Microsoft bars Windows pirates
Spinner
Birmingham, UK
As recently discussed in our forums, it has been reported that Microsoft has decided that the forthcoming update to Windows XP, SP2, will not work with the most widely pirated versions of its operating system.
Source: BBCMr Randle said during installation SP2 will check the product ID number for the copy of XP in use on a PC and will not let itself be installed if that software is a version that has been widely pirated.
Microsoft has worked out the 20 most pirated product IDs and SP2 will not install and run on any copy of XP bearing one of those numbers.
"The situation at the moment is that we will block those," he said.
...
Mr Randle said Microsoft was keeping its SP2 strategy under constant review.
"Whether it will change between now and launch I do not know," he said.
Service Pack 1 for Windows XP worked with almost all legitimate and pirated versions of the software.
Only those copies of XP that used the two most widely pirated product IDs were barred from getting the upgrade.
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Comments
KF
So they are two different things, I think.
There are hundreds of keys out there yes, and there are dozens of key generators, but most of those will only generate PID's of a certain type. It is those which Microsoft is reported to be targeting. 20 PID types blocked, if that's what they meant, would result in 90% of the current pirate keys and key generators becoming incapable of working or creating usable keys, as they would result in a blocked PID type. And like I was discussing in the other thread, the current builds of SP2 seem to be backing up that assessment.
Cheers
KF
In pretty much most common tasks, security has been upped. Even the downloading of a simple file has had the interface tweaked. The firewalls are better, the driver update control has also been tweaked to give the user more control, referring to when you use direct connects to the Windows Update site to update drivers, and IE and OE have recieved some various extensions.
For me some additions are welcome, some are not. No doubt the spoon feeding security tightness will be of great benefit to Joe Newb, but for those of us who actually know how to run Windows XP safely, most of the new features will be an annoyance. I just hope Microsoft in later builds adds more functionality with regard to turning some of the new stuff off. e.g Stop it reminding me everytime that the download I've just clicked on with the intention of downloading, "May not be safe".
Nevertheless, there is no doubt in my mind SP2 final is going to bring Windows XP up a notch. I've only really talked about a few of the new security enhancements, but there is so much more. The Wireless networking wizard is a welcomed addition, along with a whole host of other such updates along the same lines.
Cheers
Not that I ever apply service packs anyhow -- if you use xplite you really don't need them, as you can remove messenger, outlook, media player, and most of internet explorer without which you are (relatively) virus-protected -- a lot more than with them in no matter how many SPs you install!
Also, the 'Shields Up' website has a ton of microsoft-virus defeating freeware that disables other XP areas of known epidemics.
Plus I forbid any ms applications (apart from host, etc.) from connecting to internet with sygate personal firewall (freeware) and I never ever get a virus except the ones I get with downloads that I neglect to virus check.
Edited by Spinner (Removed piracy tips)