Microsoft's Genuine Advantage

[Nbadan]

Thousands of computer users say they are being wrongly accused by Microsoft of owning pirated software, it has emerged.

Surfers have said that a program used by Microsoft to alert customers to illegal copies of its Windows XP system has been falsely targeting them. Many say they are being forced to pay for replacement versions, despite having already spent hundreds of pounds on official products.

The download, called Windows Genuine Advantage, tracks the unique identification numbers packaged with each legitimate copy of Windows. Users found to have fake codes - or a code that has already been registered elsewhere - are encouraged to buy an official licence. Some have also claimed their computer performance becomes impaired if they do not upgrade.

Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/microsoft/Story/0,,1815758,00.html)

The people with illegal Windows copies can get a patch that is readily available from any torrent or file-sharing program to defeat the malicious software patch. It's the people with legitimate copies of WIN XP that have to put up with the headaches of religitimizing their copy of Windows, sometimes with added costs.

[MannyIsGod]

I had that on my last computer for the past month. I had a pirated copy of XP pro though. It never stopped me from doing anything and the updates still came through.

[jman3000]

My friend had the same thing happen to him ... but they had the real deal and were confused as shit as to why it was popping up.

[Nbadan]

Your friend probably bought what he thought was a legal copy of XP, but the OEM maker used the same software on more than one computer. In these cases, instead of going after the manufacturer, MS has decided to go after the unwhitting customer...


Indeed, those who were the "victims" of software piracy and who presumably wanted to "get legal" were the ones who purchased OEM products that were unlicensed – and they were the ones being forced by Microsoft to "walk the plank." Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh. It's not like Microsoft was going after the OEM manufacturers and distributors of unlicensed product, obtaining monetary judgments and then giving that money to the purchasers of the products. No, the enforcement actions were aimed at obtaining license fees and civil and criminal sanctions for the company, all the while the company was claiming that the unwitting purchasers were the victims. In fact, even if the Redmond giant successfully squeezed license fees or other sanctions from the OEM selling the unlicensed software, they still retained the right, through the WGA program, to go after the individual (and possibly unwitting) purchasers for the license fees again. Well, life 'aint fair. Deal with it.

-snip-

So, you say, "this doesn't apply to me. I bought my computer before this program was announced.

Remember those annoying little bubbles that pop up and tell you that updates are ready to download? Yup, that's how the program was installed on your machine. Too late....

Decide for yourself....

Security Focus (http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/409)

[DarkReign]

Im screwed. My pc is doing the same thing. I cant update anymore, so I am stuck at SP1.

Fuck M$

[ducks]

you can do a system restore
then you can can do a custom update install uncheck that and then do your updates