Does this report home, every day, as well?
Microsoft Corp. acknowledged Wednesday that it needs to better inform users that its tool for determining whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows also quietly checks in daily with the software maker.
The company said the undisclosed daily check is a safety measure designed to allow the tool, called Windows Genuine Advantage, to quickly shut down in case of a malfunction. For example, if the company suddenly started seeing a rash of reports that Windows copies were pirated, it might want to shut down the program to make sure it wasn’t delivering false results.
Lazar said the company added the safety measure because the piracy check, despite widespread distribution, is still a pilot program. He said the company was worried it might have an unforeseen emergency that would require the program to terminate quickly. But he acknowledged Microsoft should have given users more information about the daily interactions.
Lazar also said the company plans to tweak the program soon so it will only check in with Microsoft every two weeks, rather than daily.
Uh-huh.
I wonder if you can uninstall the program, and only reload it when you want to get the latest Windows security updates?
Would an “emergency” be classified as, say a, lawsuit, court order, etc?
OMG! It checks in daily…um…for updates and stuff I guess.
OMG! iTunes and Quicktime do auto-updates also! AND they do it over the net! OMFG!
Holy CRAP…I just checked CCleaner and it too checks to see if there are new updates over the net!
I….I can’t believe these programs check in over the net behind my back like that! I bet my computer is crawling with these things…I can feel them.
(faints)
Or, perhaps we can get a grip and take off our tin-foil hats…..because we need them for the NSA fiasco’s.
How ironic it is that Microsoft now promotes its own spyware removal solution (nice illustration of this btw) and yet Windows is one steaming pile of spyware itself. It’s clear Microsoft cannot be trusted with your system’s security. I suggest a third party spyware, virus scan, and firewall solution. As a side note, I downloaded and installed Windows Vista Beta 2. Wow, Microsoft, great job, a glorified version of Windows XP. Between Microsoft’s obvious disdain for consumers and their own technical incompetency, thank god OS X now runs on Intel and Linux is finally becoming usable!
Feedback to poster #3 comments: Difference is huge. First, most other programs that connect to the internet automatically clearly inform users of that fact and most of the time allow users NOT to allow that option. Even more, such programs can safely be blocked by firewall or such. Programs that do not inform users and make such contacts are typically called spyware (or worst)… In case of such MS tool I suspect you can’t safely block its unannounced internet connections (would it assume you are “pirate”?).
Zone Alarm always asks if anything trying to get out is allowed, and I would imagine the same thing would happen here. No big deal.
#4, Leo Laporte has jokingly referred to the whole thing as a protection racket, and I tend to agree with him.
Do a search for the word legit.
you will find a series of .dll’s names legit{something}control.
thats what this is in referance to.
if you want delete them. not my issue if you run a pirated copy.
It has nothing to do with the antispyware application (now called windows defender)
just FYI
i should also say dont be mad at me if something screws up. you mess with your computer at your own risk.
They STILL are not willing to acknowledge that my copy of windows is genuine and therefore I can’t download IE7!!!! Then this stupid program keeps popping up!
Another correction to #3 (Johny Can’t Learn). Updates to iTunes and Quicktime require user approval. Neither program reports anything to anyone without permission. Employing the revelation that Microsoft is using spyware to try to combat piracy to attack Apple is ignorant.
You think MS is bad, check adn see how many time a day Acrobat updater calls home to ET.
Anybody know of a web site that lists domain names or IP addresses to block to prevent this phone home from leaving your network? What about a site that lists what to block for many other programs phone homes or update checks?
#6 zone alarm does ask you if you want to allow the program to connect to the internet. and so there is the ability to just click deny. no conspiracy and no moon landings invovled!
ps if we didnt land on the moon then where did we get all the cheese from?
Here’s a novel idea, How about checking to see that my serial number is valid ONCE. Then terminating the program! Forever!
What happens if in 2 years some hacker keygen’s my serial number and MS decides my copy is pirated? They cripple my machine and stop me from earning a living? Do I go back to Dell (who wont care) and get a replacement OS? Am I forced to pay MS a ransom to get to my computer data? How does someone prove they have a legit copy?
Yeah its interesting if you look in MSCONFIG to see the number of processes that are sitting there for the sole purpose of checking for updates – personally I disable them and run updates manually… waste of processor time the lot of them :\
That’s why I didn’t download that piece-o-crap from the windows update site for my w2k. Does that mean I won’t get furterh updates? then screw them.
And BTW, those naive guys that think iTunes does not send info home I gotta tell you, you’ve been my comic relief for today
Hey, doesn’t MS’ actions and software violate the recently passed spyware legislation?
How about a class-action suit to sort everything out.
MS definitely has more money the brains so lets all have at it and belly up to the class-action bar one more time shall we?
Pedro said:
“And BTW, those naive guys that think iTunes does not send info home I gotta tell you, you’ve been my comic relief for today.”
That happens only if you turn the MiniStore on, burro. As I said before, one has to give permission.
#18, whatever gets you thru the night, man
Genuine advantage…..for who? certainly not the ransom paying users of this piece of crap OS that MS has rammed down our throats for years. Now when they think that they may loose market share to another OS (linux) they are beginning to get worried. That’s what happens when over 90% of the pc’s sold are windows OS based. Competition? uncle Bill has never seen any so he will resort to any tactics to maintain market share. Genuine Advantage — only an advantage in the MS kingdom as I see it!