WHQL nvidia nforce4 SATA driver BREAKS activation

The nforce4 update available through Windows Update actually BREAKS activation.

After installing the update, Vista becomes un-activated. Rolling back the
driver seems to "fix" activation again.

Nice going Microsoft. I guess WHQL is meaningless since you obviously don't
test this stuff.

How about getting rid of all this "activation" nonsense so we don't have to
worry every time we update a driver or change a piece of hardware?

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http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com... dware_devices

"NB" <NB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3FC18168-E236-49D9-A20A-6FEE7883D5A4@microsoft.com...
> The nforce4 update available through Windows Update actually BREAKS
> activation.
>
> After installing the update, Vista becomes un-activated. Rolling back the
> driver seems to "fix" activation again.
>
> Nice going Microsoft. I guess WHQL is meaningless since you obviously
> don't
> test this stuff.

Uhm... My guess is that with the new driver, Windows thinks it's new
hardware....

> How about getting rid of all this "activation" nonsense so we don't have
> to
> worry every time we update a driver or change a piece of hardware?

.... and that is exactly what they want. You make so many changes and then
you need to activate again. I suppose this is to try and limit you from
using the same key on several different PC's.

Covered here already extensively. Using the updated SATA driver the hard
drive is presented to the operating system as being a different hard drive.
Different hard drive = different computer = reactivate.

I don't like it either but the drivers **are** supplied by Silicon Image
(through Windows Update) - the manufacturers of the SATA chip used on the
M/B.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"NB" <NB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:3FC18168-E236-49D9-A20A-6FEE7883D5A4@microsoft.com...
> The nforce4 update available through Windows Update actually BREAKS
> activation.
>
> After installing the update, Vista becomes un-activated. Rolling back the
> driver seems to "fix" activation again.
>
> Nice going Microsoft. I guess WHQL is meaningless since you obviously
> don't
> test this stuff.
>
> How about getting rid of all this "activation" nonsense so we don't have
> to
> worry every time we update a driver or change a piece of hardware?
>
> ----------------
> This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
> suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
> Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow
> this
> link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
> click "I Agree" in the message pane.
>
> http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/com... dware_devices

This may be so, but it's still ridiculous. If for every driver update we
should call Microsoft, then clearly this is a stupid procedure.

"Richard Urban" wrote:

> Covered here already extensively. Using the updated SATA driver the hard
> drive is presented to the operating system as being a different hard drive.
> Different hard drive = different computer = reactivate.

I agree. This situation stinks. I have had to explain what has happened 4-5
times in the past few weeks.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Paul" <Paul@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B4853877-1118-4263-BF33-36C468AA609A@microsoft.com...
> This may be so, but it's still ridiculous. If for every driver update we
> should call Microsoft, then clearly this is a stupid procedure.
>
> "Richard Urban" wrote:
>
>> Covered here already extensively. Using the updated SATA driver the hard
>> drive is presented to the operating system as being a different hard
>> drive.
>> Different hard drive = different computer = reactivate.
>