XP Service Pack 2 Bomb

[Tristan Lall]

I wouldn't characterize myself as a die-hard Microsoft fan. They have good products (Windows 2000, 2003, VS .net 2002, 2003, etc.), and bad products (Windows Me, PhotoDraw 2000, etc.), and many others that fall somewhere in between. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of any major company's competitive tendencies, but I can't fault Microsoft for being successful, by using standard commercial tactics. (Not to say that standard commercial tactics are always a good thing--but they are accepted in the business world.)

Speaking more generally, there's no need to be alarmist about it, or to do the "cool thing" (i.e. rebel against Microsoft)--just use what works for you. If that's a Mac, you'll pay more, but feel warm and fuzzy inside. If it's Linux, you'll pay less, but fight with it incessantly (if you enjoy conflict, this may be a positive thing...). If it's Microsoft--well, you know well enough what Microsoft represents. Make an informed choice, and feel free to change your mind, if you need to (i.e. no "Linux 4 evar").

[Adam Y.]

I'd hate to tell you but the video game makers are joining the fray. I read about computer games that have programs designed to detect any type of devices that could be used for illegal copying and it just shuts down the installer. Also other games have been known to worsten the graphics if any devices are detected essentially destroying the experience. It's definately out there. Just not as prevelant as before. This is a hoaz. Remeber that one congressman said the same exact thing about destroying illegal software.

[datatab1]

my father is a member of the windows xp support team. he says that windows XP SP2 will deactivate your windows if you don't have a valid key. so if you don't have a valid one, you're screwed if you install sp2 on your machine.

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by datatab1

my father is a member of the windows xp support team. he says that windows XP SP2 will deactivate your windows if you don't have a valid key. so if you don't have a valid one, you're screwed if you install sp2 on your machine.

Good to know.. But considering I bought my laptop off of ebay with Windows XP already installed, I don't know if I have a legal copy.. Now do I?

Any way to check on these kinds of things?

And, the converstion going on in the majority of this thread is about WindowsXP SP2 "bugs" and it's reliability as a upgrade, and not software issues that are intended to kill a non valid copy.

[Ryan M.]

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

Good to know.. But considering I bought my laptop off of ebay with Windows XP already installed, I don't know if I have a legal copy.. Now do I?

Any way to check on these kinds of things?

Well, you should have stick on your laptop which says "Windows XP Home/Professional Edition" and also the key for it. Of course, it could be a legal copy which was bought and installed legally and the sticker just wasn't put on, but...

And if XP was factory installed, then it will definetly have the sticker.

And, of course, you could always just get SP2 to find out...

Originally Posted by Elgin Clock

And, the converstion going on in the majority of this thread is about WindowsXP SP2 "bugs" and it's reliability as a upgrade, and not software issues that are intended to kill a non valid copy.

Seemed a fair enough point to me, but hey, whatever...

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by datatab1

my father is a member of the windows xp support team. he says that windows XP SP2 will deactivate your windows if you don't have a valid key. so if you don't have a valid one, you're screwed if you install sp2 on your machine.

Is there a difference between a 'vaild' and 'legal' key?

[datatab1]

Originally Posted by Ogre

Is there a difference between a 'vaild' and 'legal' key?

yes, the difference is that MS has your info on file, that you bought a copy of thier software, and the key you are suppost to be activated with.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by datatab1

yes, the difference is that MS has your info on file, that you bought a copy of thier software, and the key you are suppost to be activated with.

So they would get you if you bought a copy and registered with a different key. If you never bought a copy in the first place, then they don't have any records, correct? So they can't catch those people?

[datatab1]

Originally Posted by Ogre

So they would get you if you bought a copy and registered with a different key. If you never bought a copy in the first place, then they don't have any records, correct? So they can't catch those people?

if you don't activate then you're fine, unless they verify with the new windows update now,i think my father mentioned that.

[datatab1]

um, how does one start one of these discussions anyway?

[Katie Reynolds]

Just found this on Slashdot:

"German magazine PC-Welt has discovered a major security flaw in Windows XP SP2 when installing over SP1. The article says that 'with a certain configuration, your file and printer sharing data are visible worldwide, despite an activated Firewall.' The magazine claims they were 'able to discover private documents on easily accessible computers on the Internet' and that the configuration is fairly common."

- From:http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/18/2143242
http://www.pcwelt.de/know-how/extras/103039/

Oops.

[Ryan M.]

Originally Posted by datatab1

um, how does one start one of these discussions anyway?

Go to the forum you want to put the discussion in and click the "New Thread" button. It will be in the same places as the "New post" button in a thread. Hope that helps.

[Hinkel Y.]

Originally Posted by Ogre

So they would get you if you bought a copy and registered with a different key. If you never bought a copy in the first place, then they don't have any records, correct? So they can't catch those people?

There are millions of people who use Windows in the world... If they decided to launch this kind of project to track every single key and the person/people who use them, it would take for ever. Plus, some people keep on upgrading their software from previous versions of windows.

Plus, to catch these people, wouldn't they need some kind of warrent to get their IP addresses and breach some kind of law if they needed to do this? If they wanted to do this, they'll have to do what the record company did going up to court and spending millions to just to get a few IP addresses to sue them for downloading music, but in this case, using the fake codes. I'm sure they could just get the information off the internet, but that would be illegal for them because of the privacy act, right?

Doing the SP2 freeze up is cheaper and easier to impliment for Microsoft. The SP2 is just a short term solution. People who can find flaws in Window would just continue to try and work their way through SP2 and eventually crack it someday. This is just a short term solution for Microsoft to try and lower the piracy stuff for now.

[datatab1]

it just occurred to me, that it isn't the key that microsoft checks on a valid registered copy of windows, it's the PID (product ID).