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i bet MS has a hidden agenda behind this.

I agree!!!! Why would someone go out of their way even a company like Microsoft by possibly losing money but still offering updates for users with non-legit copies. I heard somthing about this earlier where ppl with 401 - 429 in their product IDs wont be able to run it and would get totally locked out of their systems. I bet thats whats going to happen.... But! lets not forget as Microsoft writes software there are non-legit developers working side by side the write cracks and hacks for their software so NOTHING will ever be totally legit.

THe buzz

but most that end up with the copy are. I don't know of any friends with a legal copy of it, I'm surprised to know that they even obtained it. Most of the time the Pirated copy has come pre-installed.

I had a pirated copy of Windows XP for the better part of two years. My friend had gotten a copy of the CD and a corporate CD Key from one of his brothers friends who worked for the company. People wonder why others would use the pirated software? Because I'm not busting out the $299 or whatever it was at the time for Windows XP Professional. However, I went to college and got both Windows XP Pro & Office XP Pro for $10 each because I was a student...so now I'm on the legit copy. Why go legit? Because it was affordable.

And I had SP1 installed on the pirated copy btw ;)

I agree!!!! Why would someone go out of their way even a company like Microsoft by possibly losing money but still offering updates for users with non-legit copies. I heard somthing about this earlier where ppl with 401 - 429 in their product IDs wont be able to run it and would get totally locked out of their systems. I bet thats whats going to happen.... But! lets not forget as Microsoft writes software there are non-legit developers working side by side the write cracks and hacks for their software so NOTHING will ever be totally legit.

THe buzz

Um...I guess you people didn't read the eariler postings. MS would make the patch available for pirated copies so that those using the pirated copies aren't carriers of a bunch of viruses that can potentially spread to legit users computers. They're thinking about the legit users here, kinda like covering the back door.

I think it is better to put there effort into getting as complete a Service pack as possible instead of putting more effort into locking out pirate copy's. The fact is there is allread a crack for the SP2 2120 on the usenet. I remember when Windows XP went RTM (build 2600) there was a full crack for the activation the same day.

Take a look at the first picture on the Computer Times article, that's where the real piracy is. Demanding/Accepting payment for a product that they did not create (except for the poorly copied box it comes in). :wacko:

Actually, this isn't altruism on Microsoft's behalf.

Consider all of the bad PR Microsoft has had to suffer. Leaving more systems unpatched will just breed more bad PR, which hurts revenue. How many pirates were going to go say 'oh, I can't get SP2, i'm going to buy XP now'?

/me thinks this is actually designed to increase revenue

when I still had windows 98 I never patched. but, then again when you have 60+ MBs to download for updates on dialup, its not an easy task. Even after I patched, windows was less stable than it was w/o patches.

Now that I have a cable connection and windows XP Pro (oem, I'm no pirate :ninja:), patches are the greatest (except for the fact that they come so frequently, and there are still bugs ).

But he probably didn't update for the same reason as me. Windows was just unstable afterward.

messed up even for pirated copies. I don't have that i purchased mine from a store (Staples) it's only an upgrade i have a friend that got a pirated copy of xp and put in on his pc and it messes up and deletes it's self from the HD lol. But anyways it's cool that MS is doing this but not for pirated copies of XP

messed up even for pirated copies. I don't have that i purchased mine from a store (Staples) it's only an upgrade i have a friend that got a pirated copy of xp and put in on his pc and it messes up and deletes it's self from the HD lol. But anyways it's cool that MS is doing this but not for pirated copies of XP

What are you talking about?:huh:

I dont think its a very surprising move, (Other than SP1 no other service pack for Windows has really had much by the way of anti-piracy methods) And SP2 ever since blaster has been all about security, and the most logical decision is to make the entire system seem more secure especially with all these people getting infected with blaster and sasser who never had issues with 98 or ME. But I think we're all missing the point here....

Microsoft's reason for a decision wasn't soley based on money, but actually for the common good!!!!!!!

....maybe Bill actually saved up enough money to buy his soul back?

Pirated or not Windows is a product of Microsoft and if you've got 1 million legit updated copies of xp that arent infected....but 750,000 pirated ones that are infected it still looks bad on Microsoft cuz those pirated copies are technically still Windows users. So...if a legit user that just hasnt patched gets infected cuz a non-legit user is infected...well in the long wrong its better if EVERYONE can patch. Legit or not a computer running Windows can spread viruses.

Just think if all the FCKGW (Corp) Copies of XP had the Blaster patch would it have still spread that bad?...prolly would have but still :p

i know my brother and i both use corporate keys and neither of us have sp1 or sp1a or anything and our comps are just fine :D

i think it's a smart thing for them to do, they stop virus spreading and a service pack doesn't really cost them money if pirated versions get it....unless they expect pirates to fork over money just to get the sp2.....

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