Another horror from Microsoft

[techieMoe]

A system that doesn't work all the time is a system that doesn't work.

By that logic, no criminal justice system in the world works. Nor does any operating system, medical treatment, consumer product, or dimension of reality.

[rokytnji]

By that logic, no criminal justice system in the world works. Nor does any operating system, medical treatment, consumer product, or dimension of reality.

Sounds like the real world to me.

[bigtomrodney]

And saying that something is good enough does not mean that you don't need to make it better. There is already a legal system there to enforce copyright law, this is just a vigilante attempt in vain. For what was put in to this on Microsoft's part there will be workarounds and cracks for those who are intent on using a pirate copy. For the innocent bystander ("legal user") who pays for this to suffer when a false positive comes up isn't good enough when it really doesn't prevent piracy.

And at what other cost - more online activation and bloat to the system? More support operatives dealing with calls? Wouldn't less anti-piracy investment to lower purchase price and make it more attractive make more sense? This is a futile effort to prevent piracy and one that will infuriate legitimate users more than it will prevent piracy. At least the justice system has juries, evidence and due process. This is likely no more than a blacklist as previous attempts have been.

[techieMoe]

And saying that something is good enough does not mean that you don't need to make it better. There is already a legal system there to enforce copyright law, this is just a vigilante attempt in vain. For what was put in to this on Microsoft's part there will be workarounds and cracks for those who are intent on using a pirate copy. For the innocent bystander ("legal user") who pays for this to suffer when a false positive comes up isn't good enough when it really doesn't prevent piracy.

Wow, you're really digging into this. I just don't see how Microsoft putting up a nag screen on pirated copies of Windows is a harbinger for the coming apocalypse.

Wouldn't less anti-piracy investment to lower purchase price and make it more attractive make more sense?

Well, Microsoft has actually reduced the price of their products in China. Apparently it didn't work.

Microsoft Battles China Pirates With Office Price Cut - The Channel Wire - IT Channel News And Views by CRN and VARBusiness

This is a futile effort to prevent piracy and one that will infuriate legitimate users more than it will prevent piracy.

I have yet to see one single solitary report of a legitimate user being affected by this, much less an infuriated one. From what I've read the only ones that are infuriated are the pirates, and that's just a silly thing to get infuriated about, IMO.

[cousinlucky]

I, for one, am very glad to be free of the collar and leash Microsoft demanded that I be tethered to in order to use my hp computer.

When the computer makers stop installing Microsofts junk on their computers; Microsoft will have to start to build computers as well as selling its lousy software.

The Gates Gang can shoot itself in all of it's toes and make the world a better place
and make me a happy old man.

[bigtomrodney]

Wow, you're really digging into this. I just don't see how Microsoft putting up a nag screen on pirated copies of Windows is a harbinger for the coming apocalypse.

You were quite willing to argue yourself it seems and I do not appreciate you trying to undermine my position with sarcasm. It's not about a nag screen for pirates. It's about the overhead for non-pirates. It's about having your PC phone home. It's about product activation beyond having a licence key. It's about every update checking your PC again. It's about guilty until proven innocent.

I am not a fan of Stallman or the GNU zealots but now that you're using Linux surely you see that this is not the way things need to be, nor are they desirable traits for a user system. I bought the PC, I didn't rent it. And as most of us will be aware, to Joe Sixpack the operating system is the PC.

Well, Microsoft has actually reduced the price of their products in China. Apparently it didn't work.

There's not much use in lowering the price to $29 when the going rate for a pirated copy is $3.60. China is one of the world's largest producers of counterfeit goods so I imagine having the blessing of Bill for an extra $25.40 isn't a high priority.

I have yet to see one single solitary report of a legitimate user being affected by this, much less an infuriated one.

Considering it was just launched I'm not surprised. It doesn't take a black screen; it's the principle of your PC phoning home.

Doing PC repair on the side for friends, family and outwards I have on multiple occasions had people who tried to reinstall Windows from their Dell CDs only to be refused activation within Windows and had to call Microsoft. The standard reaction is to think they've done something wrong or that they'll get into trouble. So they don't call.

My experience is that outside of geek/IT circles there are two types of people. People who are terrified to do anything for fear of breaking and those who'll "give it a bash". The latter are generally only comfortable until something goes wrong. I'm pretty sure if someone from either of those groups saw a black screen they would do little to fix it and believe they had done something wrong too, suffering their blackscreen fate with irritation.

[elija]

I'm very happy that I was reading more into your comments than we really there bigtomrodney, I guess I was feeling a little fragile and being a little precious this morning

It's about the overhead for non-pirates. It's about having your PC phone home. It's about product activation beyond having a licence key. It's about every update checking your PC again. It's about guilty until proven innocent.

This is one of the arguements I use when extolling the virtues of alternatives, by that I mean Linux. Usually it is ignored so I break out compiz fusion and spin the cube a few times. Sad but true.

Astoundingly it is estimated that 80% of the software in use in China is pirated. Computer shops supply PCs with pirated software pre-installed to keep costs down. And that's to businesses as well as indivduals.

You would think that an environment like would be truly ripe for a FOSS incursion; but apparently not

[techieMoe]

You were quite willing to argue yourself it seems and I do not appreciate you trying to undermine my position with sarcasm.

Whoa, back up there fella. I wasn't throwing volleys, just trying to inject a little humor into the conversation. Apparently I hit a nerve. All kidding aside, I still just don't understand why this is such a big deal. That's not an attempt to trivialize it, it's a request to elaborate on your position.

It's not about a nag screen for pirates. It's about the overhead for non-pirates. It's about having your PC phone home. It's about product activation beyond having a license key. It's about every update checking your PC again. It's about guilty until proven innocent.

I still don't get it. You make this sound like it's a civil rights issue. Again, I see this as a simple tactic by Microsoft to attempt to recoup some of their stolen property. Misguided, perhaps, but not evil. Believe me, if I thought it was evil I'd say so.

Considering it was just launched I'm not surprised. It doesn't take a black screen; it's the principle of your PC phoning home.

This particular issue only comes up when the people who are using a pirated copy of MS Windows try to get official Microsoft system updates. To the best of my knowledge it does not "phone home" by itself. It takes advantage of user stupidity (or ignorance) to download itself as part of the Windows Genuine Advantage verification program.

Doing PC repair on the side for friends, family and outwards I have on multiple occasions had people who tried to reinstall Windows from their Dell CDs only to be refused activation within Windows and had to call Microsoft.

Funny, I've had precisely the opposite thing happen. Any time I've tried installing Windows on a Dell PC using Dell's system restore discs I've had no issues whatsoever and never had to activate the system at all, much less call Microsoft.

However, when installing a store-bought copy of Windows on a home-built PC, I'm asked to activate every time, and if I've activated more than about twice that month I'm forced to call.

Don't get me wrong, bigtom. I'm sure your concerns are legitimate. You're an intelligent fellow, and there's obviously something in this story that is drawing your ire. I'll just be damned if I understand what that is.

[rokytnji]

While everybody here has been discussing this, I have been in another forum with a Lady from England I think that is dealing with this same issue. Forum rules at this other forum dictate that I can't tell her to disable Automatic Updater to fix her problem, because the moderators will moderate me profusely. Here is the thread in case anybody is interested.

Desktop

[cousinlucky]

I do not remember the exact dates. Once, while I was using windows on the Internet a sign appeared on my screen telling me that I did not have permission to be using my computer and the screen went blank. I took my computer to my local repair shop. They called me and asked me for the numbers on the back of the box of disks that came with my computer. I gave them the numbers and my computer worked again.

Anouther time another message came upon my screen telling me that a lot of new software was now on my computer and that I had three days to call microsoft and re-register my computer.

After purchasing the old original Kerio firewall I discovered that almost every program in my xp operating system " phoned home " to microsoft or to hp. Click a game or print, everything from the startup to the shutdown attempted to send a signal out of my pc onto the internet.

The Kerio firewall was so effective at stopping these " phone home " signals that Microsoft bought Kerio and changed its firewall setting so that microsoft could get in and out without being detected.

I have personally experienced this misery myself. I sure that if I were a computer savvy individual I could find some way to protect a windows os while using the Internet. As an ordinary joe, however, I did not stand a chance.

Even using Linux every now and then my browsers do not fuction correctly and I have to run the repair program. My isp ( copper.net ) only likes wisdows os.