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Time:
12:33 EST/17:33 GMT | News Source:
NewsFactor |
Posted By: Byron Hinson |
In an attempt to reduce piracy of its software, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) has announced protective changes to its Windows Product Activation (WPA) service, beginning with WinXP Service Pack 1. As veteran Microsoft watchers have expected, SP1 will not install if either of what the company calls "two well-known pirated product keys" has ever been used to activate the system. Such systems will also be denied access to Microsoft's Windows Update feature.
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#1 By
1401 (162.39.116.61)
at
8/27/2002 12:39:49 PM
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Call me paranoid, but I had a feeling this was coming...
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#2 By
8241 (205.189.47.238)
at
8/27/2002 12:40:10 PM
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i suspect somehow that this might have also happened to Windows 2000 Advanced Server (SP3)... although.... could just be coincidental.
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#3 By
1401 (162.39.116.61)
at
8/27/2002 1:01:00 PM
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I'm running an eval copy of Windows 2000 Advanced Server with SP3 on my test server machine. I haven't noticed anything unusual...
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#4 By
7826 (65.205.133.2)
at
8/27/2002 1:26:13 PM
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"AFAIK, the Quake/Half-Life/Valve authentication checks are pretty well-regarded. If you didn't buy the game, you don't play multiplayer. Period. "
Then you obviously haven't heard of Half-Life KeyGen or those poor folks who bought the game but unable to play the multiplayer game because he constantly get the message "CD Key already in use" everytime he tried to connect.
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#5 By
9264 (208.159.121.47)
at
8/27/2002 1:47:09 PM
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What difference does it make? If you bought a legitimate copy you have nothing to worry about. If you stole a copy you are a simply thief and deserve whatever you get.
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#6 By
135 (209.180.28.6)
at
8/27/2002 1:49:22 PM
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#6 - You won't be able to connect to Windowsupdate.
#7 - Exactly
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#7 By
7390 (12.110.198.251)
at
8/27/2002 3:11:55 PM
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#13, ever heard something called a "test drive" or 30 days refund policy?
why should I buy something and not be able to try it first? and worse not be able to return it and get my money back (within a given time period)?
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#8 By
7754 (216.160.8.41)
at
8/27/2002 3:15:36 PM
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#11, if you can install OS X, that means you've already paid Apple for hardware, which is the bulk of their revenue. Piracy doesn't affect them in the same way it affects Microsoft. If you get the software legitimately, then you don't need to worry about anything--it's not crazy, nor is it difficult. Also, this isn't something you're going to deal with when it comes to volume licenses.
#9 & 10, Microsoft produces time-limited, fully functional eval editions for the great majority of the software they write. They did this for Windows XP as well.
Although going to these lengths only draws some to thwart the anti-piracy techniques (sometimes just for the challenge, I would imagine), I think it's good for the entire industry that Microsoft continues to discourage and combat piracy. And it probably works the other was as well--the pirates pose a challenge to Microsoft to come up with new methods of stopping them.
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#9 By
135 (209.180.28.6)
at
8/27/2002 3:37:57 PM
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RedHook - That's what the 120-day evaluation copies are for.
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#10 By
6859 (204.71.100.215)
at
8/27/2002 4:19:54 PM
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Sodablue, Thanks for saying that so I didn't have to! :)
My RC1 of .Net Server is 360 days. Of course that could change without warning.
I see this new SP1 nuking bad XP installs as being a good thing. And since my copy is legit, I could care less if some dorkus gets his PC hosed for being a 133t w4R3z d00d.
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#11 By
61 (65.32.170.1)
at
8/27/2002 5:25:39 PM
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steven, Microsoft offers a family discount on each license.
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#12 By
61 (65.32.170.1)
at
8/28/2002 12:21:52 AM
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Kevin, just as Microsoft, and many other people, have said, activation isn't supposed to stop piracy, it's supposed to stop casual copying.
Now, since Microsoft knows these two keys are used for the sole purpose of piracy, they are, of course, going to refuse service to these systems.
If your key somehow comes up in a keygen, and you can no longer activate Windows, theny ou simply call MS and tell them that your key isn't working, and they will give you an activation code.
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#13 By
2201 (212.117.228.131)
at
8/28/2002 5:03:00 AM
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#11, HL KeyGen def lets you play multiplayer. LAN and over 'net
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#14 By
6859 (204.71.100.215)
at
8/28/2002 9:03:35 AM
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#20, at the point my key gets nabbed, and if that causes me grief, I just call the MS phone number that XP will graciously give me and I can prove I own my copy. I still have the EULA and can photocopy the original XP cdkey sticker and send that to them as proof (or they're more than welcome to come to my home and look for themselves); or I show them the receipt from the store....etc. Not too difficult. And if MS screws me on that, I can always fight fire with fire. Or just reinstall my copy of Win2K. Which bypasses this mess nicely. Or just update to .Net Server RC1 which will work for 360 days...
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