NEW WGA Patch Released Today, WOW... Microsoft did it again
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Yeah really, me and others who work on computers daily already knew it was happening. All you have to do is watch the network traffic from a computer with the WGA installed to know that it's phoning home.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
I too own a corprate copy on XP, but I only have it installed on 1 machine.
The rest of my servers are either Windows Server 200x or Linux, as are the rest of my machines. I wonder if they've implemented a better piracy protection of sort on Windows Vista. I have beta tested it and it's OK, (operational wise) but I'm sticking to what I've got.
The rest of my servers are either Windows Server 200x or Linux, as are the rest of my machines. I wonder if they've implemented a better piracy protection of sort on Windows Vista. I have beta tested it and it's OK, (operational wise) but I'm sticking to what I've got.
Ahhh, gotta love Linux. One win2k machine, one winME machine (and it still works too), Ubuntu on the laptop, Redhat 9.0 for my server, and everything else mixed and matched with SuSE or Mandrake (Mandriva) or whatever gpl I feel like installing today. If you are die hard windows then switching to Linux may be like trying to learn Greek. But I figured what the h*ll, I'm Greek anyway. I wonder how long it will be until the Feds start knocking on peoples doors since the WGA logs IP's. Kind of like what they did with P2P file sharing...more specifically the sharing of music on P2P networks. Anyone thoughts on that?
It's logging IP's when it calls home, that much is clear otherwise why bother other than just collecting data for statistics showing the number of pirated copies, etc.
The only thing about collecting the IP's, even having those doesn't do them a lot of good right off, they still have to find out from the ISP who was connected via that IP at the time that the WGA logged it. With someone on a Static IP it's easier to determine but the ISP still has to provide that info, for dialup or dynamic users it's a whole different ball of wax since your IP with the ISP changes, which means they would not only have to track the IP in question but also have logs showing who was connected via that IP at the time the WGA logged it.
I can't see Microsoft spending the necessary time in court to get the information from every ISP in the US, or world for that matter, to lookup all the logged IP's. It would end up costing them more than the loss to pirated software, well that's just my guess anyway since they would have to go head to head with the privacy policy of every ISP. Mine specifically states that it won't share any info in its policy.
Another problem also comes up, think about places that host Lan parties and have an internet connection available, imagine having 100 computers on the network and 50 of them are pirated copies phoning home... Ok, maybe that's not the best example since anyone running a pirated copy by now would know to leave off the WGA in the first place, but the point is if someone with a pirated copy that installed WGA connects to another persons internet and the WGA phones home it creates a problem for the owner of the internet service.
Since the WGA patch hit i have had dozens of computers in here for repair with the nice pirated copy branding on them. My usual course of action is to connect their computer to the network so i can move all of their personal data off to a network storage drive, reformat, and install a new retail copy. I could stop them from phoning home if i wanted to with each one but it gets time and labor intensive to mess with instead of just letting it do whatever while rescuing their data. Microsoft probably has about 40-50 reports of WGA phoning home from my IP by now. If they come after me they are welcome to check my computers, but if they want records showing who's computers i had to remove pirated copies from they can forget about getting it handed to them.
The only thing about collecting the IP's, even having those doesn't do them a lot of good right off, they still have to find out from the ISP who was connected via that IP at the time that the WGA logged it. With someone on a Static IP it's easier to determine but the ISP still has to provide that info, for dialup or dynamic users it's a whole different ball of wax since your IP with the ISP changes, which means they would not only have to track the IP in question but also have logs showing who was connected via that IP at the time the WGA logged it.
I can't see Microsoft spending the necessary time in court to get the information from every ISP in the US, or world for that matter, to lookup all the logged IP's. It would end up costing them more than the loss to pirated software, well that's just my guess anyway since they would have to go head to head with the privacy policy of every ISP. Mine specifically states that it won't share any info in its policy.
Another problem also comes up, think about places that host Lan parties and have an internet connection available, imagine having 100 computers on the network and 50 of them are pirated copies phoning home... Ok, maybe that's not the best example since anyone running a pirated copy by now would know to leave off the WGA in the first place, but the point is if someone with a pirated copy that installed WGA connects to another persons internet and the WGA phones home it creates a problem for the owner of the internet service.
Since the WGA patch hit i have had dozens of computers in here for repair with the nice pirated copy branding on them. My usual course of action is to connect their computer to the network so i can move all of their personal data off to a network storage drive, reformat, and install a new retail copy. I could stop them from phoning home if i wanted to with each one but it gets time and labor intensive to mess with instead of just letting it do whatever while rescuing their data. Microsoft probably has about 40-50 reports of WGA phoning home from my IP by now. If they come after me they are welcome to check my computers, but if they want records showing who's computers i had to remove pirated copies from they can forget about getting it handed to them.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
-
Jim2121
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well the 8 or 9 MS patches/updates ect.... got me while I was waiting at the airport. Got a question: The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. that comes out each month. when MS downloads it. Where does it go in my notebook? I can never find it? via search! I would like to run the tool, but I never did any serious looking for where/what folder its in?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en
got the website ..... but MS also downloads it someplace as they did with there tuesday patches above.... running WinXP home on a dell 2200 notebook.... thanks Jim
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en
got the website ..... but MS also downloads it someplace as they did with there tuesday patches above.... running WinXP home on a dell 2200 notebook.... thanks Jim
I'm not sure where it downloads to, but you can go here to run the tool.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwa ... t.mspx#run
From that website:
Note The version of the tool delivered by Microsoft Update and Windows Update runs in the background and then reports if an infection is found. If you would like to run this tool more than once a month, use the version on this Web page or install the version that is available in the Download Center.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwa ... t.mspx#run
From that website:
Note The version of the tool delivered by Microsoft Update and Windows Update runs in the background and then reports if an infection is found. If you would like to run this tool more than once a month, use the version on this Web page or install the version that is available in the Download Center.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
I love reading the Register, it's always filled with good information.
And like many here, I too, have disabled ALL automatic updates, I never use them and since Microslop can't be trusted, they will not gain access to snoop my systems.
That's pretty bold of them, and it is akin to something called: 'Computer Crimes' and, since they did not have permission, and accessed a private system regardless, that's spying and invasion of privacy.
Microslop has to get its shti together and stop these unending 'patches' for every product they sell.
XP debuts, two weeks go by and VOILA!....a patch is needed!
I have no WGA pop ups, and I never will see them.
If I do detect a break in, they WILL be listed in a suit outlining computer hacking and criminal trespass at the very least.
I take my privacy and identity very seriously, and I will take Bill or whomever is in charge at the time, to federal court.
I'll guarantee my attorney will make a case about identity theft as well.
Updates; who needs them, they are never complete anyhow.
Always missing bits and pieces so they can keep doing this until the cows come home, and Joe 6-pack will never be the wiser.
Not to mention, since I run my business with my computers, I may also add industrial espionage to the list if I detect any tampering or loss due to Microslop's pilfering, spying, snooping theft.
Automatic Updates: OFF!
And like many here, I too, have disabled ALL automatic updates, I never use them and since Microslop can't be trusted, they will not gain access to snoop my systems.
That's pretty bold of them, and it is akin to something called: 'Computer Crimes' and, since they did not have permission, and accessed a private system regardless, that's spying and invasion of privacy.
Microslop has to get its shti together and stop these unending 'patches' for every product they sell.
XP debuts, two weeks go by and VOILA!....a patch is needed!
I have no WGA pop ups, and I never will see them.
If I do detect a break in, they WILL be listed in a suit outlining computer hacking and criminal trespass at the very least.
I take my privacy and identity very seriously, and I will take Bill or whomever is in charge at the time, to federal court.
I'll guarantee my attorney will make a case about identity theft as well.
Updates; who needs them, they are never complete anyhow.
Always missing bits and pieces so they can keep doing this until the cows come home, and Joe 6-pack will never be the wiser.
Not to mention, since I run my business with my computers, I may also add industrial espionage to the list if I detect any tampering or loss due to Microslop's pilfering, spying, snooping theft.
Automatic Updates: OFF!
You probably could. Raise the security on your ZA to where every web access requires your authorization. The call home would be to a MS server of some sort. They are probably not stupid enough to use a dedicated port and use port 80. When you discover the URL to the phone home site, let us all know.
I use the NAT in my router so I don't get the luxury of controlling every little bit that goes in or out. I quit using the ZA product when it was bought by CA and packaged with the EZ line of products. Once all of that happened, the product began to suck. The latest version will actually crash my computer. Once recovering from the crash, the TCP stack is butchered to where you have to "repair" it which means anything that uses TCP has to be reinstalled. Definitely not a good product any more. It used to be.
I use the NAT in my router so I don't get the luxury of controlling every little bit that goes in or out. I quit using the ZA product when it was bought by CA and packaged with the EZ line of products. Once all of that happened, the product began to suck. The latest version will actually crash my computer. Once recovering from the crash, the TCP stack is butchered to where you have to "repair" it which means anything that uses TCP has to be reinstalled. Definitely not a good product any more. It used to be.
The effect is two-fold. It can't check with MS to report it's illegal (if it is), but it also can't report that it's running on a legal XP install to access and download updates.
If your blocking it now with the firewall your better off just removing WGA anyway.
If your blocking it now with the firewall your better off just removing WGA anyway.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
-
Jim2121
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quick question
This small yellow shield on my taskbar. I get every morning when I fire up my notebook's (same one you see when there's a MS download or Win Defender download) It sits there for appx: 20 seconds, then its gone?
Is that (as far as I can guess- -happens every day now), the WGA MS program that phones home? to let them know I have a valid version of Win XP? Jim
Is that (as far as I can guess- -happens every day now), the WGA MS program that phones home? to let them know I have a valid version of Win XP? Jim
That usually shows up when there is updates available. Have you went to windows update and checked with the Custom rather than Express scan to see what's available?
Mine was doing that for a while so i went and installed all available updates then it disspeared.
Mine was doing that for a while so i went and installed all available updates then it disspeared.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
-
Jim2121
- Batboard $upporter
- Posts: 881
- Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2003 2:36 pm
- What radios do you own?: A few! Most I sign out!
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yep! there it is again since my last post. This Time there was a WGA download only! and, & restart of the pc...... I forgot the KB number but it was only WGA related.....kb0nly wrote:That usually shows up when there is updates available. Have you went to windows update and checked with the Custom rather than Express scan to see what's available?
Mine was doing that for a while so i went and installed all available updates then it disspeared.
I heard about that, yet another reason to stay clear of AOL. Like anything else though it still requires user interaction to install it, and if someone is stupid enough to install it then perhaps they deserve what happens.
Sounds a bit mean, but i spend a lot of time removing malware from computers, it's ok when i'm getting paid per incident, but it doesn't always work that way.
Sounds a bit mean, but i spend a lot of time removing malware from computers, it's ok when i'm getting paid per incident, but it doesn't always work that way.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage