In my last post about free software from Microsoft there were 2 ways of getting the goodies, but both of them needed some pre-requisites. Microsoft has had a program called DreamSpark with which it gives away free software, the good news is that Billy G while in India today announced the program to be extended to Indian students with pretty much no pre-requisite other than they being a student.
Yup, all you now need to do is take your college id to a Microsoft Partner Center (NIIT etc.) ,show them your college id and collect the stuff! This what you are entitled to:
- Visual Studio 2008 (Professional)
- Windows Server 2003
- SQL Server 2005 (Developer Edition)
- Microsoft Expression Studio
- XNA Game Studio 2.0
- Visual Studio 2005 (Professional)
- Visual C# 2005 (Express)
- Visual C++ 2005 (Express)
- Visual Basic 2005 (Express)
- SQL Server 2005 (Express)
- Visual Web 2005 (Express)
- Visual J# (Express)
- Microsoft Virtual PC
Huge list. All you need to do is:
- Visit any of MS partner locations. (Go here, scroll to the bottom of the page, select your city and find.)
- Show your college identity card to collect your DVD containing the software.
- Go to ‘Get Verified’ and enter the 25 digit verification key mentioned on the DVD
- You may be prompted to sign in using a Windows Live Id. This step will associate the verification key to your Live Id.
- and complete the verification process.
- Download the relevant License Keys from the world wide DreamSpark website.
PS: If your college is part of IEEE then you can see a method given in the previous post.
~Enjoy!
November 5th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
This is really good! so it just requires us to show the college ID card? awesome, thanks for the info
November 6th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
So M$ wants to catch them young now?… http://www.pluggd.in/microsoft/free-microsoft-dvd-online-downloads-for-college-students-india-3047/
November 6th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
WTF!
What does ‘now’ mean? The whole world is fine with Apple giving student discounts and that is considered as service to society by making it cheaper for students who are not earning and cannot afford stuff. But, when Microsoft doe sit, look MS wants to catch them young!
I don’t understand. I am a student who wants to learn using Microsoft products but I can’t afford the stuff, I just hope some could reduce the prices or give them to me at a student discount. Is there a problem in that?
November 7th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Someone brought it? NIIT helpcentre had no info about that. All that stuff in one disk only or more that one DVD?
November 7th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
@AS Will call up tomorrow, haven’t collected my college id yet. Will let you know.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Anyone got the DVDs? I went to a centre and got the answer- “What is it? We have no idea!”
Is MS fooling us or those centres fooling us?
November 10th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
@Rajbir, maybe. I contacted two NIIT centres and none was having any info about that. One said it would be available after a week. Habits die hard, and Microsoft has a habit of duping customers.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Is MS fooling us or those centres fooling us?
Or is M$ fooling the centres?
November 10th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Well, from being a student at CMS (MS partner) I know how those retards work and trust me they are horrible to deal with. They have franchises and stuff besides guys, India is the keyword here. Enough said.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
So effectively the centres are fooling M$?
November 10th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
^^ Most probably.
There is no contact link on the dreamspark site. Any way I can contact MS & report it to them?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
It’s not about fooling someone. When you have incompetent fools working for your partners, you suffer. Besides I knew about DreamSparkIndia and the offer 3 days before it was announced by Gates, so I can say this with certainty this wasn’t meant to be a ‘SALE!’ thing where the moment Gates announced it you will have it the next moment available at the stores.
@Rajbir: I know there is none. Even the DreamSpark worldwide site does not have any. Will try to get some email id.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
So no one’s fooling anyone? Drat. So boring.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
^^ LOL! Aditya’s having some good time.
@Manan- Please let me know the email id if you are successful in finding one.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Oh there is. The bosses at centers are fooling their employees and they in turn are fooling the guys who go there and MS is getting abused in the whole process.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
So the centres are fooling themselves? And us?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Haha! Aditya, there you go man. You got some interesting stuff again.
Man! This is better than Digit forum.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
@Rajbir Sure.
@Aditya, yea they are fooling themselves actually if you come to think of it.
Would you enroll with them for a course if you knew that there is this offer going on and you are supposed to get you stuff from here and they have no friggin’ clue about it and if I told you that I was teaching the teachers a couple of tricks of the trade at a center? I wouldn’t.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Manan, you painted a sad story of the work culture here in India. Nobody has a clue what work they are supposed to do. It’s the same case everywhere you go. From PSUs to private companies.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
So now you’ve been fooling them?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
@Rajbir So everyone’s being fooled? By everybody else?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
OMG! So true Aditya! I never thought of that. You are GOD, man.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Am I fooling you now?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
^^ Nah. It’s exactly the opposite.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
So you’re fooling me? And everyone else? And everyone’s fooling you? So I’m fooling you?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
OMG… This has become a fools’ thread.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I agree when you say that everyone is being fooled by everyone else.
@Rajbir, wasn’t talking about the work culture in India per say but that’s the work culture at these centers for sure. No offense meant to anyone. Just being Manan.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
And I’ll end this thread on a note from Star Wars-
Who is the greater fool, the fool or the fool who follows him?
November 10th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
The greater fool is the fool who sat watching a fool follow another fool to make a fool of himself.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Recursive fool
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Anyone got the DVDs?
January 27th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Apparently, yes. A friend of mine was able to get the stuff from NIIT here in Bombay.
January 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
^^How? Actually for free or after enrolling for any course?
January 27th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I’ve heard they are now available at NIIT centers free of cost. My friend’s friend got it from NIIT.
January 27th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Will contact my nearest center ASAP
January 31st, 2009 at 8:41 pm
@Apinder, I’m giving away Dreamspark coupons - Giveaway
February 1st, 2009 at 12:27 pm
DVD still not available in Delhi
.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Is it true that you have the DVD or you were kidding?
If = Yes Then
Please Reply to sundayfanz@yahoo.com
End If
March 14th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
sir,
all demanding Rs 50/per DVD but it has been announced it will be available at free of cost
March 14th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
^M$ has allowed its partner to charge upto Rs.50/DVD. You are lucky they asked you to pay just Rs.50 , some are being asked to pay Rs.500 here in Delhi.
March 14th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
The charge of 50/- per DVD is towards the media as per stated on the Dreamspark website & Microsoft India Director for Academia to me.
@Apinder, I will be arranging for Dreamspark coupons in a week or 2, so you shall get to download the stuff without anyone interfering.
March 14th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
^You forgot that you had provided me dreamspark coupen earlier when you got 5 keys(Dreamspark giveaway)?
March 14th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Oh is it
Then you can let your friends know. 
March 15th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
^Has M$ configured that site to ask for the key every time a student logs in or it is a problem being faced only be me? Every time I visit that site, I have to go to activation page before being able to see the download page.
March 15th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Honestly, no idea. Are you logged in & still asked to enter the activation code evrytime? If yes then it shouldn’t be the case. Confirm it & I shall talk to the MSFT guys.
March 15th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
It works fine within a session, but if I log out and then login again, then I have to enter the key again for verification..
September 27th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi can anyone please email me the Dreamspark acces code. I hoenstly want to learn SQL server 2008 and there fore wish to download it from dreamspark
Its a humbale request. Please email me on: i_hnm@yahoo.co.in
Regards,
HNM