windows 7 validation up and running now

link is up and validation servers are running.

http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate/


What data is collected?
To help you validate your software, Genuine Microsoft Software tools must collect a certain amount of configuration and status information from your computer. The tools do not collect your name, address, e-mail address, or any other information that Microsoft will use to identify you or contact you.

The tools collect information such as:

■Computer make and model
■Version information for the operating system and software
■Region and language settings
■A unique number assigned to your computer by the tools (Globally Unique Identifier or GUID)
■Product Key (hashed) and Product ID
■BIOS name, revision number, and revision date
■Hard drive volume serial number (hashed)
■Whether the installation was successful if one was performed
■The result of the validation check, including error codes and information about any activation exploits and any related malicious or unauthorized software found or disabled, including:
◦The activation exploit’s identifier
◦The activation exploit's current state, such as cleaned or quarantined
◦Original equipment manufacturer identification
◦The activation exploit’s file name and hash of the file, as well as a hash of related software components that may indicate the presence of an activation exploit
■The name and a hash of the contents of the computer's start-up instructions file (commonly called the boot file) to help us discover activation exploits that modify this file.

As standard procedure, your Internet Protocol (IP) address is temporarily logged when your computer connects to a Genuine Microsoft Software website or server.

 

Finally, Microsoft fighting back.

 

Better late than never I guess? Pirates wandering free for what, 4 months?

 

Mm, but still so very easily circumvented.

 

It will always be a game of cat and mouse, there is no winner.

 

MS KB article
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;971033&sd=rss&spid=14498

 

It's ridiculous that people still put up with all of this activation nonsense and allow M$ to collect all of this information and treat them as if they are common criminals. And it's insulting how M$ tries to make it sound as if they are doing the customer a favor.

Yes there is -- open-source.

 

After using Linux routinely, and more than Windows for the past few months, I'm seeing the light. It is refreshing not to have to prove my innocence over again to MS, especially after forking out big $$ for the O/S. Well stated chronomatic

 

Your paranoia of Microsoft and your "loss of information" has clearly helped towards your misinterpretation of my statement. I was talking about the game of cat and mouse between Pirates and Microsoft. Linux is a free open source Operating System, I can't believe you would actually compare a paid for product with a free product.

Microsoft have every right to defend the income they deserve.

 

Don't let 'em collect it.

I use a varied selection of OS, but I can't help having a fascination for NT based Windows

 

Why would I not compare a free product with Microsoft when the free product is clearly superior in every way? That was my whole point -- why pay money when a better product can be had for free?

 

Did you try Windows 7 ? I dont think so ...
And yes Microsoft has the right to do this.

 

Big Brother

You can be certain that they will correlate that with other stuff in due time.

I'm not sure whether Windows XP has it.

 

wat is for win7 and will also be for vista soon from what i am told

 

You live in a Big Brother world. Trust me, one more number attached to you or your system isn't going to change anything. You're already identified by IP address, you already have an installation serial number for Windows, Chrome (if you use it) contains a number for each individual installation. Believe me, this "unique identifier" isn't going to cause any more problems than you already have by just living on this planet.

Look guys, Microsoft has every right to check up on your installation of Windows. They own it, we just let it run on our systems. I know MS has taken a lot of heat over the last few years for various things, and yes, some heat has been deserved. But they have made tremendous progress, and it's time for the MS bashers to go take a nice long walk in a quiet park and just chill out.

Unless you have very specific tasks, you don't HAVE to use Windows. You can go open source and use Linux or you can stuff the pockets of the even greedier and restrictive Apple. If you DO have to use Windows, well, you didn't pay the millions in development costs to create the product, so don't knock them for trying to protect it.

 

I disagree. You don't OWN it, but just have a license to use it ?
And they are in no way legally liable if something goes wrong ?
Software patents ?

I don't know to what extent it's legal. Keep in mind the various laws of the countries of this world. But it's wrong.

 

.
I generally agree. Privacy concerns are valid up to a point, but I find it ironic that we want to use technologies that connect us to vast numbers of people and computers, but want to hide from them while we do it.