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Thread ID: 75727	2007-01-08 07:30:00	XP pro - is it authentic	sarum (6222)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
513939	2007-01-08 07:30:00	Hi, I bought a computer box at a garage sale, and with the help of the good people at Press F1 it works splendidly. I'm now wondering if the OS is the real thing or a copy. There are no stickers on the box; inside or out, and updates have not been refused. Can anyone suggest how to find if it's genuine or not. Thanks Sarum.	sarum (6222)
513940	2007-01-08 07:33:00	www.microsoft.com Hit the validate now button.:D:D:D Then ask me for the WGA removal tool, No need for that spyware on your system, especially if your OS isn't legit and you start getting nag screens.	Metla (12)
513941	2007-01-08 08:06:00	If you are getting updates other than the very most important ones, you probably have WGA accepted by now . If you didn't pass the WGA you would not be able to get CUSTOM updates at all . You can sign on to the update site and click on CUSTOM, and if you don't pass, you'll know it pretty fast . HOWEVER . . . . . . WGA will insist on scanning your machine first . You, of course, do have SP-2 installed . . . right? You'll not get any updates without that installed by this time . There are warnings on the site to inform you of that . I am not saying that you cannot get third party updates, there's a lot of sites doing this just for this reason: illegal copies of XP or whatever OPSYS that is questionable, (and they are doing what they have to just to help keep the web cleaner) . . . . . M$ is after these sites like stink and is using MicroSoft dollars for attorneys to pursue these places with the non-OE site updates . There are a few times when M$ will send out critical updates to illegal units . . . and they say so on their site . . . but you are running a crippled machine from that point on . NOTE: XP/64's and ALL the Vistas scan 333 times a second looking for hacked versions of ANYTHING! This "hacking scan" is reportedly finding illegally burned copies of DVDs, CDs, software and other unsigned devices or programs . According to M$'s own site, Vista is supposed to not allow the option of using any unsigned hardware at all . Time will tell if this is the final word . Symantec and a lot of other security companies are complaining bitterly that their security looks like a hack to Vista, and it reports the machine to M$ . Anything that affects the registry will raise a boolean flag and will tell Mr . Bill that it suspects hacking . Almost all executables and dll's are suspect . Anti-spyware and outside vendor software that affects the registry will send up smoke signals too . Even changing a HDD is supposed to set off alarms . If XP64 or Vista detect even the slightest hacks, they are supposed to self cripple! They phone home constantly, and if not allowed, according to M$ bulletins, then they will self-cripple . There was an in-depth discussion on this subject on Leo LePorte today (www . Leo . am) or (www . KFI640 . com) and he's going to have a full expose' on this situation real soon . You can download the whole show on his site at that last url, (podcast) and hear the show for yourself . Give it a day or so to get online though . , . . it just happened today .	SurferJoe46 (51)
513942	2007-01-08 08:13:00	Thanks Metla, I'm on my Linux computer now. The info required from that site really needs me to be on my other XP box; which I can't do till tomorrow. So speak to you later. Best wishes to you and Mrs Metla for the New Year.........Sarum.	sarum (6222)
513943	2007-01-08 12:21:00	Actually SurferJoe, if your XP install is NOT legit, then the only way you can get updates is by turning on Automatic Updates (Or 3rd party manual downloads as you mentioned). Site updates & additional software (Such as Windows Media Player or BitDefender) are unavailable to you directly from Microsoft, though certain 'shareware' software sites like soft32.com will let you download them anyways. There is no such thing as the 333 check mentioned, nor does it scan your PC for illegal video files, dvds, pictures, audio files (whatever). If you can find me these Microsoft Bulletins that state that Vista self-cripples, then Id be delighted to read, because Ive been there and watched people do installs circumventing WPA (Windows Product Activation) with the final RTM release of Vista. Its not difficult to find the materials out there on the 'net on how to do it, but Im not here to promote that, only state the facts. WGA does NOT scan your PC for hacked materials, copyright-infringements etc, it simply checks your registry key against a blacklist of other keys. If yours is NOT in the blacklist, then you're given the green-light and allowed to download the software from the Microsoft Website. Heck, Ive even done this in Linux using Konqueror (Yes, its stated "You appear to have a genuine version of Windows XP, you may now download Windows Media Encoder" while I was in Gentoo!) Vista DOES allow you to use un-signed drivers too, Ive modified the nVidia driver for 32-bit Vista so that it would pick up my Ti4200. Worked fine in the end. This of course is all by-the-by, I got rid of my Vista RC2 Trial (No, it doesnt phone home as many people expect and spread FUD about it doing so) and am so glad to be back to Gentoo Hope this didnt come off sounding too harsh, just factual Chill.	Chilling_Silence (9)
513944	2007-01-08 21:02:00	I'm going to stick by this for a while . . . I think there's more than meets the eye, and most of what I posted was from other sources . . Leo for one, and there have been others . f your XP install is NOT legit, then the only way you can get updates is by turning on Automatic Updates (Or 3rd party manual downloads as you mentioned) . Yes . . but you will only get the most severe threat updates that way . . you cannot get the Custom ones with driver updates and less-than killer problem solvers . It's gotta be a global problem for you (with a hacked or illegal copy of Windows) to get ANY support for the little things that go bump in the tower . Now . . . the 333 scan is something that Leo is most emphatic about . . as he says he is going to do a full exposé on it really soon . . and he's livid that M$ was this insidiously sneakyl . The Vista self-cripple is documented, according to him and another radio guru on 'puters and things electronic . . . I just want to see the outcome of this before I dismiss it as M$ bashing . Personally, I don't think Leo hates M$ . . . he hates McAfee and Symantec and Norton, so there's intelligence in his camp . Anyone in such a large market as Leo, cannot just be throwing things out and running the chance of libel suits if there's no truth in what he's saying . He is syndicated nationwide, and, I daresay internationally too . Several calls in to the show on Sunday were most insistent on the 333 scan and the phone home . The testing is for anything without a M$ signature . . . albeit, there are ways to toggle Vista at this time to accept unsigned devices/hardware . You know that changing something like a HDD can cause havoc in even XP installs, and there's the "call M$ and see if they'll issue an exemption in your case" thing . This may not prove to be available in Vista, and there's certainly the harbinger of a problem with anything that detects MOBO serial numbers or whatever and re-compares it with the known hardware for the previously and legally licensed version . That's a fact . . and not even arguable . I had the outstanding opportunity to work on a XP-Media edition on a Dual-core Dell, and trying to add another 200g HDD to it, needed the "phone call" to M$ for the WGA to work again . . . it detected the change and the WGA would not allow updates . So . . . I saw the parity problem first hand . Now . . and here's the nasty part . . if M$ decided to completely initiate the 333 scan all the time and won't take any prisoners, then I suggest we all go to "L" based systems really fast . The installation of these secret devices on all the new boxes and the strange bedfellows that M$ has taken on in the form of the media (MPA & RIAA) does not bode well for the general technoglot and the tinkerer . This marriage of M$ and the media can only be bad for everyone . . . . . . it's a sell-out . Suspect that this is gonna be a grand attack on things like YouTube, MOJO, GoogleVideo and other sites providing streaming data . We'll see . I am sure there will be hacks around all these situations . . after the codekiddies and malware writers get to the "root" of things . That's not a pun . . . but it fits . Let's wait a while before we totally dismiss the notion that M$ is gonna force capitulation via the 333 scan and the other non-allowances of mods and hacks . I want this to all shake out . . and I don't want anyone to believe that anything here is written in stone . . . nor should any minimizing or discrediting of Leo's statements be allowed for the nonce . What the best idea is (aside from changing to a different opsys) to keep our eyes open . . expect the worst and hope it doesn't happen .	SurferJoe46 (51)
513945	2007-01-08 22:26:00	Interesting replies from Chill and Surfer. I'm glad that I use Ubuntu 90% of the time, I've tried other distros but find that Ubuntu's Absolute Beginers' Form is as helpful as Press F1 is when I've been struggling with Windows. So, as I expected, from a garage-sale computer, my XP pro is not genuine. I could buy a key - without having to reload. Useful, as I dont have the DVD/CD's; but I'll not bother. Thanks for your replies........Sarum	sarum (6222)
513946	2007-01-08 22:32:00	Hi Metla as you may have missed my reply to Chill and Surfer, I'm letting you know that my XP is not genuine. You mentioned a tool to rid my machine of WGA rubbish; look forward to hearing from you. Cheers and thanks...............Sarum	sarum (6222)
513947	2007-01-08 23:22:00	addendum: I played with my Spybot S&D System Startup tool and tried removing the check mark from 1) System . ini ~ sclgntfy [sclgntfy . dll] 2) System . ini ~ SensLogn [WlNotify . dll] 3) System . ini ~ termsrv [wInotify . dll] 4) System . ini ~ WgaLogon [WgaLogon . dll] 5) System . ini ~ wlballoon [wlnotify . dll] After I did this on my other puter (on the LAN) I don't get any toast or balloon notifications about WGA . . . . I also don't seem to be asked to run the WGA on it either . . . . I just did this on a lark . . I have legal copies of XP on everything and just wanted to see what would happen .	SurferJoe46 (51)
513948	2007-01-09 09:51:00	I'm going to stick by this for a while...I think there's more than meets the eye, and most of what I posted was from other sources..Leo for one, and there have been others. You cant believe everything you read / hear on the 'net. People used to tell me not to bother with Linux, and tell me that XP couldnt be pirated... Yes..but you will only get the most severe threat updates that way..you cannot get the Custom ones with driver updates and less-than killer problem solvers. True, but your system will stay secure. Pretty much all the non-standard ones can be grabbed from elsewhere on the 'net if you _really_ need a hotfix for problem XYZ, as you said yourself! It's gotta be a global problem for you (with a hacked or illegal copy of Windows) to get ANY support for the little things that go bump in the tower. Not really, its pretty much the same as a normal version... There's just one or two very minor things that you cant do, that you obviously have to circumvent, but if a person were to deliberately pirate windows they would be aware of it. Things like WGA prevention patches. If you were an un-suspecting home user then you would obviously simply just fork out the $$ for a legit copy and call it a day :) Now...the 333 scan is something that Leo is most emphatic about..as he says he is going to do a full exposé on it really soon..and he's livid that M$ was this insidiously sneakyl. We talkin about Vista or XP here? Ive not done stringent tests myself with Vista, but I know that XP does NOT do a "333 scan". Vista itself scans through your media, not looking for illegit files, but in ways similar to the Google DesktopSearch or Nero's MediaSearch whatever they're called. It just indexes the files that you have. Trust me, Ive taken Vista to LANs where there's w4r3z galore and it doesnt do ANYTHING about it, doesnt budge.. Ive run apps like Commview and its all clean. MS arent dumb enough to do that sorta thing! The Vista self-cripple is documented, according to him and another radio guru on 'puters and things electronic...I just want to see the outcome of this before I dismiss it as M$ bashing. Personally, I don't think Leo hates M$...he hates McAfee and Symantec and Norton, so there's intelligence in his camp. Ive seen other similar things about it self-crippling, and have found many quotes similar to this: The world's largest software maker said Wednesday that people running a version of Windows Vista that it believes is pirated will initially be denied access to some of the most anticipated Vista features. That includes Windows Aero, an improved graphics technology. If a legitimate copy is not bought within 30 days, the system will curtail functionality much further by restricting users to just the Web browser for an hour at a time, said Thomas Lindeman, Microsoft senior product manager. Under that scenario, a person could use the browser to surf the Web, access documents on the hard drive or log onto Web-based e-mail. But the user would not be able to directly open documents from the computer desktop or run other programs such as Outlook e-mail software, Lindeman said. Microsoft said it won't stop a computer running pirated Vista software from working completely, and it will continue to deliver critical security updates. The company also said it has added more sophisticated technology for monitoring whether a system is pirated. For example, the system will be able to perform some piracy checks internally, without contacting Microsoft, Lindeman said. Microsoft also is adding ways to more closely monitor for piracy among big corporate users, who tend to buy licenses in bulk. I however am yet to actually see it do this, and trust me, I tried to make it do just that... I even re-registered Vista with one of the many publicly posted VLKs, and it still didnt budge :-( Anyone in such a large market as Leo, cannot just be throwing things out and running the chance of libel suits if there's no truth in what he's saying. He is syndicated nationwide, and, I daresay internationally too. You would be suprised what you can get away with when spreading FUD ;-) Several calls in to the show on Sunday were most insistent on the 333 scan and the phone home. The testing is for anything without a M$ signature...albeit, there are ways to toggle Vista at this time to accept unsigned devices/hardware. Im not quite following on that... Vista popped up asking "Do you wanna install this hardware using the specified unsigned driver" and I said Yes. It didnt insist on X not working... And as previously mentioned, Commview would be a great way to see what Vista is doing ;-) You know that changing something like a HDD can cause havoc in even XP installs, and there's the "call M$ and see if they'll issue an exemption in your case" thing. This may not prove to be available in Vista, and there's certainly the harbinger of a problem with anything that detects MOBO serial numbers or whatever and re-compares it with the known hardware for the previously and legally licensed version Im not sure what side of the fence you're coming from here... In Vista you're likely to experience the same issues if you mess around with your hardware as you do with XP, although probably a little more strict. If you have a pirated copy, then obviously hardware changes arent an issue That's a fact..and not even arguable. No doubt, and that we both agree on :-) I had the outstanding opportunity to work on a XP-Media edition on a Dual-core Dell, and trying to add another 200g HDD to it, needed the "phone call" to M$ for the WGA to work again...it detected the change and the WGA would not allow updates. What kinda HDD? See previous comment: Its a part of windows, you deal with it, or you pirate it (which im not advocating) or you go with something like Win2K, or Linux :D Gentoo doesnt care HOW many times I change HDDs, its great! So...I saw the parity problem first hand. :-) Now..and here's the nasty part..if M$ decided to completely initiate the 333 scan all the time and won't take any prisoners, then I suggest we all go to "L" based systems really fast. Sadly Linux isnt for everybody, the world is too heavily involved in windows... but for some people (myself included) its a much better option :D The installation of these secret devices on all the new boxes and the strange bedfellows that M$ has taken on in the form of the media (MPA & RIAA) does not bode well for the general technoglot and the tinkerer. What are these secret devices? I know there's going to be DRM stuff for the likes of HDTV, but its circumentable... This marriage of M$ and the media can only be bad for everyone......it's a sell-out. Of course... it has its limits, but if you're a law-abiding person like they want, then there's not going to be any problems :D Suspect that this is gonna be a grand attack on things like YouTube, MOJO, GoogleVideo and other sites providing streaming data. We'll see. There already is ;-) I am sure there will be hacks around all these situations..after the codekiddies and malware writers get to the "root" of things. That's not a pun...but it fits. There already is, before its been officially released Let's wait a while before we totally dismiss the notion that M$ is gonna force capitulation via the 333 scan and the other non-allowances of mods and hacks. Nothing like that's going to happen... I want this to all shake out..and I don't want anyone to believe that anything here is written in stone...nor should any minimizing or discrediting of Leo's statements be allowed for the nonce. I just dont think that me and Leo see eye-to-eye, nothing personal :D What the best idea is (aside from changing to a different opsys) to keep our eyes open..expect the worst and hope it doesn't happen. Expect that Microsoft are going to start scanning your PC and will disable it if you have pirated media on it? If you have Pirated stuff like that, you should be expecting anybody to be knocking on your door anyways.. even if you're a 4yr old girl, or a dead grandma.. the RIAA have done it already after all ;-)	Chilling_Silence (9)
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