New Windows 7 Anti-Piracy Features

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by RACERPRO, May 8, 2009.

  1. RACERPRO

    RACERPRO MDL Senior Member

    Feb 13, 2008
    345
    14
    10
    Windows 7 will not reinvent the anti-piracy wheel for Microsoft. Instead, the next iteration of the Windows client will be based on Windows Vista's Software Protection Platform, especially in regard to the activation and validation experience.

    Microsoft is apparently going with an “if it ain't broken don't fix it” strategy. Just like Vista, Windows 7 will have a certain level of self protection when it comes to actions designed to circumvent the normal activation process. In addition, the very activation tasks have been simplified in order to permit the user to better perform the tasks and to deliver a deeper understanding of the process.

    “Overall the technology we designed for Windows Vista allows Windows to better protect itself and be updated over time. As a result, Windows Vista is harder to pirate, and we’re seeing fewer copies of non-genuine Windows Vista on customers’ machines. Windows 7 includes the latest generation of this technology and provides the technical foundation of our ongoing anti-piracy efforts,” revealed Joe Williams, general manager, Worldwide Genuine Windows at Microsoft.

    Williams was little shy of applauding Windows Vista's low levels of piracy as a success of the anti-piracy technologies implemented into the operating system. The latest range of tweaks delivered by the software giant to the precursor of Windows 7 came with the release of Service Pack 1.

    “With Windows Vista Service Pack 1, if a PC was not activated during the login process, customers would periodically see a dialog box as a visual reminder they still needed to activate their copy of Windows. Within this prompt, they could choose to activate immediately or later. But the option to push the “activate later” button was grayed out for 15 seconds. Customers told us that while the prompt grabbed their attention, they didn’t understand why they needed to activate immediately and that the delay was annoying,” Williams added.

    As a direct consequence, Microsoft optimized the process in Windows 7. In the end, the Redmond company's goal remains the same – convince users of non-genuine software, which the company regards as victims of piracy, to buy the genuine products.

    source: news.softpedia.com
     
  2. frwil

    frwil MDL Addicted

    Sep 22, 2008
    541
    195
    30
    Thanks, it was sort of funny, especially this passage:
    "...Windows Vista is harder to pirate, and we’re seeing fewer copies of non-genuine Windows Vista on customers’ machines." Don't think they actually believe in what they're saying here, probably it's their weird brand sense of humor.
     
  3. shakeyplace

    shakeyplace MDL Addicted

    May 5, 2007
    867
    75
    30
    Well, modding and flashing a bios may seem simple to many of us, but I am certain there is a large segment of the population that would not attempt to do that, I am sure that it really has cut it down quite a bit. I wonder, we will likely have to wait and see, but will they come out with all new bios SLIC's, I think they must, they will of course have new serials (keys), but will the bios SLIC be compatable? will we be able to have both Vista and Win7 installed and activated?
     
  4. ZaForD

    ZaForD MDL Expert

    Jan 26, 2008
    1,212
    200
    60
    If your BIOS is modded, and your using a Geniune SLIC, a Geniune Cert. and a Geninue SLP key.
    Won't your copy of Vista appear legal to MS how ever they try to check it. :confused:
     
  5. shakeyplace

    shakeyplace MDL Addicted

    May 5, 2007
    867
    75
    30
    True, but they must have an idea from how many users of Windows Update there are, also I wonder if they don't still have some sort of "call home" feature other than windows update, they know about how many legit versions there are supposed to be for example If there are 25 million different users of Windows update for XP and there are only 24 million possible licenced versions that is more fishy than if there is 18 million users for Vista and there are 18 million licensed copies... They must have some idea even if they don't know which ones are the legit ones. I would think they must know how widespread the problem is..
     
  6. Myrrh

    Myrrh MDL Expert

    Nov 26, 2008
    1,511
    627
    60
    #6 Myrrh, May 8, 2009
    Last edited: May 8, 2009
    Funniest thing I've seen all day. Especially since between RC and RTM is when they will insert the 100+ obligatory "change everything the users might have gotten accustomed to so that it works differently and requires more mouse clicks, even though it does the same damn thing as the previous interface" that no new Microsoft product can be released without.
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  7. FABIGUI

    FABIGUI MDL Member

    Jun 2, 2007
    155
    0
    10
    No, I think that they will go to visit your home, nock your door and check out your computer if you are you are using "Original Microsoft Cracked Softwar"!!!:eek:
     
  8. HSChronic

    HSChronic MDL Expert

    Aug 25, 2007
    1,214
    64
    60
    statistically Windows Vista has been less pirated than XP. This is mainly due to the restriction of VLKs and the new KMS/MAK system. XP's major piracy problem was the proliferation of VLK media and keys to the masses. A lot of XP piracy was done without the users knowledge or they just let their buddy come over and install XP Pro.

    Now with the SLIC thing it is harder to track illegitimate copies, because by using OEM certs and keys it is harder to pinpoint who is using a genuine copy and who is not. For instance you have a Dell that come with Home Premium, then you wipe that and install Ultimate, there is no way for MS to tell if that system was supposed to have Ultimate or not because it is a OEM key. With XP you can easily track 640-PIDs and the keys used at install to match it up to a real VLK, and see how many copies pass the genuine check with that key. If a decent amount pass and the number stays steady within reason the key stays legit. Now if your VLK is for say 1,500 users and they see on average 10,000 genuine checks with different hashes then they know the key has been compromised and blacklist it. Then the company who's key just got blacklisted get a call from MS asking why their key has been used on so many systems, if they give a good answer MS gives them a new key, if not their key stays blacklisted and they lose their VL.
     
  9. frwil

    frwil MDL Addicted

    Sep 22, 2008
    541
    195
    30
    If they wanted, it'd be pretty easy to figure out - they know the main object of piracy is Vista Ultimate - so they may just sum reports from OEM's about sales of preinstalled Ultimate (and it's well known that mainly they preinstall HP, HB or Business editions) - i'm sure it's number is just miserable compared to the amount of "genuine" oemslp Ultimate users spotting themselves on WU...
    And, btw, no real need to mode BIOS, softmods still work fine in most cases even after SP2.
     
  10. genuineintel

    genuineintel MDL Member

    Apr 28, 2009
    234
    33
    10
    I hope this is true when Win 7 final is released.
     
  11. Yen

    Yen Admin
    Staff Member

    May 6, 2007
    13,081
    13,977
    340
    It is reported that win7 checks for a present SLIC during installation and will save the result.....guess what will happen if you are using any bootloader /SLIC mod AFTER installation.....;)
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  12. gollum

    gollum MDL Member

    Jun 6, 2007
    101
    3
    10
    :D
    Not much. Just more people coming here for Bios-Mods...