slimCODE

I was just googling this issue and came across your post.  I just bought a Compaq laptop yesterday for Black Friday and the second I pulled it out of its sealed plastic bag, I noticed a hole in the windows license sticker.  I wondered if this is normal so I just checked my other laptop (a Dell Inspiron) and it's got one as well... although it seems to be laminated over whereas the Compaq one is not.  I also just checked another Dell laptop I'm borrowing and it's got a laminated one as well.  I am now assuming this is normal? (A little metal band runs through the middle of all the holes).  It does however look wrong! The Compaq one looks like a mouse was eating the paper... they should've at least laminated it like the Dell ones. And they should all note somewhere that this is normal...

OK. Just as an update, I have now found an official answer for this.  Go to [BLOCKED SCRIPT];

I dont know if that link works.  If not, you can try http://www.microsoft.com/resources/howtotell/en/coa.mspx

In short, the hole is an anti-counterfeit measure.  In my case the whole should look like the windows logo and it does...

Dell changed to this sticker type as well. Some of my machines have the sticker ripped right out of the box.  It is no longer the laminated ones.

I talked one to one with a Dell technician at a Dell boot while attending the Vista launch in Montreal, and showed him the degradation of my sticker. He confirmed this hole was normal, and simply said not to worry about it. He was rather elusive about anything else, and seemed amused about it. Let's hope they come back to a laminated one.

      Even the compUSA (who i bought my laptop from) thought they had been sold counterfiet laptops. This blog has eased my mind about it, but whats with the anti-piracy people at windows. People don't like to see rips or holes in anything they just dished out a good amount of cash for! And yah, I can see how this sticker probably wont last long being that mine isn't laminated. They need to doctor the design up a bit and make it look presentable damnit. Well, thanks for adding to the information highway guys. take care