Customers Fear that Microsoft 7 May Block Legitimate Users

A high-ranking official of Microsoft Corp. revealed Friday that the latest installment of the Windows 7 will come with the “unpopular” Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy software, called Windows Activation Technologies, which aims to combat piracy but end up blocking legitimate users as well.

In an interview, Microsoft’s Worldwide Genuine Windows General Manager Joe Williams said that there is nothing wrong with the latest version of Windows, as it works exactly like the Vista Service Pack 1.

However, he said that contrary to the functions of Vista SP 1, the Windows 7 version has removed that “Activate later” dialog box that gives users around 15 seconds of time to think for their next action whether to accept validity conformation or not.

The dialog box, in the Vista SP 1 version, presumably gives clients 15 second of think-time. But Microsoft, according to Williams, has “grayed out” this option. But he insisted that the Windows 7 version will present users with a dialog box giving them vital information regarding the benefits of the activation process.

It will be recalled that in 2005, the computer giant has introduced the product activation technology with the Windows XP to defer further piracy of the software. At the same year, Microsoft has also released the WGA to stop product activation key that was being circulated in the internet.

Williams said that WGA works by verifying the authenticity of the Windows software in a continuous basis. ecords showed that around one-third of Microsoft’s clients run counterfeit Windows XP copies.

But legitimate customers feared that the latest installment of Windows 7 may also result to the same complaints as WGA has often mistakenly blocked genuine Microsoft users as pirates.

In 2007 alone, more than 500, 000 genuine users have been mistakenly identified by WGA as pirates.


SOURCE : HERE