Bill Gates is hassling me and my privacy

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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:59 am

XP keeps telling me there are 'updates are available for my computer' If I agree XP wants to send all my details to Microsoft.

Apart from the fact that my copy of XP has a dubious (free) provenance (supplied with a laptop that got sent back under guarantee, but successfully registered anyway), there are things in there that worry me.

Cunningly, the dialog box will not let me right click on the text, so I cant copy it onto here. The update will let me know that I am using a genuine copy of XP. Thanks Bill, I already know. More worringly, it will send Microsoft the serial number of my CPU and HDD, Ip adress, MS product keys, BIOS info, which can be provided as a supplement to others.

They say it wont be used to identify me, but as a paranoid type, I dont trust them. For all I know, a lot more than my IP, which I can fake using a proxy, will be floating around in the ether. Furthermore I don't see anything in it for me.

I have refused to install it, but for all I know, MS could disable my copy of XP at will sometime in the future if they wanted to.

Comments?

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

From my limited knowledge (read VERY limited knowledge)... Very Happy

Q:What is Automatic Updates?A: Automatic Updates helps you keep your Windows installation current with the latest security updates. Using Automatic Updates does not require validation.

If it's a f@key/snide copy of XP then something along the lines of "Your XP is not 100% risky free" will be tattooed on your screen and data will go to Microsoft.

I'm guessing then that you have three choices-

Find a program on the net that removes the annoying message

or take one or Microsoft's lovely Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program offers-

1) Send in your snide disc to them with report/receipt etc and if the copy impresses their geeks get a free XP.

2)If not, pony up some cash to make your fakey legit.

If it's a genuine copy, then welcome to Bill Gate's World!!! Twisted Evil

If you can live without the updates then don't click it ever!!!

My advice-Linux

Edited to add- Win98 is no longer supported-give it a while and XP will head the same way.

Me, i don't update anything ever!!!

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:48 am

Ok, I turned off 'automatic updates'. Now I am also being hassled by a little popup to tell me I'm not protected.

I also installed a crack that a member has pm'd me, to make XP behave as a genuine certified copy. thanks, you know who you are.

I found this if it helps anyone who is annoyed by MS Word being too complicated:

Make Word Less Annoying

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:55 am

Solution.
Goto: Start_Run, type: msconfig

In the window goto: Services. Scroll down to: Security Center and un-check the box. Do the same for: Automatic Updates just below it, Click OK.

The change will take place when you restart. Un-check the box in the window on start up that asks if you want to see it for ever and ever, Bob's your uncle. Wink

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:08 pm

My XP is legit, but most of my other MS apps are brought over from my older machines. So I guess they're legit, but I don't know if that nosy update manager will understand that.

I like regular, automatic updates, but I really don't like the idea of being audited every few minutes to see if I'm a good Microsoft Citizen.

Does anyone know if the Authenticity Check looks beyond the OS? If not, maybe that's a future "enhancement"?

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Donato wrote:

or take one or Microsoft's lovely Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) program offers-

On that page it says:

Quote:

Microsoft will ask users to validate their Windows when requesting a genuine Windows download from the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update.

What happens if you have a laptop with Windows XP pre-installed on it, and they don't give you the XP disc with the validation key code when you buy it, how can you validate then?

Also, how important is it to get "windows updates", I have not downloaded any Windows updates on this ME machine for at least a couple of years, but I have got a new XP laptop arriving tomorrow or the next day, if I don't download the Windows updates, will that cause the laptop any problems?

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:49 pm

SP your laptop should come with a validation key and the XP CD. You will need this if you ever have to reinstall your operating system. Am I missing something? Why is it bad to update windows? I do it all the time.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

^^^^^ The laptop I got a couple of weeks ago has Vista on it, we didn't get a Vista CD with the computer, there is a link on the desktop called "the tech guys", when you click it it says about making a "backup installation DVD, I assume the new XP laptop arriving will not have an XP CD with it either, and hence no validation key.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:27 pm

Roycropper wrote:

Comments?

Linux Doesn't Do This

(you knew it was coming Wink

)

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 571

Laptops they usually put a sticker with the validation key on the bottom of the computer. But it really doesn't matter... they'll have already installed windows with that validation key active, and the WGA stuff doesn't ask for the key when it validates.

All that happens if it finds you don't have a legit copy of windows is it tells you every time you log in and won't let you use Windows Update anymore. It really isn't all that scary, just irritating. In addition, it gives you the opportunity to change the key being used (I had to do this to one of the computers where I work) and then it will revalidate with the new key.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

^^^^^ Remu, you're right, there is a Windows Vista sticker on the underside of the laptop with a product key number on it, cheers.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:36 pm

I never used Vista before. I am going to buy a new desktop soon. I imagine it will be running Vista. I have bought two desktops and a notebook running XP. All came with a CD for reinstallation. What do you do if you need to reinstall your operating system?

As for updating windows, I do it every time I am notified and never had a problem.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

Ghost wrote:

What do you do if you need to reinstall your operating system?

Not totally sure, I think that is what the icon on the desktop called "the tech guys" does, clicking it makes you a "backup installation DVD", which I assume is a copy of XP.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:57 pm

Well, I hope you don�t ever have to reinstall your operating system. I�ve only had to do it once and it was on my son�s PC. With XP you don�t loose the old data, unlike windows 98.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:30 am

Living in China and having vast vast enormous huge experince with using various computers (not mine), which have dodgy windows installed on them I can fairly safely say that if you install the updates, nothing untoward will happen. I've done the same on lots of machines and so far never run into any trouble.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:58 am

I too am against being treated as a criminal by a company that has a great deal more experience on the criminal side of the law than I have. I found that if you install the verification program but not the WGA, you can update with no verification. I forget now but the process is described on the internet. After installing the program you find one of the setting files and remove it, I think. After this the update page will ask you to install the WGA. Don't do it. And always select manual updates, not automatic. It seems to work fine. I wouldn't worry about them checking your installation.

Quote:

What do you do if you need to reinstall your operating system?

I just heard a explanation today that may be true. There should be a program installed on your disk in the invisible partition (for some manufacturers) that will allow you to burn a recovery disk. The manual should tell you how to do this.

Now the disclaimer. I don't know if this is true. I heard it. It sort of sounds reasonable but I have never tried it or investigated this, so YMMV.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:28 am

Now I am really confused. I get the �windows update available� notification and I just do it. I thought this was to install patches and such. When my kids PC crashed and I had to reinstall XP I was prompted to validate it with the CD key. I tried to use the one on his PC but it said it wasn�t valid. I just used the key on my PC and we both have updated since with no problems.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 571

^^ The probable explanation for that is some 'ranges' of keys only work when you use an OEM install disc. If you used a non-OEM install disc it might reject a key that came with your computer (as stupid as that is Mad

)

I doubt anyone will bug you about it, my work accidentally put the same Windows XP key on several computers (which I am trying to fix so as to keep license management sane) but all of them validate just fine.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:14 am

Now I understand (no not really). Both keys I have are from the windows version that came with the PCs. The key I used is the one that came with my PC which is about 2 � newer then my kids. Oh well, like I said I�m due for a new PC which means my kid will get this one. Pretty cool since, in the past five months, Dell replaced my hard drive, the DVD, and the CD burner. Or not cool if that is an indication that parts will continue to break. My warranty ends in 3/09. Never thought I would be happy I paid for the extended warranty.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:34 am

Quote:

I also installed a crack that a member has pm'd me, to make XP behave as a genuine certified copy. thanks, you know who you are.

I would be interested in this as well. my OS has this warning up for months telling me my XP is not genuine. Id like to remove this warning.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:58 am

Last time MS ran this update (the validation one) it told me I did not have a genuine copy of XP, although it is perfectly legit. Or at least, if it is not, Sony has a lot of explaining to do. Rolling Eyes

I got sent through phone loop hell trying to find out from MS and Sony who had messed up and what to do. Sony blamed MS, and MS blamed Sony, but offered to fix it by selling me what I have already got and paid for. Rolling Eyes

MS also built in a delay feature to prevent start up for progressively longer periods while they reminded me I was running illegal software. I got really fed up, so I rolled back to before I updated, and have ignored that update ever since. They have put the same update back on the list, but I've just de-selected it from the list each time before updating, and had no problems so far. Smile

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:10 pm

How do i stop the whiney 'Your computer may be at risk' box that I now get every time I boot up?

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

@Roy

Start, Control Panel, Security Center.

Bottom left side. "Change the way Security Center alerts me".

You can uncheck whichever item you do not want to be notified of.

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:46 am

/\/\ Done and dusted, thankyou.

Now I expect a little popup to whine that I might not be notified when my computer is at risk.

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:51 pm

^^^

Didnt work for me

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