Stained Windows! Microsoft to mark illegal copies

[zodiac]

The problem that those people running pirated versions of XP need to worry about is, will this feature be included in ALL updates from now on?

Or is it included only in a specific update? If that's the case, all they have to do is not install that update providing they know which one it is.

And if there's another service pack for XP, I can see this being added to that.

[phishphreek]

Just a FYI- The update in question is as follows:

Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474)
Date last published: 4/25/2006
Download size: 829 KB
The Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool notifies you if your copy of Windows is not genuine. If your system is found to be a non-genuine, the tool will help you obtain a licensed copy of Windows.
System Requirements
Recommended CPU: Not specified.
Recommended memory: Not specified.
Recommended hard disk space: Not specified.
Get help and support
http://support.microsoft.com
More information

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39157

[Spekter1080]

Originally posted here by gore
I think I know of a crack:

Turn off auto updates.

Damn that was hard.

My thoughts exactly....lmao

[Goitz]

Just a left-field thinking: What if it is part of the psyops of the OS behemoth that is MS to start users to think of obtaining licensed Vista upon its market availability just so they wouldn't bother about whether their XP OS is bootlegged or not?

Among IBM (and others)-clone CPU assemblers and sellers, the standard PC GUI OS installed in HDDs to make the unit working is Windows (Linux is not yet as prolific and so are other OS). While it is possible that the original installation CD is licensed [to the CPU assembler], the unsuspecting buyer may just have a "cloned" OS.

Now... I wonder if my XP has the extended license for multiple users.

[nihil]

Goitz

That shouldn't be an issue with the larger PC manufacturers, just as it shouldn't be with group licences.

If you get a machine from a small local supplier you should get the original OEM CD as well.

AFAIK all the software is doing is adding these nag screens to the validation software that MS are already using.

[ZT3000]

If your system is found to be a non-genuine, the tool will help you obtain a licensed copy of Windows.

Yep!
Press CD tray button, reach back to your wallet, pinch wallet securely with thumb and finger, drag wallet over open CD tray, release fingers, press CD tray button.

[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.

[Triad]

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.
My question, how are they going to be able to tell the difference between a pirate copy, either that had an illegally generated cd key, or that was cracked to not require a cd key, and a copy with a stolen cd key.
Also where does this fit into privacy laws etc.

[Und3ertak3r]

My question, how are they going to be able to tell the difference between a pirate copy, either that had an illegally generated cd key, or that was cracked to not require a cd key, and a copy with a stolen cd key.

When the system is activate a hardware hash is created.. this is basicly a MD5 hash of the basic hardware information of the system this is compared to a hash of your product key.. If the Key hash matches a different hardware hash or a known group of pirated keys your escorted to the appropriate page....
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).

Also where does this fit into privacy laws etc.

so your a theif and are concerned about getting caught.. ?
Privacy laws are about these companies sharing your information with anyone else.. not to prevent them from collecting it in the first place. I dont even know if a company can use the collected information in a court of law. certainly if they could they would need more compelling evidence to convict you.

[nihil]

Hmmmm,

Privacy

I don't see that as an issue at this stage. This is more of a "name them and shame them" type of exercise. It is more aimed at businesses than private individuals.............it would hardly be worth MS's effort to pursue single instances of pirate software?

Identification

With XP you get a "Product Key" which is on the little label you are supposed to stick on the outside of the box. You have to key this in to get the OS to load.

You then have a month to "activate" your copy with MS.

As Undies~ says, this will identify the installation with your hardware instance. Now, you can make quite a few hardware changes without problems.............HDDs, CDs, DVDs, RAM, USB and so on.

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.

I have never tried it, but I would imagine that the kid referred to was selling kit that would fail to activate and die after one month. He would need to be using exactly the same MoBos to stand any chance.