News Microsoft makes anti-piracy move

The Beeb reports on Redmond's clampdown on hookey software:

Microsoft says it is clamping down on people running pirated versions of its Windows operating system by restricting their access to security features.
The Windows Genuine Advantage scheme means people will have to prove their software is genuine from mid-2005.

It will still allow those with unauthorised copies to get some crucial security fixes via automatic updates, but their options would be "limited".

Microsoft releases regular security updates to its software to protect PCs.

Either PCs detect updates automatically or users manually download fixes through Microsoft's site.

Those running pirated Windows programs would not have access to other downloads and "add-ons" that the software giant offers.

More here

Haven't they already tried something like this? I'm sure they said that the XP service packs couldn't be used by people with known 'bad' serials...

 

I have noticed that for some downloads they have a banner saying that you have to validate your license before the download begins, but at the moment you can still skip that.

I guess they will just remove the 'skip this step' option.

As much as this is 100% fair for MS, this might cause huge problems over time when a large number of PCs around the world are infected & turned into zombies etc. with users not able to get security fixes.

 

I'll give it 2days before this "feature" is cracked, chewed up, and spat in Microsofts face and thats being genorous .

Death

 

Here is an example of what I mean.

And XP SP2 did knock a few PCs off
But keygens etc. fixed that pretty easily.

I wonder how far they will go with this online validation, if your license actually needs to be registered with MS or if it will be a similar method as the service pack.

 

Guess we could always use Linux or buy Mac Mini's.

 

Or buy a copy of windows

 

LOL, slightly cheaper but a pain in the arse if you keep upgrading.
Yay for activation.

 

or go linux

 

A wish they'd fix that. Last rebuild I had a shock when they didn't ask for a phonecall!

 

It'll be interesting to see whether this will stop those users with Corporate Edition with a 'keygenerated' key when it goes into full swing. So far it doesn't.

 

heh, some time ago downloaded all updates regularly and the win got worse and worse, with the SP2 things got really out of hand and i decided to format my drive and turn off all the updates.Now i'm very happy about it windows works far better than it used to just keep track of what do you install and everything is fine...
M$ just keeps making more bugs with their bugfixes or is it just me?

 

They have blocked a well known Windows Server 2003 Corporate key from Windows Update, probably more than just the one I know of though.

You can still install XP SP2 with most generated keys, but not if it was one of those that they already blocked in SP1 (the FCKGW one for instance).

There was lots of talk of them blocking keys generated by TheBlueList keygen, but I think Microsoft went back on that decision. During the SP2 beta period, some of the betas started to block them but then they allowed it again.

TheBlueList keygen was easy to block though, it would create valid keys as far as the built in activation components were concerned, but they had PIDs which could never occur with legitimate keys. Another keygen appeared on the scene which would create keys that were indistinguishable from legit ones (without comparing them to a database of all Microsoft provided keys that is).

 

I wanna know why MS is allowing some pirated versions if they're so against it... doesn't make much sense.

I wonder if my copy would be considered pirated.... it was purchased legitamately at some point by a friend who burnt me a copy and I gave several other people copies so it's probably on a good 20+ PCs but it was purchased lol
Not that I care about WMP updates and whatnot

 

Its not only for WMP updates, the link I posted was just the first example of the validation that I found.

It will eventually be required for ALL type of updates I suppose.

 

They'll block whatever they can find, the catch is legitimate corporate keys that have leaked, they don't want to accidentally block corporate clients. And product activation for corporate copies isn't goign to happen any time soon.

Yep, that's pirated

 

Someone with a legit key will just download all the microsoft bug fixes , rar 'em up and put them out on Bittorrent

the afore mentioned keygen does indeed generate valid xp pro keys and the PID numbers appear to check out as well,

To be honest tho, it wouldn't bother me if my slighty "hooky" corporate edition is blocked by microsoft I do actually own proper editions of xp home, & windows 2000 advanced server (lost the blooming product key for win2k so using a naughty one )

 

i won't take kindly to having to manually do stuff on my corperate edition, eopen rented licenses thank you!

 

dude in teh last six months, i must have bought 3 motherboards, a couple of gigs of ram, about 6 processors, too many hard drives. my pc changes on a weekly bases. one of there keys wouldn't last me three months, as you can only use it so many times...

 

whoops... maybe mines not so legal/illegal after all

 

I wonder how this will effect the popularity of linux and OS X. The only legit copies of windows I have are the ones that have come with laptops I have purchased. I don't think I would ever go into a shop and buy windows off the shelf, I think I would probably stray down the mac route as OS X seems far more superior in terms of stability and security.