Hi,
 
Update on Microsoft Complaint:
 
9 hours on the phone
 
On both computers with W8-Pro:
 
Comp A and B boot
Comp A finds network and folders
Comp B doesn't
Do a Share/unshare of a folder on Comp A
Comp B refreshes network information and brings things up
 
Both computers LOSE your specific power settings when updating W8.
Both computers LOSE network settings upon ANY reboot or reset
Both computers LOSE their "trust pc" information with Microsoft, which you CAN NOT remove!
Both PC's force you to have a Microsoft account, btw ... and you can not have an option to separate it from them!
Both computers check with the Microsoft account on an average of about 2 to 3 times per minute.
Both computers disable/change settings on your machine, when they can not connect to the Microsoft Account
 
Want me to go on?
 
Conclusion:
1. Frustration!
2. Microsoft is setting this up for you to be their slave! And a part of their CLOUD!
3. Microsoft can not escalate anything, because their programmers and idiots are "non-existant" and they are like GOD ... you can not talk to them, because they all say you are the idiot and you did not install things correctly ... and their support in India ... has been good ... but I fixed the issue, albeit it, there are issues saving system files and their settings.
 
Basically the Home Group is ****ed up, and does not talk to the network! And the updating of those settings are completely ignored and do not change anything!
 
More as I come up to it ... State Attorney letter got a nice response btw ... and I'm waiting for Bill Gates to show up at my door and give me something for free for my time and effort to help them! I'll probably give him a kick in the butt and tell him I don't want his bad software that doesn't work!
 

There is a difference between Validation and Activation.
 
When you install Windows you get 30 days of free use before it has to be "Activated", which involves Windows phoning home with its serial number.
 
MS Security Essentials checks to see if your core Microsoft programs have been compromised by viruses.  It records assorted information about installed programs and rechecks every now and then to see if anything has been changed (by a virus).  To ensure that the first check is accurate (and not just recording the effects of an existing virus or 'hacked' software) it runs the Microsoft Validation tool which checks your installed MS software (and all updates and patches) for validity.
 
Occasionaly a scheduled updated will include updates to the validation tool so Securityty Essentials will run it again.
 
 
If you've made manual changes to your msconfig file (something you shouldn't really need to do) it could have triggered Security Essentials into thinking your system has been compromised.
 

Windows does know the difference between Processors and Cores.
 
Traditionaly, processors (the square lump with a big heat sink) only had one core. You could call this a CPU.
Motherboards were available that could take 2 or more processors (CPUs) and Windows licencing would count them to determine if it would run or not.  Windows "desktop" versions work with up to 2 processors only. Windows "server" versions have special licencing based on the number of processors being used.
 
In a processor with multiple cores, each core is a self contained CPU.  Windows allows as many cores as you can stuff under the heat sink in one processor and calls each one a CPU (which it is).  Turning on hyper-threading in your motherboard bios seperates the twin data paths that each core has to make them work independantly, effectivly doubling the number of cores, with a slight efficiency hit.  Windows will then see double the number of cores and display them all in task manager.
 
The servers in our rack use Intel Xeon processors.   Each server has 2 processors, each with 6 cores, each with hyper-threading, Windows displays 24 CPUs.   The Server licence is for 2 processors.
 

Karyn
There is a difference between Validation and Activation.
... 

Had no issues with "validation" or "Activation". The main issue is that it is hooked up to their Microsoft Accounts (they want you on THEIR CLOUD), and it is pinging that account time and again ... and when it fails it is disconnecting parts of your network and computer internal information! And changing settings on your computer!
 
If that is a "security" measure, I'm ok with it, but at least return the settings, but you being able to do your things via IP on your network and seeing folders and the Homegroup/Windows prevents you from doing it, you know there is an issue with Windows!

I don't care what Microsoft calls it, a lot of people call things but not totally accurate.
The cores are not complete processors and can not do as much as the entire complete 1 CPU, that is all I was saying.
 
Whatever someone calls it is irrelevant, the cores just don't work that way.
If you read programming books, then you would see that.
And Intel has plenty to read about any of it.
(for free).
 
I don't care what anyone calls it really!

 
You haved 6 central processing units (cores)(cpu's) in one computer processing unit (CPU).
 
And since Microsoft abbreviates does not mean you can. If Windows states you only have 1 CPU when it installs, that is all you have, no matter how many central processing units the computer processing unit has.
 

 
And you must pay them and thank them for all of it or any of it I guess, but why??
 

spacealf
I don't care what Microsoft calls it, a lot of people call things but not totally accurate.
The cores are not complete processors and can not do as much as the entire complete 1 CPU, that is all I was saying.
 
...

I'm not sure that you or I can win this ... all new versions of Windows are forcing you to sign up with Windows Live ... and that means they will always know about your computer, what's in it, and all that ... but then, you, or anyone else, thinking that Apple doesn't do the same thing is the worst joke ever created!
 
 

No one forces anyone to sign up to Windows Live.  I've just spent £38,000 upgrading/replacing the IT systems at work without going anywhere near Windows Live.

Karyn
No one forces anyone to sign up to Windows Live.  I've just spent £38,000 upgrading/replacing the IT systems at work without going anywhere near Windows Live.

What did you do?
Buy 5 Mac Pros with all the goodies?
 
:-)

No,  we couldn't afford 5..

:-)