Re: Windows XP Service Pack1 problem with activation

["Nick Jacobsen" <nick () ethicsdesign com>]

> I would challenge you to show me another business that is required to
> provide fixes for a product that you have stolen.

Tyson, I don't think microsoft was just talking about the software industry.
Lets take cars for instance...
    Lets say you steal a car, and that car has a manufacturing defect -
feasible so far?  Ok, now, when the police are chasing you down the freeway
at 100MPH, that manufacturing defect causes something to happen, say a CV
joint to break, which causes the vehicle to start rolling  - still feasible?
Now, the way our legal system works, the manufacturer could be sued
successfully, even though the car was stolen...  get it, got it, good?
Anyone disagree, I would love to hear you...

Nick Jacobsen
Ethics Design
nick () ethicsdesign com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tyson Leslie" <Leslie.Tyson () colteng com>
To: <vuln-dev () security-focus com>
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 11:49 AM
Subject: RE: Windows XP Service Pack1 problem with activation


> > > Access to upgrades and service releases is a benefit that Microsoft
> > > offers to those who have acquired and use genuine Microsoft products
> > > only. There are no exceptions to this.
> > >
> > > ------
> > >
> > > Comment: In ever other business, product fixes and recalls are not
> > > a benefit, but something that is either legally required or done to
> > > avoid legal liability.
>
>
> I would challenge you to show me another business that is required to
> provide fixes for a product that you have stolen.  They are limiting the
> updates to legitimate licensees.  If said licensee has decided to (for
> whatever reason, good or bad) modify the code and / or files so that the
> software does not 'function as designed' (Product Activation...), can you
> not expect that there is a possibility that the patch/update won't work?
>
> TL
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Max Kennedy [mailto:mxkennedy () fuse net]
> Sent: September 13, 2002 1:47 AM
> To: vuln-dev () security-focus com
> Subject: Windows XP Service Pack1 problem with activation
>
>
>
> If anyone has any problems installing service pack 1 for windows xp there
> have been some changes to windows activation which may be incompatible
> with the OS settings you've changed.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp#wxpsp1
>
> I recently ran xp-antispy on my system.  Ironically, only a day or two
> before I installed the new service pack.  I've already implemented most
> changes made with antispy anyway, but I was in the mood to fiddle.
> Naturally I grabbed the service pack as soon as it came out.
>
> The service pack makes changes in the product activation feature
> and requires licdll.dll and possibly regwizc.dll to be running, two
> features xp-antispy enable you to disable.  Normally, my settings
> haven't interfered with installing hotfixes.
>
> Attempts to install from windows update lead to four failures in
> a row, all neatly logged by microsoft's install log on the site.
> I have a validly licensed xp, so I wonder how that looks.
>
> There wasn't any error message saying what the reason was, and
> it took a little time to figure out what service or setting I needed to
> start again, although perhaps I should have picked the regwiz change
> as the cause sooner.  I've made a lot of changes to my system over
> the last six months.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/mpafaq.asp#wxpsp1
> SNIP
> What changes have been made to product activation in SP1? How will these
> changes impact customers?
> Microsoft will introduce additional technological measures in Service Pack
1
> for Windows XP aimed at ensuring legally licensed customers receive the
full
> benefits of owning their valid license. These changes include denying
access
> to
> the Windows XP SP1 updates for PCs with known pirated installations,
product
> key validation during activation, and the repair of cracks to activation.
> Additional features have been added to provide a better customer
experience
> including an additional three-day grace period to re-activate after
> significant
> hardware changes and the ability for volume license customers to encrypt
> their
> volume license product key in unattended installations.
>
> Licensed customers are not impacted by any of these changes.
>
> Will these changes also occur in a service release or update for Office
XP?
> No, these changes are specific to Windows XP.
>
> Does installing Windows XP Service Pack 1 affect my activation state? Will
I
> be
> required to reactivate after I install SP1?
> No, installing Windows XP Service Pack 1 does not affect the activation
> state
> of Windows XP. If Windows XP needed to be activated before applying SP1,
it
> will still need to activated after applying SP1. In this situation, you
will
> find that your activation grace period will also be extended to 30 days
(60
> days if you install from MSDN). If Windows XP was already activated before
> applying SP1, it will still be activated after applying SP1.
>
> What happens to a customer who tries to install SP1 onto a Windows XP
> install
> made with one of these pirated keys? Are there any exceptions to this?
> They will be unable to install the update until they have acquired genuine
> software and installed that software with a valid product key. Nothing
will
> happen to their underlying Windows XP installation. Access to upgrades and
> service releases is a benefit that Microsoft offers to those who have
> acquired
> and use genuine Microsoft products only. There are no exceptions to this.
>
> ------
>
> Comment: In ever other business, product fixes and recalls are not a
> benefit,
> but something that is
> either legally required or done to avoid legal liability.  I wonder how
much
> bad will Microsoft
> generates by not taking legal responsibility for its own actions while at
> the
> same time holding
> everyone else responsible for the last nickle and dime?