Part 1: Installing Windows Vista, Can’t Generate Key On MSDN
Posted by Keith Elder | Posted in PC Software | Posted on 17-11-2006
Windows Vista posted to MSDN downloads yesterday so I started the download overnight. When I came into the office this morning I found the Windows Vista x64 3.7GB DVD download had finished. Since I had been backing things up on my machine the past several days I was ready to install.
Unfortunately I was stopped cold in my tracks, along with a lot of other MSDN developers because the key generator is broke on MSDN. For those that don’t know how MSDN works with subscriptions it works like this. A subscriber can download for the most part anything Microsoft publishes, operating systems, beta releases, Office products, server products (biztalk, sharepoint, etc). In order to install the product you have to generate a key. The product key that is generated is your private key. In most cases you can utilize this key up to 10 times to install the product on various machines. This all sounds great but right now the key generator that generates the keys is broke.
I started chatting with an online person and they said it was a known problem. They gave me the toll free number to MSDN support which is 800.759.5474. I called the number and the lady said it was in fact down, they are working on it, try back later today. Currently no ETA on when it will be resolved.