Windows Vista's licensing terms have raised eyebrows among PC enthusiasts. As previously reported, Windows Vista sports a new Software Protection Platform (SPP) aimed at curbing piracy. Among SPP's many "features" is a service that monitors PCs for evidence of significant hardware changes. New hard drive? New motherboard? Windows Vista will recognize and keep track of the hardware in your PC, much like its predecessor Windows XP did, and it will use that information to monitor licensing compliance.

What has enthusiasts concerned are language changes to the retail license for Vista that restrict the number of times you may transfer Vista from one device to another. The license reads: "The first user of the software may reassign the license to another device one time. If you reassign the license, that other device becomes the 'licensed device.'" Putting SPP and the new license together, many have wondered if Windows Vista would permit major hardware changes such as swapping out a motherboard. To make matters more confusing, reports circulated last week claiming that Microsoft's official policy allows for 10 re-activations stemming from hardware changes. We decided to contact Microsoft to get to the facts.

Of re-activations and algorithms

A Microsoft spokesperson told Ars Technica that "the hardware tolerance of product activation for Windows Vista has been improved and is more flexible than that for Windows XP," indicating that re-activations caused by minor changes to a PC should be less common. "We believe these improvements will better accommodate the needs of our PC enthusiast customers," the spokesperson said.

Microsoft told Ars Technica that SPP monitors the system and measures changes against the original hardware configuration of the PC in an attempt to determine if the software has been moved to a new device. SPP uses an undisclosed algorithm to to track changes, and it remains unclear how the algorithm assesses different hardware changes. The spokesperson reiterated the company's view that Vista's hardware tolerance is more flexible than before. As to the issue of multiple re-activations, Microsoft is standing behind the language of its licenses.

"Validation will fail if the software detects a substantially different hardware configuration," the spokesperson said. "At that point, the customer is able to use the one reassignment for the new device. If, after using its one reassignment right, a customer again exceeds the tolerance for updated components, the customer can purchase an additional license or seek remediation through Microsoft’s support services."

Asked specifically about the rumors that Vista would permit 10 such re-activations instead of only one, Microsoft indicated that the company had no further comments. The company's official policy remains fixed on one device transfer.

Waiting game, redux

For those reading between the lines, Microsoft's response is telling. The option of seeking remediation through Microsoft support is a sign that the company has left a giant "safety net" in place, much as they did with Windows XP.

As I have noted before, similar concerns over hardware upgrades surfaced before Windows XP launched. The reality since that launch has been far less dramatic than many commentators predicted. In our extensive experience with re-activations caused by hardware changes, the outcome experienced most often amounts to this: we had to use Microsoft's automated phone system to retrieve a new activation code. No money changed hands. On average, the calls took less than five minutes. Nevertheless, we were never thrilled to have to jump through hoops to use products we legally purchased. We still believe that the best license, of one must be used, is that which is assigned to individuals and not devices.

Will history repeat itself with Windows Vista? Time will tell, but from where we sit, SPP appears to have all of the bark and the bite of a pack of pugs. It might sound like a pack of big dogs is behind the door, but the reality is something else.