

Mike Eedy
North Bay ON