The trick was, I had to set my computer up.

Okay, I can do that.

I set up the hardware. I run Windows updates. I tinker around for a while, glad to have my box back. All is well with the world, and on a 3200x1200 desktop.

Cut to this morning, when my mouse is being jerky. The thing is, I have a light-colored desk, so the optical mouse doesn't track as well sometimes. I need a mouse pad, but I am lazy and figure, hey, at work I don't use a mouse pad. I might be able to fix this with a different driver like I did that one. I'm a computer professional, right?

I decide to tinker with it, as I am wont to do. I change my mouse driver, and the computer spontaneously reboots. Great! But when it comes back up, I have all manner of problems.

No problem, I think to myself. I can run a system restore to last night, and that'll fix things up. I do that, and after the reboot CHKDSK runs. At that moment, it dawned on me that I should have fixed it right, but now I'm committed. In for a penny, in for a pound, right? Then, when Windows finally comes back up to the login dialog, I get a message that a registry hive had to be restored from backup because of a problem unloading it before the last shut down. Reasonable under the circumstances of a crash, but hey, that's never come up before. What's up with that?

Now, when I log in I'm greeted with a popup that says:

Windows Product Activation
A problem is preventing Windows from accurately checking the license for this computer, Error Code 0X8009006.

and I get logged right back out. Immediately.

Sigh.

It appears that I've been bitten by the licensing bug. Perhaps it's something to do with the crash, or with the CHKDSK breaking my master boot record, or Windows Genuine (Dis)Advantage, or any number of things. The truth of the matter is, I don't care.

Now yes, I know I can put the Windows XP Pro disk in and run the FIXMBR utility to fix my master boot record and that will likely fix the problem. I also know that booting into safe mode or with something like ERD will let me hack the registry to change security provider information and potentially fix the problem. Also, I know that a repair install will be even more apt to fix Windows if that doesn't do it. But the point is this: I shouldn't have to. This is a licensed copy of Windows, I had something that was effectively a simple crash, and now I have to fix or reinstall from scratch.

When I am having one of my bitch-fests about some problem caused by something forced on me or having it stuck to me by The Man™ in some other manner, I often picture somebody sitting, listening to me stone-faced, and then asking me: "so, whatdya gonna do about it?"

Well, for now, I'm going to reinstall Windows XP. I bought a 300 gig SATA drive to install to and rescue all my files, photos and work to from the disks that are in it now. The fact remains, I wanted to get back into coding away from work, and all my work environment that I've used for ages is Windows-based, even if a lot of it is open source or ports from Linux or another Unix. I am dependent. I've sold my soul.

Microsoft lost themselves another geek. It's part of a growing trend.

However, that's not the way it has to be. I am conversant with Linux, but as a server. I know my way around a command line. I'll be investigating transitioning to Ubuntu Linux on my desktop. At least I am in good company, since defecting from Windows and Mac OS X to Ubuntu is all the rage nowadays — people are tired of having more restrictive terms shoved down their throats to use their own computers. Technology used to be about empowerment, but proprietary systems are increasingly making each of us a tool, despite what Microsoft apologists and Apple fanbois want you to believe.

I can hear it now, though. Yeah, but I thought you were a computer professional! Don't you want to eat? Well, yeah, sure I do: but you know what? I can make myself a couple of VMs of Windows with VMWare and use their freeware player to load Windows and run the app or write some code in Delphi or Visual Studio. This means I can be, essentially, Windows free except when I'm doing Windows-only work. I like the sounds of this.

Windows Genuine Advantage's false positives claiming copies of Windows are pirated and problems with the new licensing checks in Windows XP are widely reported, and Microsoft turns a deaf ear, even to the point of suggesting you go buy another copy to fix the issues. Users don't like the fact that Windows spies on you and reports in regularly. Windows Vista will be worse, with even more development and misfeatures to lock users into their revenue streams.

Microsoft is, of course, free to pursue this strategy of Big Brother tactics. However, I think there is something that Microsoft hasn't factored into their customer-indifferent anti-piracy strategy: people who can scratch their itches.

Microsoft supporters are always quick to point out that Linux isn't ready for the end-user, because it's got too many rough edges and issues that require a knowledgable administrator. This is true. However, as you take away more and more freedoms and functionality in Windows you push the hardcore geek to Linux, and amongst them a lot of developers. On a wholly open platform like Linux, something magical happens when you get a developer who is missing a feature they used in their old operating system: they implement it. They scratch their own itch.

When a developer for Linux scratches their own itch, they can release their code to the world. Others can enjoy their fruits of their labor. They make Linux better and more feature-rich and accessible for the end users. You know, those end users that Microsoftians like to say aren't able to use Linux.

Microsoft might end up being Linux's best friend, after all.

restlessmind