“Microsoft today began expanding its anti-piracy program by quietly pushing out a software update that in many cases automatically scans Windows computers and reports on whether they are powered by unlicensed software,” Brian Krebs reports for The Washington Post. “The “new pilot program” is a fairly broad expansion of Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage program, under which the anti-piracy check was required only for users who wish to download security updates or other free programs from Microsoft’s site. Under WGA, users who chose to receive fixes via Automatic Updates were not prompted to install and run the anti-piracy software.”
Krebs reports, “Starting today, however, Windows XP users in the United States who have set up automatic security updates will receive the anti-piracy tool. After installation and reboot, they may find their computers popping up an alert that reads: ‘This copy of Windows is not genuine; you may be a victim of software counterfeiting.’ Microsoft also is pushing the new tool out to auto-update users in Britain, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.”
Full article here.
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Related article:
How Microsoft benefits from rampant piracy – April 18, 2006
Not a big surprise. Even if Windows is grossly mediocre, it’s still thievery to pirate it.
MDN MW: defense – defense of the immense bottom line
Big brother Bill is watching you. You’ll answer the phone tonight and this droning, Kermit-like voice will threaten you with prosection unless you cough up your credit card number.
All your computer are belong to us!
Prosection? Well, that could be painful too, I guess. Or prosecution. You choose.
but if the main thing people like about WIndows is that it’s “free,” where will they turn when that is taken away?
Maybe they’ll wonder about other options…
Excuse me – is this legal in the States?
Boy am I glad that I don’t live in a country where a software company can send me a spyware app legally…
AHHHHHHHH, you’re all my servants NOW!
I smell an Apple marketing blitz:
“OS X – because we don’t require you to register your OS, and we don’t spy on you, and we don’t really care that much if you install it on all your computers at home.”
Apple – going easy on OS pirates since 2000…
Or maybe that’s not such a good idea… 😀
And Ampar… quit nit-picking on Ampar’s posts.
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This is going to hit every Boot Camp user.
Tom,
Where’s that quote from? I forget.
Everybody should respect the property rights of others, no matter how big, offensive or wealthy the owner may be.
That said, this campaign has nothing to do with stopping piracy, MSFT benefits from the proliferation of its products in markets where they can’t afford them,this is about monetizing the effects of that piracy in markets where it no longer benefits MSFT. Just, look at where they are implementing this strategy, “Microsoft also is pushing the new tool out to auto-update users in Britain, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.“
Expect them to extend the program into Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Canada and the rest of the EU. You won’t see it in Africa, India, China or Russia for some time to come.
Shouldn’t every copy of Windows report back that it is counterfeit? After all, it’s just a very shoddy copy of the Mac OS…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
All your computer are belong to us!
BWAA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AAHHH-HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!
(wipes a tear from his eye…)
that’s golden!!
LOL, blucaso! I’ve also heard that nits taste just like chicken!
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I have a split personality
And so do I!
All you have to do is uncheck that “update” when you’re reviewing the incoming auto updates.
If Windows cost $50, I’d buy it. Since it in fact costs $399, Microsoft can suck it.
If they find counterfeit software, they should give the user two weeks to pay for it or destroy all the data on that machine.
I’d agree to that process on my Mac. Wouldn’t you?
Yowza — that sounds to me like even MORE Switchers from Microsoft to Apple will be coming on board soon. The last straw for so many Windoze users, I am sure!
– DogoDoga
All your computer are belong to us=allyour base are belong to us
Sega Master System game ZERO WING
http://allyourbase.planettribes.gamespy.com/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_your_base_are_belong_to_us
Billybob, it’s from the old “All Your Base Are Belong To Us” video, that swept through the computing world a couple of years ago…
The gamespy AYBABTU site
Originally from a truly cheesy english translation of a Japanese game.
Video one is not as good as the others, but the voices should be familiar
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Sorry that should be Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
Ron:
“If they find counterfeit software, they should give the user two weeks to pay for it or destroy all the data on that machine.
I’d agree to that process on my Mac. Wouldn’t you?”
…how hard do you suppose it would be to make that process be 100% bug-free and 100% resistant to any exploits like viruses, trojan horses, and worms?
I wonder if this is Microsoft’s real response to Boot Camp?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Excuse me, but you are supposed to register OS X when you install it. Don’t think Apple doesn’t have a way to do the same thing.
But MIcrosoft actually begining to check machines for piracy remotely is the beginning of the end for Windows.
Zero Wing Rhapsody very funny
http://allyourbase.planettribes.gamespy.com/video3_view.shtml
Now wait until they start offering this as a service to third-party software publishers.
“We will scan users drives for illicit copies of your software and give you the option of contacting the user directly or flipping a switch to make it unable to run or perhaps just notifying the police.”
You don’t have to register Mac OS X, but since the OS, Addressbook, the Dock, all the iLife apps and even the clock contacts Apple servers with your machine id and ip number they know exactly what’s going on.
Just Apple would will kill itself even faster if it started going after it’s own kind.
“I wonder if this is Microsoft’s real response to Boot Camp?”
Interesting concept, except that would be way
too fast of a response from M$
Hee Hee
“You don’t have to register Mac OS X, but since the OS, Addressbook, the Dock, all the iLife apps and even the clock contacts Apple servers with your machine id and ip number they know exactly what’s going on.”
I guess that’s why I’m still running Jaguar
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
(he ducks to avoid the flames)
MS wants to make sure all the Boot Camp users go out an buy new copies of Windoze. Hmmm. They must really think a significant portion of their pc user base is going to go out and buy macs and wants to take advantage of that.
I can understand them wanting to do this (yea, they really need the money), but boy, the timing couldn’t be worse. Would you really want to antagonize your user base at this point? Given Boot Camp will case many to switch and Vista is causing grumbling amongst the troups, this just might be the back breaking straw for many.
This is just phase one. The ultimate goal is this:
SCANNERS!
And this, ladies and gentlemen, in a nutshell, is the reason why Apple should *never* license the Mac OS to run on generic hardware.
“Uhh….anyone who complains about Illustrator not being able to do multiple pages really doesn’t get the concept of layout.”
Oh yeah. I think I downloaded it a few years ago for the emulator. That’s why it sounded familiar…wait I’m not suppose to tell anyone….
It’s cracked already!
There’s a LegitCheckControl.dll floating around that you dump into c:\windows\system32 whilst in safe mode, give the PC a reboot and all is well. Windowsupdate etc work fine.
Shafting Microsoft is the duty of every Mac user, this includes OfficeMac loving cowards too.
Oops! Copy and Paste didn’t take:
Billybob, it’s from the old “All Your Base Are Belong To Us” video, that swept through the computing world a couple of years ago…
I should really proofread first…
Oh yeah. I think I downloaded it a few years ago for the emulator. That’s why it sounded familiar…wait I’m not suppose to tell anyone….
I’m an idiot.
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
MS just keeps adding more popups, dialogs and nags to Windows year after year after year. I thought it couldn’t get any more annoying than the original XP with all those tray notifications, but it’s just gotten even more extreme over the years. It really makes me appreciate my Mac that isn’t popping messages in my face all the time, and isn’t trying to be my nanny.
“powered by” is a bit of a strech it should read “hampered by”.
Hey, this would not be such a bad idea, except that its coming from Microsoft. You know, the people that can never get it right.
When XP came out they had something similar. A PC writer was using a legal copy of XP when it decided he had an illegal copy and it shut him down.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
MS could not figure out what was wrong so they had to send him another copy. And you can imagine how long that took.
MicroSoft,— the soft ware for people who never care if it gets done right.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
N.
Well, this is the first sign of desperation,
from a company that may have a lot of cash, but we all know it’s flushing away fast
Why pick on counter fitters? I mean, if you have your kitchen remodelled, you want it to look good, right?
Magic Word: “Table” How fitting. Counter fitting, that is.
No sympathy.
If I had my way all you thieving sons-of-guns would have your hard disks wiped anyway. You’ve cost me thousands over the years. remember they charge what the market will bear plus the cost of pirates.
Bill Gates looks on piracy as the next step to locking in morons. Pirate it and then, gradually, Micorsoft will find ways of reeling you in and it’s your own stupid fault.
Pay up and you’ve no problem. No payment – no complaint no matter how crap the software is. I wish all software companies had adopted dongles years ago – by now the technology would be just about fool-proof. I break code for the fun of it – I never EVER pass the breaks on.
Recently I purchased and installed Little Snitch – a program designed to inform the user when your computer is trying to send an outgoing message. I was surprised when Little Snitch popped up telling me that my computer was trying to contact Apple when I was reviewing an application’s help pages. The same warning message appeared when trying to view the help pages for other Apple applications.
Is anyone else aware of this issue? Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more information about this subject / Apple’s policies?
Thanks for your time and help.
Peace.
To Metryq: “counter fitters”
Those are the customers that can’t squeeze into a booth at the local diner.
So that’s what all the screaming I’ve been hearing all day was from. I’m so glad Microsoft is cracking down on pirates. They sure need the money.
OTOH, I hope Apple doesn’t do the same thing. Authenticating software is a royal pain in the hiney. Anyone who uses Quark 6 knows exactly what I’m talking about.
Now removing Boot Camp and giving back the pirated copy. M$ sucks anyway!
“Excellent!” (Creepy Mr. Burns voice) yes Bill push them to download free Linux desktops so they dont have to get annoying pop up messages for pirating windows. “All has gone according to my design” (Emperor Palpatine)
Ah its good to belong to the Geekiverse.
Moron tried to give meOffice suite for Windows pirated. I refused and put kosher (teacher/student) version on. Glad I did. My mate Chris got the pirate disks, installed them, got three months and then was screwed when he ran a software/security update which blew him to hell and three universes beyond.
M$ have been on the case for a while now. When he tried to sort it out M$ told him to buy legit software and **** off. He had to reformat his hard disk and lost about 30k files – some pretty valuable – because his hard disk was shafted big-time !
If windows gets harder to copy, more people would probably be inclined to look for alternatives if they have to pay for an OS.
What can I say ? I’ve always wanted to seen vengeance bouncing back on the heads of software pirates. There is nothing like a victimless crime. I just wish there was some way that a similar thing could happen to the idiots masquerading as ‘ IT specialists’ (aka Windoze apologists’ at my work. If only …………………
What’s that sound? “BANG! BANG!”
The sound of Micro$oft shooting itself in the foot? Or is it the sound of Apple shooting fish in a barrel.
M$sure picked a heck of a time to throw this gem out to the long suffering masses. But ya gotta love Bill & Balmer, they’re so innovative–and their timing is aways impeccable. What mixed up idiots. When they’re gone I’ll almost miss them for comedy relief.
Summer movie release: Dumb & Dumber 3rd Sequel -“Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey,” starring Billy G. and Stevie B.
“Your inside is out and your outside is in
Your outside is in and your inside is out
So come on come on
Come on is such a joy
Come on is such a joy
Come on make it easy
Come on make it easy
Make it easy make it easy […for Apple to take over : ) ]
Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and
my monkey.” –Beatles
Blucaso:
“I smell an Apple marketing blitz:
‘OS X – because we don’t require you to register your OS, and we don’t spy on you, and we don’t really care that much if you install it on all your computers at home.’
Apple – going easy on OS pirates since 2000…
Or maybe that’s not such a good idea… :D”
In reality, Apple allowed you to copy Macintosh System files for free for many, many years starting in 1984. I can remember going into Apple Authorized stores with a stack of blank floppies and downloading the full System software set onto those floppies — with complete authority from both Apple and the store. Then I went to my Mac and updated it.
100% free updates to the operating system… Ah, those were the days.
Question….
If this is the case that M$ is going to stop people from using priate copies of its crap software. Does this make it easier for Apple user…?
When using Boot Camp, you can surf a safe and free world from the Mac OS X side , plus use the best programs around and then reboot to the windows side ( dark and scary side) to use a program or 2. But does the windows side need to be online? If it does not , then how the hell will windows know ???
After installation and reboot, they may find their computers popping up an alert that reads: ‘This copy of Windows is not genuine; you may be a victim of software counterfeiting.’
they should add
regardless of your Windows being genuine or not it work work as good as OSX.
If you’re worried about apps phoning home, then implement an outgoing firewall.
Here it comes: One world government facilitated by one world OS. In no time now MS will be able to monitory what I take out of my refrigerator, what I’m watching on TV, and oh, thanks to BootCamp (yeah Windows is only running when we boot into it – right, wink wink, nudge nudge), MS will be monitoring everything I do online including my banking transactions, (since all banks are now basically foundationed on MS Windows products).
Yeah great, this all sounds just fine.
All hail MS – hail MS – hail MS.
Install Little Snitch!
There is more than just apps phoning home, web browsers are making connections to unknown servers all the time.
Images in emails.
And much much more.
Also run developer tools>Big Top and set the outgoing packet charts. Surprise something is making internet conenctions without our ok.
Lurker_PC: That’s because the Help app is checking to see if there are any updated Help pages.
What? MS’s scanner doesn’t break Windows, or cause a huge new security hole?
Must be a bluff.
I agree that piracy is wrong, no matter who’s the vendor. But quietly installing compliance scanners onto your users’ systems, ala Big Brother, isn’t any better than piracy.
Wonder what other goodies MS has ready to be quietly installed…
Recently I purchased and installed Little Snitch – a program designed to inform the user when your computer is trying to send an outgoing message. I was surprised when Little Snitch popped up telling me that my computer was trying to contact Apple when I was reviewing an application’s help pages. The same warning message appeared when trying to view the help pages for other Apple applications.
Where do you think the help comes from? Hint: the Apple servers.
Just click”allow until quit” and you’ll be fine. And don’t be so paranoid.
>Blucaso:
“I smell an Apple marketing blitz:>
Yeah, they’ll put a 2” ad in my local rag.
Re: MS secretly gathering information from my computer (in the name of anti-piracy)
I applaud MS for protecting its Intellectual Property.
However, it’s the secrecy that is scary – not just by MS, but by any company. So much harm can be done in the name of anti-piracy. While we shouldn’t practice or advocate piracy, we shouldn’t let our privacy get taken away.
Not by MS, Apple, or anyone!
—
I bought and installed a fresh copy of XP for my MB Pro, installed via BootCamp. I’d like, however, to install it inside Parallels as well.
The config will be the same OS running on the same computer for the same owner. By common sense, this is not piracy or stealing or whatever.
XP called home for activation with the Boot Camp install. So MS has that info. Will the Parallels install work with the Parallels install as well?
Has anyone tried this, and does it work?
Microsoft is slitting their own wrists here. Honestly, piracy is a good thing. Companies hurt themselves as a consequence of piracy only in the attempt to waste resources combatting it. Pircay can best be combated only by reducing price in response to market demand.
Piracy of Windows only serves to help reinforce MS’s user base, and makes the operating system available to those who can’t afford it otherwise. Aside from those who get it preinstalled on their dull PC, I don’t know many who think a $300 outlay of cash is worth something that to most people, doesn’t really do anything but run other stuff.
In my opinion, MS should be doing the opposite and release a free version of WindowXP that can be downloaded and burned to an ISO. It could be sold in stores for a minimal fee such as $4.99 to cover shipping and packaging.
Actually, strike that. Should MS kill themselves going ape over piracy like this, let them. They’ve been loosing market share for a couple of years now – looking forward to the end.
randyman, neomonkey – Didn’t realize “Help” pages would phone home for updates. Thanks.
we must remember when you buy a new Mac you also get the latest OS included in the purchased price. Apple have got their money for the OS. upfront. Most mac folk also go out a buy OSX upgrades aswell. Older Macs slowly can’t be upgraded to the latest OS. which in turn means we buy a new Mac. Apple have got their money from us for OSX !
In contrast you can build your own PC and install a pirate version of Windows.
Of course people with pirate versions could just not enable updates with the upshot of not getting patches for bugs and so even more likely to be “owned” and haven to viruses, spamming software etc.
MS have been tightening up for ages, even the majority of developers (MSDN) versions of MS operating systems now need you to register, which is a drag as often install on non network/internet connected PCs (e.g. want a guaranteed secure, clean system with controlled access) and so had to go the rigmarole of ringing MS phone number to get authentication code, which is slow and tedious and, even better it has no functional “hold” option (I got interrupted once when in mid call, tried to pause / “hold” the (automated) code notification procedure, when I returned from (important and could not be ignored disruption) MS had timed out on me.
Now take the approach of not bothering to register development versions, just do install, patch to version required, use it for a few weeks then scrub and reinstall as can use for a few weeks under “grace” before you have to give authentication codes, and as these are test boxes that are there to trial certain things e.g. does the newest patch cause any problems before rolling out company wide, then its no real hassle to do teh scrubs as given PC configuration would not be kept too long anyway. It is galling though as MSDN subscriptions are expensive and they used to require no “callback” (be it phone or web) to be fully legit.
Interestingly a user could probably do the same approach, if they kept data on a different partition then periodic scrub and reinstalls would allow them to have windows without being authorized, but theas probably so much hassle for a home user its worth paying the cost of a licence (or run free stuff like Linux)
Another insiduous thing is, if you change too many PC parts, windows will whinge as it thinks its an attempt to install on a different machine, so if you get a low spec PC as you are low on cash and gradually upgrade parts of it you may eventually get a nasty shock (especially if change mobo!).