Black Screens For Unauthorized Copies of Windows 762
arcticstoat writes "In a bid to deter people from using pirate versions of Windows XP, Microsoft is now updating its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool to introduce a few uncomfortable niggles for users of pirated versions of Windows. These include replacing the desktop wallpaper with a black screen every 60 minutes, although you can still replace it with your wallpaper of choice in the intervening period. As well as this, copies of Windows deemed to not be genuine will also have a translucent watermark above the system tray, which Microsoft calls a 'persistent desktop notification.'"
Black? Niggles? (Score:5, Funny)
Too close for comfort.
colors (Score:5, Funny)
now microsoft has officially left it's users black and blue [wikipedia.org]
Re:colors (Score:5, Interesting)
What's funny is my desktop is intentionally black. Has been for years - through Windows 2000, Windows XP, and now Vista. I just like it that way.
Active desktop? Puh-leeze.
Pictures of cats? Why?!
Patterns? Too distracting.
Other colors? Meh.
I once tried BGInfo but even that was a black background with green text. It lasted a week before I took it out and went back to basic black.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
How about the standard #008080
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
Re:colors (Score:5, Informative)
If you didn't get it, #008080 is the default background for Windows 95/98
Re:colors (Score:4, Funny)
Amen brotha! In the days of CRTs I started using black to avoid seeing the annoying edges around certain monitors.
It's like, how much more black could this be? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:It's like, how much more black could this be? (Score:5, Funny)
I'd mod your comment all the way up to six [imdb.com] if I could!
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to 6. Look, right across the board, 6, 6 and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most slashdot comments go up to 5?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's funnier? Is it any funnier?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one funnier, isn't it? It's not 5. You see, most blokes, you know, will be modding at 5. You're on 5 here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on 5 on your original posting. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to 6.
Nigel Tufnel: 6. Exactly. One funnier.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make 5 funnier and make 5 be the top number and make that a little funnier?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to 6.
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
1: Take screenshot of desktop with dozens of files and icons.
2: Replace wallpaper with screenshot
3: Empty Desktop
4: ???
5: Tell user to reboot to fix problem, preferably 10 times.
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
I did that to somebody at work when she forgot to lock her desktop for a meeting.... she almost had IT reimage her desktop to fix it before noticing that the rest of us were sitting around snickering at her.
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
2.3) Set the task bar to "Autohide" and move it to the top of the screen.
2.6) If it's a desktop compter, use the monitor controls to stretch/move the screen upwards enough to hide the remaining visible part of the taskbar.
AND
Replace #3 with:
3) Right-click desktop, go to "Arrange Icons By" -> and untick "Show Desktop Icons".
Re:colors (Score:4, Funny)
Most users who would fall for it probably use the desktop for something but would still be able to sort of use their system with the start menu only but be unable to access documents they save there.
Of course last april fools day I tried to do it to my roommate. I forgot I had done it and he didnt really react (turns out he had just blamed it on the computer messing up and was too lazy to reboot to fix it)..it wasn't until I tried to get a file from him that he had downloaded. The torrent client said it was saved to the desktop but I couldnt find it for the life of me. Took me a minute to realize what I had done...
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
Or better yet, arrange your icons in the shape of a penis with balls like the website is down [youtube.com].
Re:colors (Score:4, Funny)
Pictures of cats? Why?!
I can haz pie-ratted Win-does?
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
"I once tried BGInfo but even that was a black background with green text."
Black text would have been much less obtrusive.
Re:colors (Score:4, Funny)
Still not anal enough to be Steve Jobs. He once spent 3 months selecting the perfect color for the NeXT cube. 400+ different shades of *BLACK*
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
I think he's color blind. It would explain why his initial machines tend to be black and white.
Re:colors (Score:5, Funny)
Oblig (Score:5, Funny)
Answer: Naggers (Score:5, Funny)
Question: People who annoy you?
Notifications (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd hate to give them just a cent for all the MS-related problems I had during the last years, but the good news is that many people switching to Vista can now sell their OEM licenses for XP (depending on what country they live in) and there is also a very huge chance to obtain a volume-license-key in my area. I'll legalize my copy in the near future, but not because I have to, but it has become so cheap. So the one time in a month I really want to play a decent computer game I don't have to worry about such things anymore.
*Market share usually means turnover, but in this case I'd argue that % of people using it is a far better number. Major competitors offer their OS for free or sell it along their hardware for a price which is rather abritrary. Software is a very special industry. It's not like the car industry, where fixed and variable costs have a relation...
Re:Notifications (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Notifications (Score:4, Insightful)
Before I begin, let us not forget that WGA has found many computers with 'invalid licences' when indeed the computers were licensed fine. Beyond that, people can have multiple computers with the same OEM key activated, which causes problems with Microsoft's WGA servers, and can potentially cause invalidations. Otherwise legitimate people do not know the EULA and/or care for it. As for pirates, just find another solution or move to Linux; you will not regret it. I used to be an all-Windows person, pirating software, and everything. I thought Keygens were amazing; I thought the warez scene was amazing. Truth be told, the 'scene' is simply the result of things like said in this article, but if anything, the 'scene' should be promoting free alternatives instead of just cracking software all day. All that effort spent cracking some copy protection could be spent making a program that does the same thing.
The more a volume licence key gets used (it ALWAYS gets passed during Windows Update) the more chance that Microsoft will blacklist it. That is what happened to FCKGW and a number of others.
As for me, I am a technician on the side and I get volume licence keys from places I visit but I NEVER share them with anyone. So I have like 2 computers (one is mine, however I'm on Linux most of the time anyway; also it's a laptop and has a COA on the bottom anyway) in the house running on volume licence that always pass WGA, but I never allow the daemon to be installed, just the ActiveX control now required to go onto the Windows Update site. Technically, I am OEM licensed, but I would rather not be bothered by WGA so I just use VL keys that I never share with anyone.
The key posted above is definitely going to be blacklisted soon enough. I would stop while ahead.
Here's a method to be somewhat legit: Find an OEM key (just look at the side of someone's computer or bottom of someone's laptop for the COA), reinstall OEM Windows with that key, and activate online (which works a lot) or use the phone call method which is now all automated, no representative. Use a pay phone if you are paranoid. You just say 'This is the only computer this copy is installed to', etc. It works!
Why does this work online? Because Windows activation right now is as so: If the time since the original OEM hardware was activated exceeds 120 days (might be 60), then you may activate an OEM key on ANY new hardware. Violates licence? Yes. Care? No. Microsoft knows? Actually, yes.
As for businesses, I URGE you to find other solutions than deploying Windows installations plus whatever software. Microsoft is only getting more draconian as time goes along. 3D developers, Maya does run on Linux and Mac. Finance people, Quicken has an online version accessible with any browser. Proprietary software yes, but you can use it without worrying that your OS is just going to randomly shut off because it found (and many times has been wrong) that your OS is 'pirated'.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Informative)
This is actually pretty easy to defeat. Just boot into safe mode (XP Home) or regular mode (XP Pro or Media Center). Find the files in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 called 'wgalogon.dll' and 'wgatray.exe'. Bring up the file properties, go to the security tab and remove the inherited permissions from the files (don't copy them, strip them completely). Answer yes when it asks if you're sure about this. Reboot and WGA will never bother you again. I've done this on dozens of machines and it just skips the update because its too stupid to fix permissions. The only exception to this is the Service Packs or repair installs. YMMV
Of course nobody should have to do it in the first place but this is an example of corporate-think at it's best from our fiends in Redmond. If XP is so dead why should they be developing new WGA tricks for it anyways? Sounds to me like its them getting a bit nervous about how many people are jumping ship from Vista and pointing at 'hackers' as the problem. Again. =)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Whoever is on Slashdot right now with WGA installed(pirated copy or not) should bash their head into their monitor until their vision is nothing but a black screen.
k. Ow...
why the hell did microsoft keep such a flexible UI so locked down with that lame Blue and Green for so long?
What the heck is so bad about it? I've never understood this, someone please enlighten me.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Notifications (Score:4, Informative)
You'll find, as you get to higher resolutions, that your annoyance at wasted real estate for things like window decorations goes down. I haven't had a second thought about using something like the Windows XP candy themes since I went over 1024x768 resolution. Actually... at really high resolutions, you're better off using a theme with more "wasted" real estate, because with smaller themes the buttons are easier to miss. I dual boot XP MCE on my laptop (1680x1050 resolution, XP for gaming, Linux for actually using it), and use the default Electric Blue theme in XP.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
Same here. I've got probably 3-4 proper, honest Windows XP licenses, but I keep on having to find new ones because the key either gets lost or decides it doesn't want to work anymore because Microsoft thinks I'm a thief.
XP is the end of the line for me, because of these shenanegans. I've got an ubuntu CD ready for the day I just give up on Microsoft and their customer hating practices.
Seriously, consider this. When I pirate, I've never been kept out of a product I steal. Never. Not once. However, I've lost thousands of dollars in software to stupid copy protection schemes as a legitimate customer. They are disincentivizing ownership. I'm acually better off stealing than paying for it.
These idiots need a clue, and fast.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously, consider this. When I pirate, I've never been kept out of a product I steal. Never. Not once. However, I've lost thousands of dollars in software to stupid copy protection schemes as a legitimate customer. They are disincentivizing ownership. I'm acually better off stealing than paying for it.
I'm honestly do not mean to troll or flamebait, but it seems there's some Ayn Randian lesson there about the trouble with ruling honest people.
Some regimes require criminals. If there aren't enough, they keep making laws until there are.
Re:Notifications (Score:4, Interesting)
Of course, this sent me to a call centre in india where I was told the "servers were down" and they were unable to help me at that time. It took me literally 5 minutes, the same time I spent waiting for them to pick up, to download and burn a new copy that had SP2 and updates slipstreamed into it that required no activation, and not once since then have I had a single problem.
Meanwhile, I hear stories from my friends who are getting false positives on their assorted XP and Vista installs, the majority being OEM copies on dells...
When this sort of protection is causing more of a hassle for legitimate customers rather than pirates, there is a serious problem. I highly doubt this new update to WGA will affect my install in any way, shape or form.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
The point is, the net effect of this crap is to treat paying customers WORSE than pirates.
Re:Notifications (Score:5, Insightful)
If you've already joined those sailing under the Jolly Roger, why would you care?
If the company goes out of business because it annoyed legitimate customers so much that they became pirates, then I'll count that as the market working (albeit in a perverse sense).
Re:WGA never works for my genuine copies anyways. (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
If you want to run windows update without IE:
http://windizupdate.com/ [windizupdate.com]
I suppose you could use it to update without installing WGA.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Can you bypass using WGA at all? (Score:5, Informative)
You can always run your own WSUS [microsoft.com] server.
This lets you control exactly what does and does not get installed, and WGA isn't even available through WSUS (although Office Genuine Advantage is). If you have more than two computers running Windows 2000 or later, WSUS is a big help for saving bandwidth and assuring you get patched up-to-date quickly.
Unfortunately, it requires Windows 2003 Server to run, but it is completely free (as in beer).
That's not too bad (Score:5, Insightful)
Oh wait...
Re:That's not too bad (Score:4, Funny)
I wish Ubuntu would do this, instead of having that ugly orange bird looking thing by default. Ugh. That's the first thing I change on any new system; all my backgrounds are plain black.
that's it? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:that's it? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm impressed with Microsoft's forbearance.
I find their lack of faith disturbing.
Re:that's it? (Score:5, Funny)
It could be more annoying. (Score:5, Interesting)
Think about it. Microsoft could have did stuff like this. Thankfully, they didn't.
Change the homepage to Microsoft's website, perhaps a page about Windows XP and piracy.
Have Clippit pop up in the corner of Windows XP, saying, "It looks like you're using a pirated copy of Windows. Would you like to purchase one now?"
Slow one's Internet connection to 56kbps speed, except when doing Windows Updates.
Disable any and all video capabilities.
Limit the display to 800 x 600 at 8-bit colour.
Disable accessing certain file types, such as video files, music files, etc. (Jokingly, because if you pirate Windows, you might be pirating other things as well.)
Re:that's it? (Score:4, Interesting)
i hope that's meant to be sarcastic.
i'm using a Dell my dad gave me as a gift when i went off to college, and it was supposed to come with a copy of XP (pre-installed). naturally, after a few years of use, i had to upgrade the computer/reformat the HDD/etc. during this process i found that Dell didn't actually give me a Windows XP setup disc. they had instead given me some Dell "system recovery" disc that would have re-installed all of their Dell-branded crap and bloatware from their software partners which i'd spent years removing and replacing.
i found it much more convenient to just borrow a friend's XP disc. however, i realized to my dismay that the XP serial number which came with the Dell didn't actually work with anything except for the Dell OS Recovery disc. and i wasn't going to use that disc (by now i'd lost it anyway) and have to spend a week uninstall everything and manually re-install all the new service packs and updates. so i just ended up using a "pirated" XP setup disc image i found on the web which included all the latest service packs and updates (minus WGA) and no other useless crap.
unfortunately, i accidentally installed the WGA update one day. and so every time the system starts, and seemingly every 15 minutes after that, i get told that my copy of windows isn't "genuine" which causes whatever program was in the foreground to lose-focus and is particularly annoying when you're typing.
Re:that's it? (Score:4, Interesting)
Dell actually uses a different key on their recovery discs than the one that's on the side of the computer.
If you open d:\I386\winnt.sif The key is listed in there somewhere. That key also works, and I believe that in the past when I rolled my own discs, that was the one I'd use. IIRC I took the disc from my brother's computer and enter Dell's registration key. That generally worked just fine.
But that was years ago, and I don't really deal with Windows much these days.
Help Vista or Linux? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's going to be very funny if this does more for Linux than Vista.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Help Vista or Linux? (Score:5, Interesting)
The problem with these schemes by Microsoft is that they more often than not inconvenience legitimate owners of valid licenses. I've had more than a few cases of valid installations of Windows "deactivate". It's doubtful that WGA is "bulletproof" and won't flag some legitimate licenses as invalid and screw-up a loyal Windows users' system. Also, for those who really pirate Windows (are there that many pirates out there??), hacking around WGA is child's play. I think that this will turn more people off than stop pirates. I've been using Ubuntu 8.0.4, and I'm very pleased. I have no problem exchanging documents with Windows users, and since I'm doing development in Java, there's no incompatibility there either, since even the Windows guys are using NetBEans and Eclipse...Is there really much pirating going around that Microsoft has to waste programming resources to combat it? From what I see, people want to BUY XP. Microsoft could probably stop XP from being stolen altogether, if they just continued making it easy for OEMs to offer it, and continued support.
Re:Help Vista or Linux? (Score:5, Funny)
You can have it if you want. [linuxgenui...antage.org]
Free your Linux box! (Score:5, Funny)
A new meaning to BSOD... (Score:5, Funny)
Black Screen of Death
Yawn.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Can someone remind me why Microsoft wants to chase people off to other platforms again?
Re:Yawn.... (Score:5, Funny)
Can someone remind me why Microsoft wants to chase people off to other platforms again?
They're increasing their users' pain thresholds so that they'll find Vista's annoyances tolerable.
Re:Yawn.... (Score:5, Funny)
Because they're hoping one or two might actually end up buying Vista.
The Vista Drake Equation
N = R x fp x ne x fi x fe x L
where
N is the number of Vista sales
R is the number of reported WGA unlicensed XP install hits.
fp if the fraction of those that care about a black screen & bit of text
ne is the number of users with PCs that can actually run Vista
fi is the fraction of XP users who dont have the brains to use Ubuntu
fe is the fraction of XP users who dont use a tool to kill the WGA app
L is the fraction of XP users too lazy to get Windows Update to skip the WGA app
S - Number of sales
X - Number of illegal XP copies
Great. (Score:5, Interesting)
Most people I know who run 'stolen' software don't have the funds, are not otherwise law-breakers, and are not aware of alternatives. I've had great luck giving these people an OpenCD and explaining the law, and, in the case of small businesses, the BSA's tactics.
I wonder how long it will be before somebody comes along with a registry edit file that will replace the permanent watermark text with a link to Ubuntu?
Bull (Score:3, Insightful)
> Most people I know who run 'stolen' software don't have the funds, are not otherwise law-breakers,
> and are not aware of alternatives.
Oh bull, if they can afford the computer they could have afforded to get the OEM preload instead of the pirate version from the neighborhood screwdriver shop. Or if they built it themselves then they damned sure could have sprung for an OEM copy when they bought the other bits. Most custom built machines are gaming rigs these days and if you can afford the video car
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Most of them upgraded old computers with XP and Office they 'borrowed' from work. Custom gaming rigs exist in a parallel universe for the typical home user.
Wonderful; just another reason to pirate it (Score:5, Interesting)
Just another reason to pirate it since I've triggered the damn tool multiple times on Legitimately licensed product.
Re:Wonderful; just another reason to pirate it (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
The funny thing is, you're a fool if you update WGA.
What the hell? No you aren't. Microsoft makes you download it every time you get something off their site that isn't a critical update. So, to have WGA, all you need to do is want some software they make. That's not foolish in the least.
Re:Wonderful; just another reason to pirate it (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe it's just me, but I usually set my desktop to black anyway as one of the first steps after an install. This sounds to me like a feature rather than a deterrent.
*Innocent Whistling* (Score:5, Informative)
Cough, Cough [thepiratebay.org].
*Continues innocent whistling*
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I have a machine on which I installed XP Home Edition from original media, but I couldn't find the jewel case, so I had no idea what the serial number was.. Turns out you can just google for keys [google.com]. One of them will work, and Microsoft never checks again.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Ahh Huh. The people who sing on the street corner do it to make money too. That doesn't mean I'm required to pay them for hearing their song.
The lack of consent in copyright-based transactions is what is so morally repugnant and why so many people refuse to be bullied into paying. You want to be paid for your services? Don't relinquish your control over them.
They're kidding, right? (Score:5, Funny)
The first thing I do after installing XP is turn the wallpaper to black.
Apparently, pirating it saves me a step after install.
WTG, MSFT!
Hmm... (Score:5, Insightful)
Windows is shareware now?
Re:Hmm... (Score:5, Funny)
P L E A S E R E G I S T E R
I bet that.... (Score:5, Informative)
It will still flag perfectly legal copies of Windows as being pirated. Just like it has in the past.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I bet it will continue to flag random people at a slowly accelerating rate, thereby pushing more and more people to Vista. That's probably what they think it will push people to, but hey - let's not disillusion them!
My stance on WGA and Vista (Score:4, Interesting)
If we assume that one of the purposes of paying for Windows were to provide the user^H^H^H^Hcustomer with a "better Windows Experience" by means of fixing bugs and improving the Operating System in the next version, and due to the fact that Vista Sucks, I say we got ripped off and piracy is our legitimate right.
And don't get me started into viruses.
Are they *trying* to push people away? (Score:4, Insightful)
I know several people who've bought new machines in the last 6 months
and been forced to have Vista pre-installed
they didn't want it
so pirated XP
are they trying to push people away?
cause it won't take much to annoy your userbase onto trying alternative OS's
And I'll tell you what,
once your average "mere mortal" Windows user, for whatever reason, tries Linux, and likes it
his testimonial goes a long way with other mere mortals in the same boat
Re:Are they *trying* to push people away? (Score:5, Informative)
I spent last night installing XP on a Toshiba Satellite A200 laptop for a friend who has tolerated Vista for about 6 months now.
Not surprisingly, Toshiba (like Dell and many others) has signed a deal with the devil not to provide support for anything other than Vista (honestly, I can see why they might do a deal to pre-install Vista, but why stop loyal Toshiba customers from installing XP if they want to? Crazy).
However, what is truly impressive is the hatred for Vista out there on the net, and the lengths that it inspires people to go to to get rid of it and, in the spirit of the net, help others get rid of it. Googling for info about getting XP up and running on this particular machine yielded pages and pages of helpful information about exactly what must be done to round up the necessary drivers (many from the OEM's who supplied the various components of the machine). Even better, a few heroes had actually compiled zip files containing every driver and distributed them via Rapidshare and the like.
The other really startling thing was how many non-expert users were doing this. There were heaps of messageboard posts where inexperienced users basically begged for help to get XP working on their laptops. Due to the bod of Vista-hatred, the more tech savvy users were generally walking people through the process with a level of patience rarely seen on-line.
I had the same experience installing XP on my Dell XPS 1530 (great computer, once you disinfect it) - there is basically a community dedicated to purging it of Vista.
When you are inspiring legions of both expert users and ordinary non-techy people to go through the pain of installing an operating system using an ad hoc collection of unsupported drivers, something is badly, badly awry. I am critical not of MS so much as Toshiba, Dell and co - they are the ones who have made the key decision to support nothing but Vista. I wonder if they realise the lengths their users are going to to get around this choice?
Incidentally, my friend's reaction was priceless when XP booted up quickly and quietly - "holy shit... you mean it's done? it's so... responsive! It's beautiful!" He then checked the memory usage and noted with awe that it was 120 megs after booting rather than 1 to 1.5 gigs for Vista.
Re:Are they *trying* to push people away? (Score:4, Interesting)
While I don't disagree with you in any way, I'm always curious why people are upset when their RAM is being used. As I understand it, Vista pre-loads into RAM applications that you use often, thus (ideally) speeding up load time. RAM is there to be used; why do we get upset when we see near-100% usage? Personally, I don't care what XP's RAM usage is when I boot up, as long as it's responsive. If increasing XP's RAM usage to 1.5GB on bootup by loading stuff I use regularly would make my applications load faster, I would beg for it to be done.
Anyone have any ideas about this?
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
"Trying to push people who aren't paying for their products away?
God forbid any company do such a thing!"
they paid for Vista (included in OEM cost of machine)
most see it as unacceptable to pay twice
"Seriously, if they don't like Vista, the best thing for them is to either a: buy XP or b: get smart, enterprising geeks like yourself to help them with this "linux thing"."
A) no can do - XP is not (apart from select machines from Dell) sold anymore
Don't act all high and mighty
these are not people intentionally o
Re:Are they *trying* to push people away? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't know Nissan's product line, so I don't know whether your comparison is apt or not, BUT --
If someone forces me to buy ${EXPENSIVE_PRODUCT_A} as part of a bundle, and I don't want it -- instead I want ${CHEAP_PRODUCT_B}, I'm not going to feel the least bit in the wrong for forcefully trading the ${EXPENSIVE_PRODUCT_A} I was saddled with for a ${CHEAP_PRODUCT_B}.
Legally wrong? Sure. Morally wrong? In the case of software -- where they don't need to manufacture or ship ship physical objects, or otherwise incur costs, on account of my action -- I'm going to take a "no".
Pfff.... No imagination (Score:5, Funny)
They need to get more creative. Here's a few ideas:
1) Cause the NIC to drop random ammounts of packets at random times.
2) Change the wallpaper from Black Screen to one with a letter ending with "... The police are on their way".
3) Every 2 minutes all keys on your keyboard get randomly swapped around.
4) Swaps the mouse buttons. Or moving the mouse left, moves it right, up, down, etc.
5) All print jobs only result in large words in upper case saying "PIRATE ALERT!"
6) Boot sequence and shutdown sequence get 5 minutes added on to them. Hey MS, don't forget to make sure you cause the hard drive light LED to flicker a lot while the users wait around so they think it's something going on. While you're at it, randomly flicker that HD LED every few minutes for 20 seconds at a time.
7) Every 10th web page visited would be redirected to goatse (is that site still around?)
You get the idea... now hurry up so that people get fed up faster and switch to Linux.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Or just pop up a lock-out box and force user to type "I am a pirate and I am ashamed of myself". Three times.
Re:Pfff.... No imagination (Score:4, Funny)
8) All open windows slowly slide down the screen until only their title bars are visible (although the user can keep pulling them back up as needed).
Nagware (Score:4, Interesting)
So, Windows is essentially a nagware product now? Choose to pay or not, depending on whether you think it'll be less painful? When will they append third-party advertisements to every file you save? When will it whisper subliminal insults into your audio stream?
this happened to me, a legit user (Score:5, Interesting)
i paid for windows vista ultimate edition *waits for laughter to die down* but after a few months, i discovered that the machine i installed it on had some dodgy RAM and i had to replace it. i don't know if it was because i changed the RAM or because the bad RAM corrupted something, but after that Microsoft decided that my copy of Windows was pirated, and put a permanent message in the lower-right corner of my machine telling me as much, and refused to let me use certain features, such as the Aero graphics enhancements.
personally, i suggest microsoft take a page from our founding fathers, and adopt a more "innocent until proven guilty" attitude (for example, offering a way to call them up and verify your CD Key) before implementing more draconian punishments upon the convicted!
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
That's exactly what Microsoft have done here. This is just a reminder that they may be a victim of piracy, and only if their license has been examined and found to be invalid.
Users aren't being punished, they're just being alerted that their operating system isn't licensed.
Another push to get people using Vista (Score:4, Insightful)
My theory: This isn't actually an effort to get more people buying windows directly, but to maintain market dominance. M$ are squeezing the illegal XP 'market', trying to get them to use illegal Vista instead.
This is merely the first step, they'll eventually add checks for the most common cracks, followed by kill switches. This comes after service pack 1 removed the kill switch from Vista, making it less risky to pirate.
Whilst this might see a few people jumping ship to Linux or something, I'm guessing M$ decided the risks of losing a few freeloaers outweighed the importance of removing the XP-shaped-thorn from their side.
Get everyone doin' the downgrade, that way people will be used to it for when windows 7 comes out. M$ have learnt their lesson, and won't be creating any more good operating systems any time soon. It's less profitable!
Black? Seriously? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, that'll turn the h4xx04z away. Want to really make it worthwhile? Force a pink-on-pink color scheme, license the theme song to "My Little Pony", and play that in an uninterruptable background loop on all available sound devices. That'll do a lot more to keep a kid honest than would making his desktop look 1337.
Windows Genuine Annoyance (Score:4, Informative)
This latest feature is just one more reason for people to run pirate copies, with that particular "Advantage" disabled.
Microsoft really doesn't get it. The only way to make people buy your software is to make it useful and friendly, not by making it annoying.
This is just a small part of Microsoft's huge misconception about operating systems. No Microsoft, people don't buy operating systems to benefit you, nor to benefit third parties like content providers. People buy operating systems to benefit THEMSELVES.
Such a simple concept, but apparently incomprehensible to Microsoft.
Sweet! (Score:3, Insightful)
Relative: Why does my computer lose my wallpaper and give me a black screen every hour?
Me: Ah, that's just Vista for you. You have to pay Microsoft to get rid of that.
Relative: Why? Why should I have to pay Microsoft? Why doesn't it just work?
Me: A.) It's not Linux, so it won't "just work" no matter what you do, and B.) You didn't really expect Microsoft to let you use their computer for free, did you?
Relative: Um, I already paid for it-
Me: Yes, you paid for the computer. But you didn't pay Microsoft. You have to pay Microsoft before you can use it. You own the computer, they own the software.
Relative: So wait - you have to pay for both the computer and Microsoft?
Me: No, I use Linux. I only have to pay for the computer.
Relative: But if I paid Microsoft, I'd own both the computer, and the software, right?
Me: No, you would own just the computer. Microsoft would still own the software.
Relative: But I could move the software to a new computer if I bought the software, right?
Me: No, that's not how Microsoft works. You pay them, and you get to use the software on that computer. They still own it - you don't - and you can't move it from computer to computer.
Relative: So let me get this straight: I pay Microsoft for software, and they still own it?! What kind of $&*!@ is that?
Me: Yep, that's how proprietary software works. You get to use it, but you can't own it.
Relative: So how is it that you don't have to pay Microsoft?
Me: I run Linux.
At this point, it starts to sink in that pirating Windows isn't doing them any favors. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to use proprietary software, you can pay for it.
Re:Sweet! (Score:4, Insightful)
Me: A.) It's not Linux, so it won't "just work" no matter what you do...
Linux. It Just Works.
(Your experience may vary.)
Me: No, that's not how Microsoft works. You pay them, and you get to use the software on that computer. They still own it - you don't...
That's not an artefact of proprietary software, it's basic copyright. I can download Ubuntu, but I do not own Ubuntu. I have a single copy, or as many duplicates as I want. I can't just do what I like with it though (eg change the branding and sell it as my own work sans source code) - there are rules for redistribution and all that. Nearly all software has some rules you must follow. F/OSS is not above this.
And you can move Windows to other PCs. I've done it. It might require a call to the Windows Activation team, but it's not hard. You can't have it on two at the same time though, but you can shift it.
I'm not a Windows user, except in the office. I'm a fan of Linux, even though I've never managed to really get it working right. I don't think you should misinform people about what proprietary software is or isn't though - only honest, accurate information is worth using to change people's minds about F/OSS.
Please help (Score:4, Funny)
Star Wars Reference (Score:5, Funny)
The more you tighten your grip, the more systems will slip through your fingers.
It was a tossup between that quote and "Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."
More of the same. Just let go.
links to the fix (Score:4, Informative)
http://www.fedoraproject.org/ [fedoraproject.org]
http://www.ubuntu.com/ [ubuntu.com]
http://www.opensuse.org/ [opensuse.org]
http://www.slackware.org/ [slackware.org]
http://www.gentoo.org/ [gentoo.org]
http://www.freebsd.org/ [freebsd.org]
http://www.openbsd.org/ [openbsd.org]
Black screen - OMG (Score:4, Funny)
Wow, that is copy protection. Guess what, my default screen is black. Even though OSX does not allow it, I just set a black gif (10x10 pixels) as the BG image.
I know, many of you like (just as me scuba pictures, cars, babes, bikes, nersy images, superheroes) but at the end I WANT TO SEE MY DAM ICONS, so the best is a black background.
OK, Working as a programmer in the sportsbetting industry today (kickoff day) is a bit stressy, and after coding 12 hours at my (8 hour a day) consulting job pretty much kicked my arse, and I drank some rum from the Dominican Repubic ( ie I am kinda drunk).....
Anyway, black BG is best, that is the ultimate oldscshool, and working in the *NIX environment this is the best you can set.
So does MS expect to scare people with this mean black BG ?
Re:PFFFFFT (Score:5, Funny)
Oh crap, get ready for another wave of "omg where is the start button" questions on the Ubuntu message boards.
Re:PFFFFFT (Score:5, Insightful)
That's a good thing. Treat the noobs respectfully. Ultimately it's lack of respect from MS that's driving them away. If they get that same attitude from Ubuntu they'll just label you as asses and go back to MS.
Re:PFFFFFT (Score:5, Funny)
Re:PFFFFFT (Score:5, Interesting)
It doesn't actually run in the background. It does the authenticity check at startup, and it vets your computer when you try to install an update which requires authentication, and that's it. And there are actual, honest-to-goddess important updates that won't install without such authentication.
*shrugs* but I guess I'm not what you'd consider a "smart" user, in that I choose to let it do its rigamorole on the 4 computers I have running Windows... my laptop, which dual boots with XP MCE, my HTPC which is running Vista Ultimate (both came from MSDN), and my parents' laptops, running XP Home and Vista Home Premium respectively.
Incidentally... none of those systems have ever had issues, performance or otherwise, with WGA. I'm not saying that it doesn't screw over legitimate users. But I am saying that I've never seen an issue with it, and that the ability to install security and stability updates that you couldn't otherwise install outweighs the marginal increase in boot time, which is about the only thing you actually notice when you install/activate WGA.
Re:Good thing (Score:4, Funny)
What requires WGA anyhow?
* Microsoft Marketing
* Microsoft Sales
* Microsoft Legal
* Bill Gates' wallet
* Steve Ballmer's wallet
I'm sure there are more that you can think of.