2. Sony Vaio is running a massive assortment of bundleware I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot bargepole (Office 2003 Trial? Norton Internet Security? SecureDisk? No thanks!). In addition, it will not let me join my house's AD domain (v. important!)
I know, it majorly sucks, that's why I did a recovery when I got my RA104 to wipe it off and just recover the essentials!
BTW what's wrong with the network? What messages do you get?
The Vaio was running MCE to begin with, by default it won't let you join an AD domain because of Media Center "Extenders" which re-appropriate Fast User Switching. The only way to make an MCE join a domain is by re-installing it from scratch.
3. Sony Vaio does
not
come with recovery nor re-installation media, instead the computer tells me to burn my own recovery DVDs (wtf!)
One word for it, CHEAPSKATES!4. (Some piracy stuff removed....
You might want to remove that, this being an official Sony site...?
I've got contacts at Microsoft, and I've done my research. With the computer came a license for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. Under UK Software law I am within my rights to make and acquire "backup" copies of software I have legally purchased, this includes downloading ISOs of the CDs via BitTorrent.
5. Newly-formatted and re-installed Vaio now cannot activate since I installed it with a leaked key Microsoft is aware of. I contact both Microsoft and Sony in search of a replacement product-key that works. Microsoft issued me with two keys, neither of which work because they're OEM keys and the OS I'm installing it from was probably taken from MSDN.
No idea who leaked it, but I bet MS told you off for downloading warez?6. Microsoft refuses to help me because the license was provided by Sony
Maybe they're worried you're not using legitimate MCE?
I never raised the issue of the illegitimate ISO (not the license, which has always been legit). Microsoft just kept on asking me for my original product-key (from the laptop), explaining that it was issued by Sony, and that I should speak to them.
7. Sony refuses to help me because the ISO I'm attempting to activate was from MSDN and requires a Microsoft product-key (as I said, Microsoft did issue me with some product-keys, but both were for OEM editions and not the MSDN version)
Yeah this is why warez is bad - you get stung. Best to learn from this fiasco!
Then what else am I to do?
8. Growing tired with this mess, I asked Sony how much they want for Recovery discs (bear in mind these are not re-installation CDs, but instead put back in all the horrible bundleware I didn't want in the first place). They told me
£60
. This is daylight robbery; I already have a license for XP MCE2005, why do I need to shell out £60 for something that should only cost £20? (At least that's how much Toshiba and Dell charge, and even then I think that's too much)
Looks like it went up £10 😞9. I post my story here, looking for sympathy and support. I suspect this thread will be deleted for critising Sony (much like how Dell deleted threads on their own forums that were critical of themselves as well)
Well I'm not sympathetic about the warez, I'm sorry to say that, and I don't like to pass judgement, but I don't want my head on the block for that, thanks very much! I do think it's unfair they are yoyo'ing you around the block, it's a disgrace! Really they should ask you to:
1) Prove you have a licence (that ceritificate)
2) Ask for a recept from the retailer to prove you own the VAIO in question.
I am sure someone at Sony will see this sometime.
I have my doubts 
Anyway, I think I've figured a way to legitimately get a new product key and re-installation media. Microsoft allow people to purchase replacement discs from them at discounted prices if they can prove they have a license, even if they were originally issued by an OEM. I'll get my discs from them for the nominal fee of around £20 rather than pay Sony's £60 (exl. delivery) ransom.
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