Resubbing to xbox live

i let my xbox live account lapse (expired around october) and now i have a new 12-month code–is it straightforward to enter it to resubscribe again?

It should be, though I’ve heard recent reports that if your account (and linked passport account) have had no activity whatsoever for a few months, then your may be permenantly prevented from re-upgrading your account.

I believe this has always been the case, it’s just that it’s extremely rare that it actually affects anyone.

Anyway, just enter your code. If it takes it, and it should, you’re golden. (get it? golden?)

hmm, i haven’t used it for a few months. why would i be prevented from re-upgrading?

Windows Live IDs expire after an undetermined period of inactivity, and cannot be revived. If a Gamertag is linked to that WLID, it cannot be activated.

Before hitting the panic button, try to enter the code.

You also get free 400 MS points for re-subbing for 12 months.

Not from code redemption. You have to purchase your subscription through MS to get that offer.

Which is fine by me. I saved more by buying a 13 month card off Amazon for $39 than I would by paying $50 for 12 months and 400 points through Microsoft.

Windows Live ids die after 3 months of inactivity (note you can refresh them without using XBL)

This is incorrect. Live ID’s are expired after 365 days of inactivity. Also, logging into Xbox Live doesn’t count as Live ID activity (unless you have it set to login to Live Messenger at the same time as well).

Too bad Live’s voice quality is still worse than Roger Wilco during the dialup days.

Yeah, that’s my biggest disappointment with the transition to the 360. They had much better voice quality on Xbox Live in the Xbox days, and then they actually went backwards. I think maybe they wanted that same bandwidth to be used for both voice and video perhaps, which is why voice got the short end of the stick with the 360. It’s a shame.

Not sure what I did wrong, but after reactivating my Live account, it wiped out my local account. It reset my achievements back to what they were when the account lapsed. I ended up having to delete the game data to go about picking up the achievements again.