Microsoft szykuje fajną poprawkę do Windowsów

Wychodzi na to, że w Microsofcie biorą się serio za piractwo, bo przygotowano naprawdę killer poprawkę dla Windows. Oj czuje, że będzie się działo. I jak zwykle piraci będą się śmiać i używać do woli zaś najbardziej dotkniętymi nowym problemem będą zwykli szarzy użytkownicy, którzy nie mają zaawansowanej wiedzy komputerowej. No ale do rzeczy:

The update will reportedly be tagged simply as an "Important" update. This means that if you use the Windows Update system, the update will be installed to your Windows 7 PC based on whatever settings you currently have engaged for that level of update -- it will not otherwise ask for specific permission to proceed with installation

However -- and this is very important -- if the update is installed and the authentication system then (after connecting with the associated Microsoft authentication servers at any point) decides that your system is not genuine, the "downgrading" that occurs will not be reversible by uninstalling the update afterward.

The WAT authentication system also includes various other features, such as the ability to automatically replace authentication/license related code on PCs if it decides that the official code has been tampered with (Microsoft rather euphemistically calls this procedure "self heal").

Downgraded systems will still function much as usual fundamentally, but there will be some very significant (and very annoying) changes if your system has been designated non-genuine. The background wallpaper will change to black. You can set it back to whatever you want, but once an hour or so it will reset again to black. Various "nag" notifications will appear at intervals to "remind" you that your system has been tagged as a likely pirate and offering you the opportunity to "come clean" -- becoming authorized and legitimate by buying a new Windows 7 license. Some of these nags will be windows that appear at boot or login time, others will appear frequently (perhaps every 20 minutes or so) as main screen windows and taskbar popup notices. Systems that are considered to be non-genuine also have only limited access to other Microsoft updates of any kind (e.g., access to high priority security updates, but not anything else, may be permitted).

Microsoft will trigger forced downgrading to non-genuine status if they believe a Windows 7 system is potentially pirated based on their "phone home" checks that will occur at (for now) 90 day intervals during the entire life of Windows 7 on a given PC, even months or years after purchase.

via: Who Owns Your PC? New Anti-Piracy Windows 7 Update "Phones Home" to Microsoft Every 90 Day