Pirates Face Vista Black Screen of Death
It's so dark... I'm scared.... hold me?
Thursday, September 13, 2007 by Zoomba | Discussion: WinCustomize News
If you're running a non-genuine copy of Windows Vista, expect something very unpleasant in the upcoming weeks/months. Microsoft is activating a function in your PC which, if you're found to be running a non-genuine copy of Vista, the OS will go into "Reduced Functionality Mode", disabling the PC for all intents and purposes. What will this feature look like in practice?
- A black screen after 1 hour of use
- No start menu or task bar
- No desktop
This is probably the most aggressive stance Microsoft has ever taken on OS piracy, in the past content to letting non-genuine copies run, but to deny them many system patches and improvements.
Will your screen be going dark soon?
Update: According to follow-up stories, the "Reduced Functionality Mode" is not being activated this week. There is no estimate on when the switch will be flipped. Many have claimed that the story is an out-right hoax. Reduced Functionality is something that Microsoft itself has documented. The inaccuracy in the story was over when it would go into effect.
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Reply #42 Friday, September 14, 2007 1:09 PM
From the source of the original story (http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1971652632) (emphasis mine):
According to a leaked e-mail from a local Microsoft OEM partner, the strict Vista anti-piracy measure, known internally as "Reduced Functionality" would be enabled this week leaving pirated copies without a start menu, task bar, desktop, and only one hour of Internet browsing before the screen turned black.
Responding to the Computerworld report, a Microsoft spokesperson said the information received was inaccurate and Microsoft has not deployed the update that includes reduced functionality mode in non-validated copies of Windows Vista this week.
That said, the spokesperson indicated the anti-piracy measure is still on its way in the form of a Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) update.
"An announcement regarding the timing of this update will be made when appropriate," the spokesperson said.
According to Microsoft, the new "Software Protection Platform" built into Windows Vista detects non-genuine versions and disables "valuable enhanced features". ...
So software pirates are safe for now until WGA arrives on the Vista scene which will begin the black screen of darkness paradigm.[...]
So maybe Zoomba should save this article for later?
Reply #43 Friday, September 14, 2007 1:35 PM
I'll tell you up front, I'm a person that listens and smiles alot which doesn't halp in this case because I don't see it as a hoax, but someone talking that shouln't have been. I haven't read everything that MS put out on this, but its seems the people that are saying hoax are all non MS people.
From Zubaz reply and quote I'm left with a feeling Vista computers and maybe all Windows software running computers that are not genuine might just get and early Christmas present that they are not going to want to open. Just my opinion.
Reply #44 Friday, September 14, 2007 2:14 PM
Again - i will just say that it goes like this...
1. "Lost revenue" is due to piracy (as they say)
2. they introduce stuff to reduce piracy, and claim it's working (remember the big China bust?)
3. If high costs are due to piracy (and not corporate gouging) as they claim, prices go down as piracy goes down.
BONK! Sorry, logic fails... instead of prices going down as piracy is reduced (as it should according to their logic), they jack it higher still.
And this becomes even more of an affront in the face of the China pricing which people pointed out on here (i had been unaware of that bit).
The__Goo (post 33) was completely right (though i think 50$ is a little too low), that their constant ballooning of prices only contributes to the piracy problem, and if they brought the price DOWN to something reasonable (like the OEM copies) they would sell a LOT more...
I'm sure they already make a major profit just through sheer volume of sales, and if they lowered the price some, and sold that many more - and found just the right sweet spot balance between the two (those good old calculus optimizations of multiple factors, in this case price and sales volume), i'm SURE they could make even more.
So it would be an all around win as more people buy (benefiting MS) and it costs reasonable (benefiting the consumer).
Reply #46 Friday, September 14, 2007 2:27 PM
I'll stick with Windows as my primary OS.
Reply #47 Friday, September 14, 2007 2:27 PM
Something tells me this isn't going to be very effective ... against the pirates
Reply #48 Friday, September 14, 2007 3:05 PM
Well if Microsoft can send out updates to a computer even with Automatic Updates turned off, Then sending out a command to shut down a pirated copy of windows shouldn't be a problem for them.
WWW Link
Kind of makes you wonder just how many and Just WHAT kinds of commands Microsoft sends to your computer.
Reply #49 Friday, September 14, 2007 3:10 PM
Reply #50 Friday, September 14, 2007 3:24 PM
Sorry Philly if I had of known I would have linked to it..
ON another note I have been keeping track of just how many Microsoft Programs that try to dial home. So far I have 10 that I know about. Wonder just how many I don't know about.
One of them is windows Explorer.. Sure would like to know why Windows Explorer needs to dial home???
Reply #51 Friday, September 14, 2007 4:11 PM
'Reduced Functionality Mode'
Thought that was Vista straight out of the box...
Reply #52 Friday, September 14, 2007 4:19 PM
Thought that was Vista straight out of the box...
Reply #53 Friday, September 14, 2007 5:23 PM
Thought that was Vista straight out of the box...
Reply #55 Friday, September 14, 2007 9:02 PM
Odd Borg .... 'victim' is much like 'pregnant'....it's an absolute and cannot 'really' be quantified by 'more'.
If one is a victim of piracy then that is that. 'less' and 'more' have no relevance....
Reply #56 Saturday, September 15, 2007 6:24 AM
Reply #57 Sunday, September 16, 2007 8:40 PM
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Reply #41 Friday, September 14, 2007 12:47 PM
WWW Link
that article links to WWW Link
in which I will weed out all the other printed material, and directly quote..
(third paragraph)