Interesting People mailing list archives
more on Windows Media Player 11 crippleware
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:21:09 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com> Date: December 19, 2006 5:48:21 PM EST To: dave () farber net Cc: lauren () vortex com Subject: Re: [IP] Windows Media Player 11 crippleware Dave and Robert, et al., Windows Media Player 11 also has other serious problems that people should think about before considering installation (one clue to its complexity is its lengthy and rather arcane release notes "readme" file). WMP11 is (last time I checked) listed as an "optional update" if you use the windows update site manually, but is also being pushed by WMP10 ("new version available, do you want to update now?"). In my own testing, WMP11 was unable to play various valid video streams that WMP10 handles fine. Also, I too was unable to cleanly roll back to WMP10 using the standard system add/remove function that advertised this ability (the resulting WMP10 player gave a nasty internal error when run, and had no entries available in the system add/remove list for complete removal). However, I found that despite the lack of a way to remove the corrupted WMP10, it was possible to do a fresh install of the standalone WMP10 package that then worked fine. This is a bit difficult to find since MS has redirected most WMP10 links to point at WMP11, but is still available from MS via: http://tinyurl.com/9rz5l (choose "Player 10 for Windows XP" from the "Select Version" option) Note: I do not know if this distribution includes any security fixes or other changes that have rolled out for WMP10 since its initial release. As far as I know, WMP11 does not include any significant new codecs, and there are plenty of ways to deal with portable audio/video devices without using WMP11. If you don't really need WMP11, you may wish to skip it, at least for now. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Co-Founder, IOIC - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net Founder, CIFIP - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com - - -
Begin forwarded message: From: Robert Alberti <alberti () sanction net> Date: December 19, 2006 3:11:21 PM JST To: dave () farber net Subject: Windows Media Player 11 crippleware Reply-To: alberti () sanction netRegular readers of the mailing list might recall my dilemma with WindowsGenuine Advantage, the software that attempts to verify whether your copy of Windows is pirated or not.To summarize briefly, when a year ago I found my new Vaio TX-650P laptoparrived infested with so much unwanted software that it ran poorly, I thought the smart solution would be to reformat and install myfirst-edition (no service packs) copy of Windows XP. Sony did not send acopy of XP, although the key sticker is on the laptop. Unfortunately I was unaware that not all copies of XP are alike, and ever since then my computer has failed the "Windows Genuine Advantage" test. Several helpful people have offered solutions such as utilities with which to shoehorn my Sony license key into my generic existing XP installation, to no avail. Nothing works. Still, I've survived pretty well, up until today. Today while workingwith a reluctant AVI file I received notice that Windows Media Player 11 was available. Hoping the latest version might have the codec I need, Idownloaded it. AFTER installation, attempts to run WMP 11 launch the Windows Genuine Advantage check (rather than, say, launching the check BEFORE installation).The result is that I now have NO Windows Media Player, since I can findno means of rolling back to WMP 10. Rolling back system restore points did no good. I am trying to create and test an avi file for use on awebsite, and I need Windows Media Player to verify that it can play thisfile, so I am stuck. Despite having paid for two copies of Windows XP already - the old CD I've got, and the copy that came with this laptop - I am going to be forced to either pay $15 more for the media to be mailed from Sony allowing me to reinstall my operating system, or else ghost my laptop back to its original bloatware installation. More than the money, the time this will take is prohibitive and costly to me. And on principle alone, I should not need to take such measures to get my expensive laptop to work efficiently, nor should I or anyone be forced to learn the difference between OEM and generic OS versions "the hard way." So just be warned - if you install WMP 11 and for some reason you fail your WGA check, your media functions will be crippled.Now I'll go look at my schedule and see if I can find a couple of nightsthat I can afford to spend reinstalling my operating system on my laptop, and restoring all my working files. Or maybe I'll just install Linux. -- Robert Alberti, CISSP, ISSMP (612) 961-0507 cell President, Sanction, Inc. (612) 486-5000 x211 http://sanction.net (612) 486-5000 fax "Security solutions are cultural solutions facilitated by technology."
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