By Ina Fried, 26 January 2005 08:40
NEWS
Aiming to crack down on counterfeit software, Microsoft plans later this year to require customers to verify that their copy of Windows is genuine before downloading security patches and other add-ons to the operating system.
Since last autumn the company has been testing a tool that can check whether a particular version of Windows is legitimate, but until now the checks have been voluntary. Starting on 7 February, the verification will be mandatory for many downloads for people in three countries: China, Norway and the Czech Republic.
In those countries, people whose copies are found not to be legitimate can get a discount on a genuine copy of Windows, though the price varies from $10 to $150 depending on the country.
By the middle of this year, Microsoft will make the verification mandatory in all countries for both add-on features to Windows as well as for all OS updates, including security patches. Microsoft will continue to allow all people to get Windows updates by turning on the Automatic Update feature within Windows. By doing so, Microsoft hopes it has struck a balance between promoting security and ensuring that people buy genuine versions of Windows.
David Lazar, director of the Genuine Windows programme at Microsoft, said: "We think that the best foundation for the most secure system is genuine software. We want to urge all of our customers to use genuine software. [At the same time], we want to make sure that we don't do anything to reduce the likelihood that a user will keep their system up to date."
The program, known as Windows Genuine Advantage, also offers perks to those who verify their copy of Windows. Those who do can get free software as well as discounts on other Microsoft products and services. Microsoft is upping the ante a bit, adding some additional discounts on MSN Games as well as on the company's recently announced Outlook Live subscription service to the existing list of benefits, which includes free access to the company's Photo Story 3 program.
Customers do appear to be interested in double-checking the status of their operating system. Some eight million people have been asked to participate in the programme since testing began, and more than five million have taken part.
And those numbers have come with very little recruiting on the part of Microsoft, Lazar said.
"More and more we will be marketing the offers to broaden the participation," he said. "People do like free stuff."
Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com.
Comments
There are 10 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Verification is fine but do we have to download a verification every time? It is a pain.
So all the spyware, spam, viruses, trojans etc will continue to make use of the flawed software that Microsoft will no longer patch! How will this get rid of or reduce the instances of these events?
Why should people continue to pay full prices for flawed products that the manufacturer now no longer has any interest in? A bug or inadequate programming is a fault, regardless of what it is part of. If Microsoft had a more rigorous and functioning development process most of these problems would not occur. It is their insistence on building in remote control and automation facilities that directly allows attacks to happen.
Faulty and bug ridden products do not exactly inspire people to go and pay full prices for things. Especially organisations that take no notice of complaints and fail to reply to anything that is not complimentary of them.
Microsoft think about it, you are as much part of the problem as all the illicit software users, hackers and spammers.
2. anonymous
I absolutely agree with the previous comments. Microsoft, get your products to work properly first so we may never need to upgrade so often. Verification will put many people off to upgrade their products with damaging consequences to all. Anyway, it was never your intention initially to ask for verification. What next!!!!
3. anonymous
I absolutely agree with the previous comments. Microsoft, get your products to work properly first so we may never need to upgrade so often. Verification will put many people off to upgrade their products with damaging consequences to all. Anyway, it was never your intention initially to ask for verification. What next!!!!
4. Mark Aggleton
All very well, but I've a PC running XP, we as an organisation have 95, 98, NT4 Server, 2K Pro, 2K Server, XP, XP Embedded, 2003 Server, CE.Net 4.1, various flavours of pocket PC. How do MS expect me to keep devices up to date? Unless, of course, I can download for all those OS'es from my XP PC - oh well one legal licence will probably be worth it (joke)
5. anonymous
What are these two above babbling about?
Just because Windows has bugs doen't mean it should be free or it is OK to pirate it. My car has annoying rattles, but I wouldn't think it OK to steal it because of this.
And with regard to verification, why not? Have you ever been asked to show your ticket? Just because you're already on the train doesn't mean you've paid...
I certainly don't have any issue with this. I bought my software legally. The only people who will complain are those who didn't.
But I would urge Microsoft to be clever about this - it is a pain having to get the CD-ROM out of its cheap-and-nasty carboard sleeve every time an upgrade is run (ala MS Office XP).
Also, can we have a small-bulk discount scheme for Home Users? I may want up to 3 copies of Windows XP Home and XP Office so that my kids can have their own PC - but each installation costs full price currently.
6. Terry
I tried Microsoft verification for one of my updates. The tool only works with Internet Explorer. I just don't run it on my machine anymore so decided that it was just to much hassle and cancelled the update.
How long before IE is compromised to subvert the process?
7. Paul Fretter
I suspect that a lot of people will be unhappy that their pirated s/w will no longer get feature updates, and I wonder if this will sway some of them further away from MS and more towards Linux or Mac, especially if they have machines at home and at work. Even though it is not strictly legal, the fact that people _are_ able to install pirate versions of Windows has surely been a contributor to its ubiquity in the marketplace, and therefore ultimately to MS's enormous profits.
8. Richard Poole
I see no problem with this strategy. And in reply to other people's comments, why shouldn't Microsoft refuse updates and new features to people who don't pay for their software? It's not as if Microsoft's developers work for free! Furthermore, Microsoft does make good software. Admittedly, some programs have been buggy and difficult to use, but most them are very good and save people lots of time. As a developer I typically get to use their latest and greatest, and Visual Studio 2005 Beta 2 is a prime example of how forward thinking Microsoft developers can be.
Those who insist on getting their software for free (or at a knock off price from some dodgy dealer), and those who refuse to pay for upgrades are usually the ones who complain about things like verification and product activation. When you buy a piece of software, you're making an investment. Remember the following: -
1) Try the demo.
2) If you don't like it, don't buy it.
3) If you didn't try, you bought it and you don't like it, don't complain.
4) If you bought it, you won't mind verifying it.
5) If you verify it, you'll get free updates.
6) If you get free updates, you'll be happy.
On another note (also related to other people's comments), look at some Microsoft employee's blogs. They are reasonable people with reasonable views and I very much doubt they appreciate all their hard work being slated by those who expect Microsoft to give everything away for free.
Just my 2p.
9. anonymous
Hand's Up.
It would appear,according to MS Verification check that I have a dodgy Corporate copy of XP.
Fair Cop,you may say---but think on ?.
I bought my comp with XP installed and was not given a Disk,so now am being told to buy new copy.
But hold on---I went with a mate to buy a Comp from a well known high street company,as he know's little about these thing's,and was fed up of going back to PC World and paying £25 a time for them to reset it.
At the shop "Dixon's"--I asked the manager if my friend would get a genuine stand alone copy of Window's---"Yes" was the enphatic reply--so imagine my horror when less than a month later--while installing software--his comp went belly up.
As we live 100 apart--I eventually told him to re-install windows---yes youve guessed it---no disk.
On returning to the shop and complaining,he was given a serial no ripped off the corner of a box,and sent on his way---"Useless".
My view is that this "Verification" lark is being exploited by not only retail outlet's--but you will also find that some software maker's are in on it---to the point that if you just put new parts in your comp---they want another license fee.
Soapbox End's.
10. anonymous
You didn't give any source for this information. The Genuine Advantage FAQ still says that security patches, etc are not covered by WGA http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/faq.aspx