So I'm going on vacation next week and being the connected person I am my laptop will be by my side.  I stumbled across a good deal on a second 1GB stick for only $25 after rebate.  Installing the ram was easy as pie in my T60, just unscrew the four screws that have a little ram chip picture next to them and then lift up the touch pad area.  I popped in the ram and turned the system back on.  BIOS shows 2GB so all is good right?

Unfortunately it wasn't that easy.  Vista now wants me reactive.  I tried the online activation with no luck.  I called the 800 number, read the IVR system nine sets of six numbers and of course it couldn't activate me either.  I finally got a person on the phone, definably an overseas individual but their English was great and he was very helpful.  I only had to give him the first set of six and let him know the only thing I did was install ram he promptly gave me the necessary code to reactivate.

While the process wasn't very painful I shouldn't have ever had to do it.  I would assume that adding RAM is one of the most common hardware changes and its someone ridiculous that it would require re-activation.

While I respect Microsoft right to protect their software it is really the guy that follows the rules that gets hurt.  I could have downloaded a hacked version of vista using an OEM bios and never had the problem but instead I followed the rules and had to jump through hoops because I want to follow the rules.