Stained Windows! Microsoft to mark illegal copies

[brokencrow]

Ok, work at a school, and last year we heard about a kid that was doing up computers and selling them, and someone said that he had nicked that key's off the side of the workstations in a few of the labs.

The kid probably got his hands on an academic or corporate version of Windows. I picked up a copy of XP from a local university and the installation lacked the authentication process usually seen at the end of the install. I could register XP, but there was no authentication like what you'll see on a retail copy. You could put it on as many computers as you like and not have a problem with updates (I know one guy who does!).

I've also seen both academic and corporate versions of W2K Pro that did not even require a serial number. If you're eligible for any kind of academic licensing, and more people are than realize it, take advantage. No problems from what I've seen getting updates on any of these versions.

A few years back, I did an informal survey of techs during support calls. At the end of the call, if I had good rapport, I'd comment they obviously knew a lot about computers and could I ask them a personal question:

"Did you pay for all the software you ever used on your computer?"

I asked this question weekly for about a year. I never heard one tech say "yes". Half of them refused to answer though.

[IKnowNot]

However, as soon as you change the motherboard, you have a "new computer" if you are using an OEM version. It will fail at that point.

nihil I don’t know about that. I have changed my motherboard, video card, processor ( all at the same time, but before they started with Genuine Advantage. ) So far, I have not reached the limit to be cut off and haven’t had to contact M$ ( yet. )

Has anyone applied this WGA update??

I came here after visiting M$ Update, before reading this thread, and wound up sending them nasty-gram on their feed-back about this update.

I went to update ( auto-updates turned off, chose custom update vs. express. ) I said, hey, what the hell, and chose to install it. Then I got an EULA for me to agree to, so I read it. It said this was a pre-release! ( FYI, it also said something about, even if it wasn’t a genuine valid copy, although you would still get the nag screens, etc. which could never be removed, even if WGA was removed, it would still allow critical updates. )

I can understand M$, even applaud their efforts ( trying not to punish unknowing victims of pirated software. ) But somebody goofed with that pre-release notice. Is it pre-release, being installed via auto-updates and by those just clicking through, or did someone just not update the EULA?

[phishphreek]

In the case of the kid stealing keys from the school, the hardware hash wont match, or more likely the key will belong to a specific OEM and WILL fail most likely at the initial activation, if not will fail at the Windows GEnuine Advantage check, WGA (what are we at now version 4 or 5).

Exactly. But, it is very easy to get the initial activation. Call microsoft and ask them for a key! They'll ask you how many computers you have it installed on and you tell them one. They'll say that they are showing more and you just tell them "I have no idea how that could have happened! I'm the only one with access to this cd!". (note: I didn't say key...) They'll think you're an idiot and activate it!

Now... You can't call them 10 times in a row with the same key or anything...

[nihil]

IKnowNot

If that is XP then you probably have a retail version, which would allow you to install it on a replacement machine.

The OEM versions are cheaper, but must be sold with a new computer and are only good for that machine. In their TOS Microsoft clearly state that they consider the MoBo to be the "computer". That said, I have never had any problems with instances of replacing the MoBo when the old one has fried...............you just have to talk to them rather than use the automatic system

phish~ is right as well. Over here I think they allow you at least 4 automatic goes before you have to talk to them, and I don't suppose there would be any problem.

I certainly have had no cause for complaint regarding their UK company

I haven't tried the latest nag screen thing, but I have the previous WGA. I would guess that someone forgot to change the EULA from the last beta?

Yes, as I understand it you can still get the security updates.

[Und3ertak3r]

I have been trying to find the references to where MS automaticly Flags the USe of OEM keys..that is the HP/Acer/Dell/Toshiba/you get the picture type OEM keys.. the type of system where you get a CD with the brand name on the CD.. with the words restore (that is if your lucky), or just a hidden Partition on the HDD. If you try to use these keys with a standard XP oem setup cd, you will run into problems.. you just cant activate the buggers.. well the phone call to ms is interesting.. and so long as the hardware hash is correct they will give an activation code, for my customer it was a case of a new product key.. you see the goose lost his cd's, and didnt want to wait the month or more for NEC/Packard Bell to ship the $30 + GST + Freight CD (pre activated)..

You know.. MS is a pig.. But I respect that there is a reasonable Tech support.. people whine about MS and its products.. all the blah blah blah.. The company I work for paid a 6 digit sum for the software only portion of a security system from a leading Australian Security system supplyer, this is before the service contract and extras. These *****s when we're looking for assistance for problems tell us that an upgrade is required and that will be a month away, or help desk is busy and they never call back.. .. how about this after we create a software patch for a problem, first threaten us with denial of warrantty for the work, then, demand the code that we used to create the patch.. oh and even with the service contract, nothing is done for less than a 4 digit dollar amount.. oh.. and if we need hardware to repair anything in the system ourselves.. we can get it .. out of the hands of the tech that is shipped out to us at a minimum of a days rate of 2200$
MS are angles..by comparison ....

[zodiac]

Originally posted here by nihil
Actually it isn't quite as bad as that:

A: The Microsoft genuine Windows offer is designed to help customers who unknowingly purchased counterfeit versions of Windows XP by offering those who qualify a complimentary copy or electronic license key for a genuine copy of Windows XP.

Obviously it is in MS's interests to put counterfeiters and cheating OEMs out of business, so if you have genuinely been fooled, they want to enlist your support to get the information to go after the counterfeiters/cheats.

Where'd you see this? I looked @ MS's site and didn't see any mention of it.

[nihil]

Hi zodiac and welcome.............................you have been lurking for a long time?

Actually, it is in the Q & A bit of the WGA site, but there is a lot there, so I only copied and pasted the bit I was interested in.

I remember reading about this intention maybe 18 months or two years ago, so I had a look when it was suggested that MS might try to rip people off.

They do need to get customers on their side to help defend themselves against dishonest OEMs and counterfeiters.

The machines I build have a 12 month guarantee from myself, they are reasonably secured for their usage requirements and they have a genuine OS with the original CDs. It would not surprise me if I was paying three times what Dell, HP and IBM pay, so I am not particularly interested in playing unpaid cop for Billy Gates.

It is about time that they did something to support the honest small OEMs that they sell to?

[tin.roof.rabbit]

But are people really going to report a dishonest OEM if they believe they are recieving a price break? Not to say that most people are dishonest but to say that most users do not know enough to ask those questions.

Out of curriosity; Are you building the OS from scratch or do you image with the authentication key blanked?

[Und3ertak3r]

there is a term in OZ it is "Rip Off" And Aussies Hate a "Rip Off" or to be "Ripped off" IF MAny were to find that what they had paid for was not 100% they would want the "Rip off Merchant"to be caught by the short and curly, or at the very least to visit them with a 4x2 hardwood and manually reprogram their honesty chips (ie smash their teeth in)

I would suspect this sort of thing will be 80 to 90% effective in the normal consumer situation, but it will be ineffective where the people knowingly requested/installed the Hot OS,.

Are you building the OS from scratch or do you image with the authentication key blanked

I dont know about nihil, I dont build an OS. I use an OEM disk, install the OS, drivers, basic user applications and specilised user requested apps, install all updates then lock down the OS and apps.. hand the customer a box with ALL the OEM CD's including the OS install CD.

As for imaging.the Drive.. NO.. unless requested by the customer, and then It wont be activated
before Imaging. I havent checked with MS to see if this has changed, but as of 3 years ago ms did not want the system builder OEM's with out an existing OEM agreement to image an Activated OS.

[hesperus]

Well, that was quick . . .

labnol.********.com/2006/04/workarounds-to-disable-non-genuine.html

/edit : its labnol.bl0gsp0t.com. A bad word ? Hmmph