More Vista Fun and Games

[Ralf Maximus]

According to MaximumPC, Vista forces you to revalidate your installation if you change device drivers "too much":
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/vista_activation_strikes_again_time_to_fight_back

In other words, if you're a rampant upgrader -- always installing the latest video card driver, for instance -- Vista's piracy detection is triggered and it thinks you're trying to run it on a new, unlicensed workstation.  You then have to re-register Vista either by running the Wizard or calling Microsoft on the phone.

Luckily there appear to be workarounds (documented in the article), but honestly, Vista's security model is a little nuts and needs to be changed. 

Do Mac users suffer through this?  I know Apple is ape-shit paranoid about its ROMS, but do Macs care if you copy disk images around or reinstall OS X on an older Mac?

[f0dder]

Vista: the Happi happi joy joy OS

[MrCrispy]

This was to be expected. Any form of DRM/Activation check is going to be prone to this sort of overreaching paranoia. It doesn't matter if the creators did not intend it to act as such. Software by its very nature is unpredictable and once you code something that checks for certain conditions, you can be damn sure its going to get triggered in an unlikely (read untested/unanticipated) scenario. Happened with Steam, happened with WGA in XP, and is happening with Vista. This is a perfect example of how pirates get a better user experience than paying customers.

[zridling]

On top of its exhorbitant hardware requirements, Vista's license is the single biggest gripe for me. After I first installed it, I called Microsoft support and asked what happens if I upgrade my processor — would I need to buy another copy of Vista? The answer? Yes, I would.

Motherfrick that. The whole point of having a PC (over say, a Mac) is that since 1992 I've built my own machines and upgraded their components to extend their lives. I personally don't make enough money to barely afford a lot of software, and rather than steal it, this was enough to force me to consider GNU/Linux. If by merely updating your hardware's drivers (most major video drivers are updated monthly), Vista invalidates your Windows installation, then enough is enough. That's more intrusive than I ever bargained for when buying Vista, and moreover, it tells me I can no longer afford Windows computing.