DEAL: *free* USB key

Nikolai

I know that quite a few of the dgrinners have a beef with MS, but maybe this will be helpfull regadless on which side of the fence you are:-)

Microsoft is giving away free USB keys. They may not be latest, greatest and largest, but hey - they are *free* :wink

To get one, you need to have:
1) internet access (which you already have since you are reading this:-)
2) valid email address (duh)
3) valid Microsoft Passport login

Once having all three, follow these simple steps:
1) go to http://www.microsoft.com//windowsxp/mysterysolved/corp/default.mspx
2) click on the USB key picture on the RHP of the page
3) fill out shipping info
4) answer the trivia questions: 2, True, True, True
5) wait for validation email and click on the validation link
6) that's all folks:-)

HTH

John Mueller

Thanks Nik,
I been wanting to try one of these things out.What a better way than free,but is it really free
Got one coming.

Andy

Awfully nice of BillyG, innit?

And, it even works from my Mac

Bob Bell

Andy wrote:

Awfully nice of BillyG, innit?

And, it even works from my Mac

Are you laughing cause you have a Mac sticker that will cover up the MS logo?

GraphyFotoz

Wonder how much space is on it and if it can have the info wipped off so you can use it for other data?
I got one coming also!
Thanx Nik!

JohnR

Nikolai wrote:

3) valid Microsoft Passport login

What's that? And how would I go about getting one?

Nikolai

Passport

JohnR wrote:

What's that? And how would I go about getting one?

It's easy. If you don't have one you'll be able to sign up for it (again, valid email is needed). You may never use it again, but it's free and they don't ask for SSN or CC number... It's simply a unified security check-point for many MS online product (mail, messenger, any "Live" solution, etc.). Pretty convenient actually (in case you use "Winternet", of course:-)

HTH

JohnR

Nikolai wrote:

It's easy. If you don't have one you'll be able to sign up for it (again, valid email is needed). You may never use it again, but it's free and they don't ask for SSN or CC number... It's simply a unified security check-point for many MS online product (mail, messenger, any "Live" solution, etc.). Pretty convenient actually (in case you use "Winternet", of course:-)

HTH

Heh..actually no, that didn't help. Exactly HOW do I get this "passport"?

Red Bull

Go to www.hotmail.com

Sign up for an email address

Get your free USB key:D

Mine should be on the way. 6-8 weeks seems pretty long, but hey it's free.:D

GraphyFotoz

JohnR wrote:

Heh..actually no, that didn't help. Exactly HOW do I get this "passport"?

You hafta sign up/register for it.
I did with no problems.....I hate signing up for stuff....I need more email like a hole in the head!

wxwax

Thanks Nik. Any idea what size they are?

Nikolai

Size unknown

wxwax wrote:

Thanks Nik. Any idea what size they are?

Sid, no idea . I *hope* they would think twice before putting MS logo on something really-really small, so I'm hoping at least for 128Mb. Can be wrong, though, and it's a meager 64. OTOH, could be wrong again, and it would be nice 1Gb:-)

wxwax

Nikolai wrote:

Sid, no idea . I *hope* they would think twice before putting MS logo on something really-really small, so I'm hoping at least for 128Mb. Can be wrong, though, and it's a meager 64. OTOH, could be wrong again, and it would be nice 1Gb:-)

Thanks Nik.

Nikolai

John,

JohnR wrote:

Heh..actually no, that didn't help. Exactly HOW do I get this "passport"?

It's been a while since I got mine, so I don't remember all the details.
But when I was requesting USB and they asked for the Passport, I remember there was a link like "get one if you don't have it". Should be *really* that simple Yet again, it's no "macternet", so there might be some gotchas

Not sure if this helps..

JohnR

Nikolai wrote:

It's been a while since I got mine, so I don't remember all the details.
But when I was requesting USB and they asked for the Passport, I remember there was a link like "get one if you don't have it". Should be *really* that simple Yet again, it's no "macternet", so there might be some gotchas

Not sure if this helps..

I got it now.

Why does MS put those ads in the email site before you can read your messages?

dragon300zx

Mystery Solved. I gots me a key. Just more free MS Swag. I've got bags, t-shirts, notepads, tons of free software, hat, etc, etc, etc. I love going to microsoft seminars .

ChrisJ

Cool, Thanks Nik! I signed up for mine!

Nikolai

Y'all very welcome!

ChrisJ wrote:

Cool, Thanks Nik! I signed up for mine!

I wish my photography-related posts drew the same size crowd
Cheers!

limbik

Thanks! Now if only it came with the answer to the hot dog dillemma...

JimM

Thanks for the tip, I signed up for one too!

wxwax wrote:

Thanks Nik. Any idea what size they are?

About two years ago I got a free one of these from MS for signing up for their Developer Action Pack. Not sure if this is any indication, but the one I got then was 128mb.

Nikolai

Jim,

JimM wrote:

Thanks for the tip, I signed up for one too!

Youre most certainly welcome!:):

JimM wrote:

About two years ago I got a free one of these from MS for signing up for their Developer Action Pack. Not sure if this is any indication, but the one I got then was 128mb.

I like the indication:-)
Cheers!

mr peas

All I need to know is, can I format this thing and use it as a small thumb drive?

DanielB

not quite sure what i'll need it for, but its free so i got one.:D thanks Nik

JimM

mr peas wrote:

All I need to know is, can I format this thing and use it as a small thumb drive?

Yes, for sure.

Dee

Well, that was tough!
For some strange reason Safari didn't work and I had to open IE to get to the site. But after a lot of back and forth (I already had the "pass thingie" but forgot I had it. I tried hot mail, but got so much spam I don't even remember now what my e-mail was or is. I had 2 hotmails... one got spam immediately, the one with some numbers in it took awhile, but they were getting equal amounts of spam, so I use neither account, think I cancelled one of them, but not the other) I finally got notification that my USB key will be on it's way.

OK -- now I need help -- how do I erase and initialize it to work in my Mac???

And thanks, Nik, I always wanted one of these. I'm not off to tell my family and friends. If nothing works, my son-in-law uses a PC... Maybe he can make it work with a Mac.

Nikolai

Dee,

Dee wrote:

OK -- now I need help -- how do I erase and initialize it to work in my Mac???

Once you get it, simply connect it to one the USB ports. Your machine should detect it as a new media. Simply delete everything you find over there, and you'll be, er, golden:):

Dee wrote:

And thanks, Nik, I always wanted one of these. I'm not off to tell my family and friends. If nothing works, my son-in-law uses a PC... Maybe he can make it work with a Mac.

You're welcome! And yes, the beauty of USB keys is that USB a cross-platform standard, so you'll be able to use it.
Cheers!

kudbegud

Thanks Nik!!! how in the heck did you discover this in the first place?

Nikolai

Doug,

kudbegud wrote:

Thanks Nik!!! how in the heck did you discover this in the first place?

You're welcome:-)
As to the source.. Well, as a software developer I have friends in the trade who have friends, and so on.. Networking I think it's called:-)
Cheers!

CBC1260

Thanks, Nik.

Nikolai

Welcome aboard!

CBC1260 wrote:

Thanks, Nik.

And you're welcome:-)

Mitchell

I wonder if anyone has actually received their USB key from this promotion.
Was this all just a scam?