Hello,

To all you pirate windows xp users out there, tried using windows update lately? Well it's no longer available to you. You see with the introduction of service pack 2 for windows xp, Microsoft have decided to stop pirates from getting the security benefits of their product. Despite rumours that microsoft would loosen security with service pack 2, but it isn't surprising that they've taken the same stance that they did with good ol' service pack 1. Windows update now checks your Product ID with a list of activated product ID's and known pirate product ID's. If you are in the list then, no updates for you! If you have got your own legal copy of windows however, and it still wont let you update, my advice would be to contact microsoft ASAP. Chances are a pirate has allready used a program that generates Product ID's based on the algorithm microsoft used. It is rare, but I have heard cases where this has happened.

Read Larry Seltzer's article "Do pirates deserve a windows update?" here.

Happy buying,

Slade.

Just found another article... clears a few more things up for me.

http://www.computing.co.uk/News/1155202

Slade

I already have seen workarounds for this. There are too many bored people out there who have nothing better to do. You can even get the early builds of SP2 with the tools to install it.

yeah they're pretty quick. I remember seeing a crack for NWN update 1.29 the day it was released.

I would imagine that you could have one valid copy of windows, install Microsoft SUS on it, and then have your pirated machines get their updates from that. I think that would work.

yeah lol, but I don't think we are meant to be discussing ways to get around this... I was merely posting it as information.

I'm curious to know what else Microsoft will do if they know you're using a pirated copy. It have to be millions of people running illegal versions, so I'm sure they won't track them down. Anyone have any leads on this?

Well theoretically they can't do anything to pirates. There are just far too many of them. They can try to prevent them from pirating the software e.g. PALLADIUM. I remember that a music record producing company was going to try to put viruses into all their online music, of course, they didn't know a thing about the real world of IT, it was just a load of bullshit. There will never be an end to pirates, we've all pirated at one stage in our lives in one way or another, it's just not going to happen. Why should microsoft care anyway, their profits are insane.