MS To Limit Security Fixes to Legal Copies of Windows 912
rufey writes "An Associated Press artcile on MSNBC is reporting that Microsoft is going to start restricting access to security updates from pirated copies of its Windows operating systems. Starting in mid 2005, if you have a pirated copy of Windows, the only way to obtain security updates will be through the automatic updates mechanism. And even that method may be restricted at a future date. The article is light on details about what versions of Windows this will affect. Parts of the system to check for a valid copy of Windows is already used when downloading software (such as Media Player) from Microsoft - except that validation is currently optional." EnderWigginsXenocide points out Reuters' version of the story.
Will be easy circumvented... (Score:5, Interesting)
This is just a ruse to get folks to pay less attention to the fact that the MS OS is generally less secure for most people than it should be...
Awesome (Score:3, Interesting)
How many more people would start taking a hard look at FOSS if they couldn't get their 'free' MS products?
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:1, Interesting)
a copy of XP pro corp and a keygen passes their "check" with flying colors.
they cant stop the bulk of the "pirated" copies out there.
Re:What counts as "pirated"? (Score:5, Interesting)
Yes, because now you don't buy software. You lease it. >:(
Re:What happens... (Score:3, Interesting)
That may change in the future, however.
The reality is that almost no other commercial software vendor will provide you with updates if you aren't current on maintenance, let alone pirated the software in the first place.
Jerry
http://www.syslog.org/ [syslog.org]
Not good (Score:5, Interesting)
So, under Microsoft's new model, we wouldn't have been able to fix those machines, because as soon as we let them on the internet to "validate" their copy of Windows and download the patch, they would have been reinfected and rebooted. Lame.
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, this has been hashed and re-hashed several times. Its like saying credit card numbers wont work, as companies couldn't keep track of transactions - sounds ridiculous doesn't it. If MS wants to check all legitimate keys against their database and issue a verification code for patches then it CAN be done Corporate version or not.
I'm interested (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm still steaming from all the times I've purchased machines to run Linux, yet been forced to buy the OEM Windows license along with it.
And before anyone mentions building a box yourself, that just causes a hassle when it comes to warranties (I want a name brand machine that I can take back if something breaks in its hardware), and companies that allow you to purchase the machine without an OS are virtually nonexistant in my area.
So given that I've been forced to buy a Windows license with every PC I own (whether I use it or not), I'm not sure how it's possible that there's that many pirate copies out there.
They've been doing this since 2002 in a way (Score:5, Interesting)
This is reproducible with any XP volume licenced CD using that serial so bad media can be ruled out
Re:What happens... (Score:4, Interesting)
The reality is that Microsoft Windows is installed on 90% of the machines out there. The reality is that regardless of how the software was aquired it is likely to be vunerable to worms, trojans, etc. The reality is that Microsoft is going to continue to look mighty bad when worms and trojans slam 90% of the computers out there.
After a while the "oh, well, the pirates shouldn't have pirated the OS and then they could have gotten our updates that came 6 months after the worm started" gets old and people don't care anymore.
As I have said before this is the situation that they want to occur as it makes all the more sense to place DRM restrictions on their OS and programs that will run on the OS/hardware.
Re:Pirated means.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Microsoft's Prerogative, IMHO (Score:3, Interesting)
How long until it happens?
No doubt Microsoft are currently (secretly) working on the opposite, a BSOD exploit that only targets illegal copies.
Sinister Hacker (Score:5, Interesting)
stored in the registry builds a little one liner that inserts a known comprimised key. You know ms is gonna check for this.
The result is a ton of instantly owned machines since they are unable to install security updates.......brilliant plan
That being said I hope they enforce their licensing pirates are slowing the uptake of Linux, it hurts everyone.
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:3, Interesting)
the keygen works great for both of these too..
hell you can keygen and REGISTER a copy and even call tech support and they happily talk to you!
several people here at work have keygened home versions that MSFT can not detect because they do not have a master database of printed keys. that would be a farking nightmare, only registered keys are stored in the DB.
anyways, at work we just recieved 35 laptops with XP home on them I blew away the install for our corp blanket license.
all those keys are legit and after install with a keygened key you regedit to put in that "dell" key and msft will never EVER know. hell put the farking sticker on the case too (those are REAL easy to peel off without damage.)
nice try msft employee.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:2, Interesting)
I pwn windows legitimately, but only because I got a license for $5. Windows is like buying a $200 console system if you ask me.
Re:Will be easy circumvented... (Score:3, Interesting)
This is just a ruse to get folks to pay less attention to the fact that the MS OS is generally less secure for most people than it should be...
I would not be surprised that when this new method of getting updates from MS is up and running they start blaming the non-legal copies for the propogation of problems with MS. They will say, even if it is not completely true, that the problems began with computers that were not properly and legally updated. The average computer user will believe it because they don't know any better.
Activate Windows XP (Score:5, Interesting)
So last night I was playing Wow for a while and the performance in Orgrimmar was pretty bad. I figured I'd up the ram in my main maachine to fix the problem.
Pulled the ram from another machine, dropped it in and rebooted windows. Windows XP then informed me I had made substantial changes to the machine since I installed XP Pro on it and told me I had to re-activate it.
If this causes me, at a future date, to have issues because another minor change triggers the Activate windows, and it fails for some reason and I can't get security updates I am going to sue their ass.
Thankfully I have a Mac.
(If I had Priated XP I wouldn't even have this concern. I'm sick of being treated like shit after spending a few hundred on stuff.)
Re:What counts as "pirated"? (Score:3, Interesting)
If you break out the costs, a new XP shrink-wrap license is around $299 for the pro version. You only really pay around $65-$85 for the OEM version.
If you buy the full one, feel free to use it wherever you want.
> What makes them believe they have the authority to make such restrictions in the first place?
It's their software, they set the terms.
Re:Activate Windows XP (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes, framerates in D3D mode are somewhat less. (Probably 20-30% slower)
OpenGL mode, however, is just as fast, and transgaming has identified the problem with using the minimap indoors.
All the pixel shader effects are supported, by the way.
I've heard people get crash to desktops in WoW. Or have other sorts of stability problems.
Other than the aforementioned minimap issue, which had been a known issuse by transgaming for awhile now, WoW has been 100% rock solid on my system (I.E. absolutely flawless if I play in D3D mode). Zero crashses, ever. Probably about 2 weeks of game time since release.
In fact, I've never installed WoW on windows. Don't have windows running.
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:5, Interesting)
How so? The number has to be generated and printed right? Why not just record the number at that point of generation. Considering the amount of money involved if they could stamp out piracy, theyd invest the few minutes in adding a database to the computer printing the numbers. I dont think the problem is they dont have this database. I wouldnt be surprised if in the future you do have to have a legit key. Even if its a corp key, it would have to have been issued and not randomly generated. They could then check ip ranges if they really wanted to for that key, but i doubt they would. They could quite readily fine the company that distributed that key however.
I can't agree with this.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What happens... (Score:2, Interesting)
I think they want to crimp down on smart business fish that evaded nets of juBSA.
Re:Several HUGE differences (Score:3, Interesting)
Crap... my knoppix hack for updating windows gone. (Score:3, Interesting)
I wonder if we're still going to be able to get access to Technet articles?
Haxors will LOOOOVE this! (Score:3, Interesting)
It sure beats MS enforcing Windows being legal when you try to actually INSTALL windows. Why, if they did that, the world would be devoid of pirated Windows...just legit, secure Windows. And a few Linux machines here 'n there.
Obviously MS prefers that there be lots of insecure pirated Windows boxes out there. I wonder why...
Sign of things to come (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyway, I digress. In order to download the Microsoft stuff, we had to do a "validation" which entailed entering our WinXP product code, followed by the name of the manufacturer of our laptop, the name of the place we bought it and one of those security codes in an image that you have to transcribe into a text box?!??! I'm surprised I didn't have to show proof of the Windows logo tattooed on my forehead.
BTW, despite notifications from every anti-spyware program that they had cleaned the machine of all spyware, none of them were able to get rid of it completely. None. We're going to have to re-format the whole damn box. In the meantime, I installed Firefox and told the guy only to use IE if he absolutely has to.
Re:They've been doing this since 2002 in a way (Score:2, Interesting)
Machines running on this serial key crash on an occasional basis? That makes them more reliable than some legitimate installs! In addition, why would MS do this? Surely just breaking it outright, with an appropriate message, if you have a dodgy key would be better?
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:4, Interesting)
I do not want to Acitvate but I can (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:3, Interesting)
Please, count how many pieces of paper with numbers on them you got with your PC, Mouse, Graphics Card, Printer, Gizmos, Toys, USB kitchen sinks, etc. Now, how should a "regular" user decide which one(s) are actually important, and which ones go out with the trash ?
Heck, people don't even remember (or find, if they wrote them down) their passwords. Good luck with keeping track of a useless number for more than a year or two.
If you want to make it sting, let 'em find their original CDs which are now
That nonwithstanding, while I have legitimate licenses for quite a few M$ OSs (and the respective license keys, of course), I pretty much always use one of the keys floating around and apply corporate patches. Activation sucks, and so does GUID tracking. Gues come July the good'ole'googl'a'key will have to be revised.
Re:For those who have RTFA issues... (Score:5, Interesting)
In my submission, I noted that as a computer repair tech it can be a pain to get CD keys from customers in order to reinstall their OS, and asked the readers if they thought this would really clamp down on piracy or simply cause a support nightmare for users and repair shops.
I haven't even noticed any discussions on this unfortunately. Many posts seem to be assuming that only pirated copies of XP will be affected. From the looks of things, people will have to produce their key and answer some questions for this new Windows Genuine Advantage.
Its really quite frustrating to have to pirate software because of losing the CD key I recieved X years ago. Personally, I think they should ditch keys and activation altogether - high profile software products such as Windows will always be easier to pirate than earn $150 go to the store, and buy. IMO, the only thing keys do is badger legitimate customers into "pirating" software they purchased - I've seen it happen again and again.