Vista Family Bundles Fail

Microsoft's days-old Windows Vista has already encountered its first licensing barrier, according to reports. Buyers who tried the software firm's Family Discount plan, which is the first from the company to drop prices on multiple home purchases of the OS, have discovered that the product keys for their secondary copies are failing. The flaw effectively blocks all but the master copy of Vista Ultimate from installing, owners say. Microsoft is aware of the issue and notes that while the issued keys are technically valid, many of them aren't properly associated with Vista installs. No immediate fix is available; the company is offering to call individual users when the problem is resolved, and is also offering refunds.

The error, which affects large numbers of Family Discount buyers, is an ill-timed embarassment for Microsoft, which has struggled with a lukewarm reaction to Tuesday's Vista launch.

By Electronista Staff