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EU Sleuths Think Microsoft Sabotaged Windows

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the evil-empire dept.

Adam Zweimiller writes "The Inquirer is reporting that in it's ongoing battle with Microsoft, the European Commission is investigating the possibility that the Vole has sneakily sabotaged the Media Player-free versions of Windows it is obliged to ship to the EU. A report (subscription required) in today's Wall Street Journal suggests Microsoft has fiddled with the registry in its stripped-down Windows offerings and the result is that video clips embedded into Microsoft Word documents don't run properly, for example."

4 of 786 comments (clear)

  1. Never attribute to malice by afidel · · Score: 0, Redundant

    what can just as easily be attributed to stupidity.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
  2. Shocked.... by pjern · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I'm shocked! Shocked to my foundatins, I tell you... NOT.

  3. Need WMP to play video in Word! by mpnolan · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The first poster seems to have nailed it: Word almost certainly relies on Windows Media Player (what else would it use?) to play embedded clips. If it's been removed, of course you won't be able to play anything.

    I know it's fun to make Microsoft jokes here on Slashdot, but are they really at fault this time?

  4. That's not relivant by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The point is both are components on which other software depends. I'm trying to say it's not at all supprising that Word's media playback breaks when you remove media player, and that media player isn't just the little app you see. IT's just an example of a heriachal dependency.

    It's openess isn't what's in question here.