by Playfuls Staff |
8th June 2006
Oh, did Microsoft forget something in the EULA? Well, probably they did. And they just remembered it now. It seems that their Windows Genuine Advantage software makes daily calls "home", [more]to inform MS about what is installed on your machine, your IP number and information on your software set-up.
Although WGA is meant to allow people that have signed up the chance to receive Windows security updates it also gives information about pirated copies of Windows. It appears that it also makes false reports on what happens to original copies, since some UK customers have already made a complaint about WGA's malfunction: users have reported that WGA falsely labeled their software as pirated copies of Microsoft operating systems and they started receiving pop-up reminders from Microsoft that the software isn't authentic. People using pirated versions of Windows are not eligible to receive some Windows updates.
Michaela Alexander, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, said that "first of all this is a pilot - customers have the choice to subscribe or not. WGA is very careful about which license keys are checked - some numbers have been leaked and therefore have been culled by Microsoft. If customers bought a genuine copy of Windows but as a result of a poor installation or a repair a different license key was used then WGA would flag it as not genuine." She also added: "The last thing we want is unhappy customers so we are investigating this - but it is a pilot and this is part of the process."
The surprising fact for most users that have licensed copies of Windows comes from the fact that WGA makes DAILY calls at Microsoft. Most users were aware that the piracy tool would ping Microsoft servers periodically, but every day is to many of them sort of a Redmond paranoia. David Lazar, director of the Windows Genuine Advantage Program, has said that the company is thinking about modifying WGA so it only checks in with Microsoft every two weeks.
The question is how will Vista integrate the tool, since Redmond officials have announced a long time ago that pirates will not see Vista's 3D interface Aero? Cracked copies of Windows cannot for example beneficiate from the upgrade that Microsoft launched for Windows Media Player, which is now at version 11.
