Windows 7 Anti-Piracy Update Now Live

engadget keeps talking about this thing running in the background. I wonder how true that is. I disabled it just because of that rumor and I have a fully legitimate copy of win7 x64.

Tomorrow Tom's will publish how the hackers already bypassed this update.

May the circle of cracking and patching begin!

"potentially dangerous activation exploits." Potentially dangerous to Microsoft...now that I believe. To the user? Not so much.

Oh? You've never seen MS screw over their own customers? I've seen WGA act up on several very legitimate machines.

The update is listed with all other windows 7 updates, however it is NOT checked by default.

In other words, windows will not download and install this update unless you explicitly tell it to do so.

At least, it showed up this way for me.

I never understood what that skull is for, has someone died from software piracy?

Well it doesn't even work. I know because I just installed it.

what is windows?

i downloaded this update and, I can only speak for myself, but lets just say it does not detect 100% of cracked copies of windows 7

This update was check marked when I checked Windows Update today... no thanks

I just set it to hide the update Thanx tom's

Legit windows 7 64 bit here but i wont install this, seems like more intrusion than i need or want.

Huh, I thought it already rolled out. What was that update then that caused peoples(including myself) legal copies of Windows 7 to say the key didn't exist? Its fixed now, but it was annoying.

It's not meant to stop tech-savvy pirates, it's meant to protect customers buying OEM PCs from dodgy retailers who install pirated copies with relatively crude cracks. MS is well aware that any anti-piracy system they use can and will be cracked. I don't doubt that this will be updated again in the future.

I run a legit copy and I didn't install this. I see no reason to waste bandwidth on an update that will only confirm what I already know.

It's the MPAA's new legal strategy- choke a bitch.

I bypassed it completely forever on my new laptop, here is how you can do it.
"Do you want to allow Ubuntu to have the entire drive?"
click on the yes button, problem solved, security and freedom greatly enhanced.

Hide update, done, just don't install it. It will be included in Win 7 SP1 though in which you will have to install it, but no big deal.

Haha! Good one...

"It's not meant to stop tech-savvy pirates, it's meant to protect customers buying OEM PCs from dodgy retailers who install pirated copies with relatively crude cracks. MS is well aware that any anti-piracy system they use can and will be cracked. I don't doubt that this will be updated again in the future."

Pretty much. Its to fight mass piracy on unwitting consumers and those who just download pirated copies off torrent sites that likely come with bundled trojans and botnets. Microsoft knows its not worth it to play catch and mouse with the ACTUAL crackers. They had work arounds for this before it was even announced(a certain cracker's loader still works just fine and didn't even need to be updated).

With that said, I won't download this on a illegitimate or legitimate install of windows. It is programmed to "phone home" every 90 days to detect if your copy is still genuine. I don't need extra processes running and connecting to the internet.

The logo gives the impression that Windows is toxic... That can't be a good image. lol

This whole thing is ridiculous.
"It's not meant to stop tech-savvy pirates, it's meant to protect customers buying OEM PCs from dodgy retailers who install pirated copies with relatively crude cracks."

Are these the same customers who are so nieve about browsers that they need a special window to select from and get even more confused while doing so? The same customers who never, ever, ever, ever check and install updates for anything?

If they want protection then they shouldn't be buying their systems from car boot sales or some bloke called 'Del Boy' down the boozer.

PS. My previouos comment was NOT a reply to 'randomizer', I just quoted that comment as I thought it was a good explanation of Microsoft's stand point and the purpose of this update.

Yes, the RIAA has ordered a hit on pirates.

I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Nothing to get excited about.

They might not be computer savvy enough to take care of their system properly, but they can probably teach you something about spelling.

So I make one spelling mistake and miss a single space and that is all you have to say? At least I have a thought of my own and don't just pick holes in other peoples spelling mistakes.

Scroll over it.. a short essay will appear to clarify the update..



http://img.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] es/lol.gif
Good one..

pirates guys - they had skull flags on their ships come on now

America was built on piracy, those settlers were pirates....

It came up as an optional update on mine, it says important but was unchecked, it states: "This update to Windows Activation Technologies detects activation exploits and tampering to key Windows system files. These exploits try to bypass regular Windows activation and are sometimes included within counterfeit copies of Windows."

Everyone already bypassed it simply by clicking the uncheck box.

I still think W7 is really crap