strange request

[Bobtheduck]

OK. This will probably raise a lot of eyebrows, but...

I bought my laptop "new" in Yongsan (Subway stop near the US Army Base in Seoul that specializes in electronics sales) I put the quotes around it because I'm not entirely sure it was new anymore. I looked around for a store that would put English windows on it, and bought the first one that would.

Now, I'm not sure if this had anything to do with it (doubt it now, to be honest) but I tried to replace the newest media player with the one I had on XP, and shortly after I did that, I started getting messages that said "This copy of windows is not genuine" So I go online to validate, and I did... I validated, it said everything was OK, then a little while later, it said it wasn't. So I tried to buy a license for Windows online. I go through MS's website to do so, and it tells me "you tried to validate too many times, you can't anymore" I check Amazon, and lo and behold, they can't ship Windows 7 to Korea (What a twist!) I don't want the Korean version of windows, that's why I didn't buy a number of BETTER computers when I was in Yongsan... I don't speak Korean. This was well over a year ago, now.

Anyhow, the reason this is in prayer requests and not in Computing is because I go through customs to get into Japan tomorrow, and I've been using cracks to get around this activation thing (after attempting to do it legitimately, trust me) and they recently appear to have stopped working. If customs asks to check my laptop, turns it on and sees "your copy of windows is not genuine" that would be a one way trip to Jail, and I wouldn't even be able to explain myself.

I just need to get through customs without that alert going off. At some point in the near future, once I find a job in Japan, I'll get a computer through Dell Japan, and ask them to install windows in English. That way if something happens with it, I can blame Dell, hehe, but for now, this is all I have. And to answer another potential question, I speak far more Japanese than English, and could negotiate with the Dell people in Japan a LOT easier than the ones in Korea...For that matter, Laptops sold at E-Mart, Lotte Mart, Hi-Mart etc don't have the option of English and I didn't have any close friends on the Base at the time to get me into the commissary.

[Atria35]

Praying! If it could get you in trouble, why don't you dump the laptop? I know it's a waste of money, but I don't know if jail time is worth it.

[Yuki-Anne]

Has customs ever asked to turn on your laptop before? They've never done that to me.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Customs would jail you for using a cracked version of windows? That's not really their job... is it? I mean it's software. It's intellectual property and it should be allowed to be carried with you wherever you go. It's not like you're smuggling animals or cocaine or anything.

[Bobtheduck]

Customs would jail you for using a cracked version of windows? That's not really their job... is it? I mean it's software. It's intellectual property and it should be allowed to be carried with you wherever you go. It's not like you're smuggling animals or cocaine or anything.

Update... We're here. It took us over 45 minutes to get through immigration. They thought it was suspicious that we'd be coming to Japan for 90 days for tourism only. I told them I'd be here for:

1. Tourism
2. Self-Study
3. Looking for a future job that would give me a certificate of eligibility. I was under the impression I could get that changed to a status of residence, but he told me I had to go back to Korea first if I got that, and get my Visa in Korea... *sigh* Better than nothing, I guess.

Customs... Customs was easy. I've been to Japan 3 times before (once just a connecting flight through Narita Airport) and they've opened my luggage all 3 times. This is the first time they didn't. I think it's because we were held up in Immigration, and there were no more flights coming in. They wanted to go on break.

[Hiryu]

It does seem a bit odd that they would throw you in jail for using a cracked version of Windows, and that they would even care about checking your laptop.

It's even more odd that Windows would say that it's not a genuine copy when you've validated it. I would suggest, if you have it, using the installation CD to repair your copy of windows. Otherwise, get in touch with the people that put 7 on your computer.

During customs if they check, I would say keep the battery and ac adapter hidden/throw it away so if they asked, tell them you were planning on buying a new one while you were here.

[Bobtheduck]

It does seem a bit odd that they would throw you in jail for using a cracked version of Windows, and that they would even care about checking your laptop.

It's even more odd that Windows would say that it's not a genuine copy when you've validated it. I would suggest, if you have it, using the installation CD to repair your copy of windows. Otherwise, get in touch with the people that put 7 on your computer.

During customs if they check, I would say keep the battery and ac adapter hidden/throw it away so if they asked, tell them you were planning on buying a new one while you were here.

They have warnings all over the place about IP violation, and customs does, occasionally, turn on laptops. A man was imprisoned for having some (much worse than cracked windows, admittedly) stuff on his laptop he shouldn't have had.

I didn't get the installation CD, and the people who sold me my computer were one of, like, 100 computer stores in that area. I wasn't really able to find it the week after, let alone now (oh, and I'm in Japan now, so it's gonna be a while before I get back to Seoul...)

In any case, I can't wait to trade this thing up. Thanks for the prayers. We can change this into a "please help me find an English Teaching job in Japan" thread. I've got an interview in 2 days, and one more interested school.

[Yuki-Anne]

Praying. Right now I think schools are hard up for teachers due to the events back in March, so hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to find something.