So what info does WinXP really send to MS?

[MemorY]

Germany's tecChannel has launched an English-language version of its site, and has celebrated with a seriously trainspotter analysis of the interaction between Windows XP's product activation and Redmond central control. Despite (or possibly because of) Microsoft's insistence that the WPA process is completely harmless and doesn't send the company any of your personal data, the system has since its introduction been the subject of much paranoid speculation.

Quoted from : Here

[White_Eskimo]

good article...thanks for sharing it with us. There has been a lot of confusion and talk about Microsoft spying on its users, but that article cleared things up

[dcongram]

After installing (and registering Windows XP); I installed MS Office 2000
and was immediately asked if I wished to 'register Office 2000' with MS.
Interesting, since neither W2K or Win98 ever asked that question.

[x acidreign x]

If you don't want MS to have your personal info, don't enter it. as far as my computer and all the programs on it are concerned, my name is yakk0.

[mark_boyle2002]

LOL Yakko.

I once caught my windows XP trying to send Bill Gates my L33t Pron Collection

Do you think thats why he has glasses ?

[Cyanosis]

I think that MS started to collect all that info to check up on hacked copies of Windows, to see if 30 or 40 systems were running under the same product key and such.

[mark_boyle2002]

no, I swear. It was just bill wanting copies of my l33t pron

[RoadClosed]

It's not just M$. The general trend in the industry is to try and force you to register software, EVEN newer flavors of Linux. The more customer oriented companies let you turn it off easily. But almost every software package I own, attempts to force me to register and then constantly checks for updates. Who knows what they are sending or what I am downloading. It's a matter of trust or complacency on my part. I am still trying to figure out which category I am in.

I think Bill wants my 4gb worth...

[AciDriveHB]

After installing (and registering Windows XP); I installed MS Office 2000
and was immediately asked if I wished to 'register Office 2000' with MS.
Interesting, since neither W2K or Win98 ever asked that question.

You know I have those both, and never was a problem. Now I use Office XP on XP Pro and it's never asked me to register. Did it do that before or after you did Windows updates? I know there are some updates out there for Office 2000 that might be an addon and they might have put that feature in there just because...

I think it's a tracking method too. I don't think they could come after you per say, but I think it lets them know at least how many copies of their OS are cracked. Maybe also lets them figure stuff out and why they learn to block certain registration CD keys for Windows XP?

I personally just register with my information, I have nothing to hide. Even if I was using a cracked copy of the software I wouldn't worry, because they still can't come after me. I might be using an illega version, but me registering it and then them coming after me would be a privacy issue I think. But like I said before, that information just lets them figure out what keys to block.

Be interested to see what kind of security measures they use for privacy in the next versoin of Windows...

Just a thought...
~AciD