Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Windows Nag Windows to Counter Piracy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pirate-vein-rupture dept.

Vicegrip writes "Microsoft is enhancing its Genuine Advantage program in the US, Australia, UK, Malaysia and NZ to now include persistent nag screens to remind that your version of Windows is not licensed. These nag screens will keep appearing until you license your version of Windows or, presumably, convince Microsoft they've made a mistake."

31 of 548 comments (clear)

  1. Next move... by phy_si_kal · · Score: 5, Funny

    The 8th edition : MS Windows Vista $hareware

    1. Re:Next move... by lar3ry · · Score: 4, Funny

      So, what will Vista be? NT 5.1.0.1?

      --
      "May I have ten thousand marbles, please?"
    2. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I like your comment on Vista becoming "XP warmed over". But there is a problem. "Vista" is non-compliant with traditional Microsoft OS names. Here are my suggested product names based on compatibility with MS standard naming convention:

      Windows 2007 Dull but it worked in 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2003
      Windows XP 2007 XP, new and improved for 2007
      Windows X[Q...Z] If XP is "extra pain", then XQ is ...
      Windows ME 2007 ME is Redmond-speak for "warmed over". Ah, the nostalgia of it all
      Windows XP Service Pack 3 Truth in advertising
      Windows H1B Even more truth in advertising; introduces third character to embrace and extend the two-character "standard" into the future
      Windows DRM Ultimate truth in advertising.

    3. Re:Next move... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      No, that's NT for Workgroups 5.11

  2. obligatory by phase_9 · · Score: 5, Funny

    cracks in 3...2...

    1. Re:obligatory by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      She looks like you could pull her nose and it would snap back and make her face go buddurrdurrduurbbudurrbudurr....

    2. Re:obligatory by Asphalt · · Score: 4, Funny
      Am I crippling Windows?

      No, it comes that way out of the box.

    3. Re:obligatory by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid you can't do that ...

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
    4. Re:obligatory by pinkocommie · · Score: 3, Funny

      Gives a whole new meaning to 'rooted' :)

  3. My Mother by cheese-cube · · Score: 5, Funny

    So can I presume that it will then start telling me to clean my room, do the dishes and take out the bins?

    1. Re:My Mother by cp.tar · · Score: 5, Funny

      *Clippy*

      It looks like you're trying to play a game!
      However, your room needs cleaning and your dishes need washing first.
      And why don't you go out and play with other kids instead of being closed in your room with nothing but a computer?
      Off you go now!

      --
      Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Why not? by Valdrax · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, why not? After all, I'm sure you're like me and you've registered every bit of shareware that had nag screens, right?

    --
    If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
    1. Re:Why not? by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have one handy old app (which shall remain nameless) that recently informed me that I'm on day 1,200 of my 30 day trial period. It's just a battle of wills at this point.

      --
      Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
    2. Re:Why not? by elcanon · · Score: 5, Funny

      The real headline here is that you've presumably managed to keep a Windows installation intact for 1,200 days for this to happen.

  5. Will I notice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I won't even notice that message with all the other Window's errors I get on the screen and all the reminders from every program that needs to update.

  6. It should say by Stevyn · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Even though you are using an unlicensed copy, you're still helping up maintain marketshare. Thank you."

  7. Check Google tomorrow.... by Brad1138 · · Score: 5, Funny

    For the hack to fix this.

    --
    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  8. Now that's funny! by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Funny

    FTA: Microsoft says that every time a notification is displayed, the user will receive detailed information about the specific validation failure. The information includes steps that can be taken to resolve the problem.

    These don't seem to include, "try Linux instead".

    Oh to be able to hack Genuine Advantage...

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  9. Mistake? by StevenHenderson · · Score: 4, Funny
    or, presumably, convince Microsoft they've made a mistake...

    Well, the software got out the door, so aren't we a little late on this? :)

  10. Screen Shots Please ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd like one for the wallpaper on my very proper corporate desktop. Just to give the Sysadmins heart failure.

    1. Re:Screen Shots Please ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      no, what gives sysadmins heart failure is the realization that one of your helpdesk people accidentally got there home pirated copy of windows with a known key for a friend at work mixed in with the application install cd's, than discovering a year later that some 50 workstations are "pirated" copies and doing your almighty best to get people off of those workstations without knowing what happened while using pirating tools to change the key to the legitimate one. luckily for the unnamed individuals and company involved it was resolved without any outside of IT knowing. this was spurred on by the key in question becoming recognized by MS as being a pirated key.
       
      but yeah, anyways, like someone already posted and i heard the day i heard about the new tool, just uninstall it if you don't want it. in the future i can picture custom windows updates being a pain without it, but auto-update will more than likely work fine as it is now.

  11. a n00b writes... by inigopete · · Score: 3, Funny
    or, presumably, convince Microsoft they've made a mistake.

    has _anyone_ done this?

  12. Anagram by null+etc. · · Score: 5, Funny

    Genuine Advantage Notification = GAN = NAG spelled backwards. Coincedence?

    1. Re:Anagram by chris_eineke · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ahhhh, err, uhhh, hmmmm...

      Wanna invade an Eastern country?

      --
      "All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke
  13. Re:Or, presumably, until you UNINSTALL by truthsearch · · Score: 3, Funny

    Did I just violate the DMCA by disclosing this?

    Yes.

    We'll see you in a few minutes. Thanks.

    - BSA

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  14. Doesn't work by DnemoniX · · Score: 3, Funny

    I just suggested this to a friend and he reported back that it says it can not be uninstalled.

  15. Re:This is priceless! by ohearn · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, ME was not Morons Edition. Although that fits nicely. What myself and everyone I used to work tech support with refered to it as was Much Evil, we are talking about M$ after all.

  16. Good thing I've got anti-spyware... by Qwavel · · Score: 2, Funny

    No problem - Windows Defender (formerly MS Anti-Spyware) will remove this. Won't it?

  17. Re:Why I pirate Windows. by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 4, Funny

    XP is very stable.

    I agree, the botnet running on my cousin's PC hasn't crashed in months. Go, Microsoft! :)

  18. You have just by geekoid · · Score: 1, Funny

    given me my next home project.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  19. It looks like... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It looks like you're trying to use Windows. Do you want to:
    A) register your product now
    B) try again at a later time
    C) confess to your crimes and do hard time for piracy, or
    D) set the new "Jolly Roger" theme?