Microsoft tweaks antipiracy tech for Windows 7
With Windows 7, Microsoft is making some subtle changes to the ways it tries to thwart piracy.
As has been the case for some time, Microsoft's strategy hinges on requiring a user to electronically verify their copy of the software, a process known as activation, and then the software also periodically validates that a copy of Windows is genuine.
In Windows Vista, if a user does not activate their software immediately, they get a warning that they still need to do so. The dialog box offers two options, to activate immediately or to do so later. However, the activate later box cannot be checked for 15 seconds.
Microsoft decided this was a bit too annoying. With Windows 7, users can click activate later immediately, but then get a dialog box touting the benefits of activation.
It's the latest effort by Microsoft to scale back the intrusiveness of its technology while still aiming to deter piracy. With the first service pack to Vista, Microsoft made the software significantly more usable to those whose versions of Windows are determined not to be genuine. Before that, Vista systems entered a nearly unusable "reduced functionality mode" once they were deemed to be non-genuine.
"We think we've gotten it to a pretty good place where it strikes an effective balance," said Alex Kochis, director of product management for Microsoft's Genuine Windows unit. "We're committed to the program for the long term because it works."
Microsoft said in December 2007 that it was seeing Windows Vista pirated at only half the rate of Windows XP. Kochis said that general trend has continued.
With Windows 7, Microsoft is also changing the name of its antipiracy technology, from Windows Genuine Advantage to Windows Activation Technologies. The Windows Genuine name took some beatings in the Windows XP time frame, so probably a good move from a PR standpoint.
The software maker is also adding technology designed to make it easier for businesses to activate multiple machines as well as manage activation for virtual machines.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Thats rude to say the least.
you can really tell when /b/ is down
the "gender change" thing is a joke, referring to her being mislabeled as male previously
If memory serves correctly, she has always been a "she"
It isn't and shouldn't be a big deal unless you want to make it one.
If you don't want to know, don't read her byline but it's her choice to put it there.
For as much bad press and negative feedback directed at Vista, I'm surprised it was even that much. Frankly, they're comparing apples to oranges: a highly functional, and hence highly desired, product, versus a giant mess of a marketing nightmare.
Windows 7 will be pirated. How much it's pirated is driven more by the demand for it than by the antipiracy precautions built into it. Let's not give Vista credit where it's not due.
It's bad enough that we have to burn yet another license (or eat resources and time) just to run a KMS (Key Management Server) for Win2k8 Server... I'm guessing that whatever they intend to do to "make it easier" will be similarly not cheap?
For OEM branded computers, the activation can be tied to a certificate placed into the BIOS by the OEM and using the OEM branded CD/DVD OS restore disk. That's how it is. If you don't like it, you can blame countries like China having a 95% plus piracy rate for the reason microsoft has done this.
Amen
My HP laptop runs on Ubuntu now. I will not pay twice for the same license and will not try to talk to someone who's English I can not understand.
If M$ wants me back, they will need to do the following AT LEAST:
- eliminate the antipiracy bull completely, abandon WGD totally.
- include a free packet sniffer to prove their crapware isn't phoning home at all (not that I would trust it either, but it would be a nice gesture).
- hire someone to comb through the code and actually secure it (M$ hasn't ever been able to do this themselves, so I no longer trust them to do it).
- give the OS away for free.
- have it survive in the wild for at least a couple of years without a single vulnerability exploited and a complete consensus regarding it's absolute and total lack of spyware and DRM crapware.
Yes, it's an impossible list. That is intentional. Rape me once, shame on you. Rape me twice, shame on me. Notice though that Linux succeeds decently at all points, so if the Linux community can pull it off ...
;-)
I think there is a game out there that required DirectX 10 and therefore Vista
but it was a fairly bad game anyways
I am surprised that fdisk/ mbr and holding down the left shift key to bypass startup processes is not in any of the autthentic MS certification training classes.
Perhaps those 2 example are not in the training manuals for the same reaosn they keep tweaking and the editors are sick and tired sweeping up after the window builder techs.
Uggggh ! Give me a break!
In general I don't have an issue with DRM as long as it remains invisible to the legitimate customer but as soon as it starts interfering with normal use, then I have an issue with it. It probably can be argued that DRM will always eventually interfere and is therefore inherently bad but it seems much more prevalent with the "phone home" variety than just plain encryption like you get on a DVD.
Why can't Linux do there own marketing?
If anyone is a slave its you.
you overdosed on the Linux koolaid
you make all flavours Linux look bad
random insults is not the way to get people to switch
@monkeyfun
Linux has no marketing cash
actually, Linux is doing pretty well for a product that only has fans to advertise it, not that many fans even
Finish elementary school before trying to join in the grown up conversations, ok?
Something tells me you haven't endured on those "glitches"...
Problem solved.
"The better solution is to stop using Microsoft products. User is happy because everything works, is fast and far more stable Microsoft is happy because they have no more pirate issues."
Well, the other options are to use a closed hardware / OS solution that is run by a company that controls what you are allowed to do with that hardware and what applications are approved for use by the customer. A bit of a dictatorship there. The other 'free' option has support issues that have yet to be worked out and simply is not set up for desktop use in a corporate environment. Both are getting there, but are not there yet.
WGD is an abomination that shouldn't be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Full stop.
look in the mirror before calling someone enslaved to their OS
the very fact that you are in a flame war means you are enslaved to your favourite OS[es]
I am assuming that when you say "closed hardware / OS solution that is run by a company that controls what you are allowed to do with that hardware and what applications are approved for use by the customer." you are talking about the iPhone? OS-X is quite open to new hardware and software. a phone should limit the software it runs to trusted sources.
When you say, "The other 'free' option has support issues that have yet to be worked out and simply is not set up for desktop use in a corporate environment. Both are getting there, but are not there yet." I assume you are talking about Linux? Fedora has far better support than anything I have found on the Windows side. On the desktop, Linux may not be as pretty as OS-X or Windows, but it is leaner, meaner and faster. You can if you like run Linux from a CD or a locked flash drive preventing users from making changes to the operating system or installing new software. When it is time to update software, just have everyone turn off their computers, eject the disk, and put the new one in.
We use Linux on the servers and OS-X on the desktop. After moving away from Windows, we don't have that much for our support people to do. Mostly we write custom applications for the servers.
But for the rest of us, we can't wait for a less restrictive activation system from MS.
And before you say it: when GNU/Linux is ready for most users to use on a daily basis, I will recommend it to most users in the course of my job.
I have installed XP , Vista, and Win7 on thousands of machines in the last decade alone. I have only had to call Microsoft once because of a machine that had a bad run of system boards (Dell GX270's). I don't see that it has been a problem at all except to those people who tend to skirt the rules a lot or just like to whine in general.
I don't see that it has been a problem at all except to those people who tend to skirt the rules a lot or just like to whine in general.
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I've never been murdered, so murder can't be real except for people who were going to die anyway. Honestly Dan, I gave you more credit than this. If you like being a whipped slave, fine. Just stop telling everyone that it's the only way to live.
Blimey, well done on completely missing the point. The point is that Windows Activation and Windows Genuine Advantage does not stop piracy, so what's the point of it being there? Why should YOU have had to call Microsoft at all? YOU have already paid your money to Microsoft and they are inconveniencing YOU.
How customers can be happy accepting this is quite beyond me.
I'm using Vista right now, by the way - it came pre-installed on this Dell. I keep an XP box on the desk too, so I can actually get some work done.
They have paved the way with XP compatibility mode on Windows 7.
It happened to me the other day, put something on a portable harddrive that my XP Pro system and my Ubuntu system see perfectly. I goto someone's house with a XP home edition and the harddrive was not able to connect. It's this lack of consistancy that totally puts me off MS. Why the "bleep" these morons can't just make one version of their OS, I'll never know. It helps make people move to Apple and Linux. It's not necessary to have 12 versions of you OS. DORKS! I will throw a party when MS dies. Oh and before someone says that MS will never die... PLEASE! every company that can't keep up with what it's customer's want, dies, sooner or later, dies. I just want Bill Gates to be around to watch it go. That doofus has forced me over the years to look at so many blue screens, install screens and other such crap that I want him to see his baby die, horribly, hopefully.
What is so difficult about that?
What amazes me is grown ass adults need someone to hold their hands all the time.
That's because Vista was so bad it wasn't worth pirating. >=]
- by RobertAPierce May 8, 2009 7:51 AM PDT
- As with all DRM, the legit customer is punished while the pirates have no problems. I had all sorts of hassle and had to talk to some guy in india when my hard drive died and I had to reinstall winders #@!$%!#$ .
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