What info does WGA send to MS?

This:

Information collected during validation
Q: What information is collected from my computer?
A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
system to determine if your Microsoft software is genuine. This process
does not collect or send any information that can be used to identify
you or contact you. The only information collected in the validation
process is:

* Windows product key
* PC manufacturer
* Operating System version
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)
* Office product key (if validating Office)
* Hard drive serial number

Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
A: The information serves three purposes:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
your responses.
* It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
regional differences in Windows or Office usage.
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared

How is the above any of MS' business? How does the above stop piracy?

Alias

"Our client software does not collect any information that can be used
to identify or contact a user. We use the same process used by many popular
search engines and Web sites to determine where their users are from --
a form of IP lookup. This IP lookup process does not include any information
that is used to identify you or contact you, and only gives a rough geographic
representation of where users are located."

Ref: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/secur...y_program.html

Example: http://windowsobserver.com/gallery2/...lide5.jpg.html

Microsoft Online Privacy Notice Highlights
http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx

Microsoft Online Privacy Statement
http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/fullnotice.aspx


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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"Alias" wrote:

| This:
|
| Information collected during validation
| Q: What information is collected from my computer?
| A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
| system to determine if your Microsoft software is genuine. This process
| does not collect or send any information that can be used to identify
| you or contact you. The only information collected in the validation
| process is:
|
| * Windows product key
| * PC manufacturer
| * Operating System version
| * PID/SID
| * BIOS information (make, version, date)
| * BIOS MD5 Checksum
| * User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
| * System locale (language version of the operating system)
| * Office product key (if validating Office)
| * Hard drive serial number
|
| Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
| A: The information serves three purposes:
|
| * It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
| your responses.
| * It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
| regional differences in Windows or Office usage.
| * It confirms user input. User input is often compared
|
| How is the above any of MS' business? How does the above stop piracy?
|
| Alias

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> "Our client software does not collect any information that can be used
> to identify or contact a user. We use the same process used by many popular
> search engines and Web sites to determine where their users are from --
> a form of IP lookup. This IP lookup process does not include any information
> that is used to identify you or contact you, and only gives a rough geographic
> representation of where users are located."
>
> Ref: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/secur...y_program.html

LOL! : By Brian Krebs | April 25, 2006; 4:03 PM ET

You do know that we are in June now, don't you, Carey? There's been a
few new WGAs since late April.

>
> Example: http://windowsobserver.com/gallery2/...lide5.jpg.html
>
> Microsoft Online Privacy Notice Highlights
> http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx
>
> Microsoft Online Privacy Statement
> http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/fullnotice.aspx
>
>

OK, that covers the IP. Can you address the rest of the information MS
sends home and what will be done with it?

Alias

WGA will contact the Product Key clearing house server to confirm the validity of the Product Key and confirm the Product Key is
being used on just one computer per the Windows XP EULA.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------

"Alias" wrote:

| OK, that covers the IP. Can you address the rest of the information MS
| sends home and what will be done with it?
|
| Alias

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> WGA will contact the Product Key clearing house server to confirm the validity of the Product Key and confirm the Product Key is
> being used on just one computer per the Windows XP EULA.
>

And the reason it needs to do this every reboot is?

Alias

Same reason most auto manufacturers now place a chip
in the ignition key....the code must be genuine.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------

"Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote in message news:...
| Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
| > WGA will contact the Product Key clearing house server to confirm the validity of the Product Key and confirm the Product Key is
| > being used on just one computer per the Windows XP EULA.
| >
|
| And the reason it needs to do this every reboot is?
|
| Alias

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Same reason most auto manufacturers now place a chip
> in the ignition key....the code must be genuine.
>

Huh? Are you saying that they're afraid I will replace my genuine copy
of XP for a pirated XP? Why would I do that? Not only that, I've proved
that my copy of XP is genuine FIVE times now.

Alias

Alias <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote:

> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>> WGA will contact the Product Key clearing house server to confirm
>> the validity of the Product Key and confirm the Product Key is being
>> used on just one computer per the Windows XP EULA.
>
> And the reason it needs to do this every reboot is?

Because the disk image could have been cloned to another PC.

--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]

Robin Walker [MVP] wrote:
> Alias <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.org> wrote:
>
>> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>>> WGA will contact the Product Key clearing house server to confirm
>>> the validity of the Product Key and confirm the Product Key is being
>>> used on just one computer per the Windows XP EULA.
>> And the reason it needs to do this every reboot is?
>
> Because the disk image could have been cloned to another PC.
>

So, if you replace a hard drive and use an image to restore XP or
replace a motherboard or flash the BIOS, it will come up with "Your copy
of XP is pirated"? If so, I am sure Acronis, Ghost, et al will be
thrilled, not to mention the hapless customer.

Alias

No. You can install a cloned image of Windows XP
on the same computer. If you were to install the cloned
image on a different computer, then you would have
to reactivate, just as it has always been the case.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------

"Alias" wrote:

| So, if you replace a hard drive and use an image to restore XP or
| replace a motherboard or flash the BIOS, it will come up with "Your copy
| of XP is pirated"? If so, I am sure Acronis, Ghost, et al will be
| thrilled, not to mention the hapless customer.
|
| Alias