Does the RTM version have that SSP

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Saucy

Does does the RTM'd Vista carry the SSP features such as a kill-swtich which
can (to all intents and purposes) lock down a workstation running Windows?
And/Or does it engage in any WGA-Notications like behaviour such as phoning
home and handing over its spy reports to Microsoft?

I need to know before I can make any recommendations to my customers.

Thanks
 
Windows Vista Security and Protection
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/security/default.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Does does the RTM'd Vista carry the SSP features such as a kill-swtich which
| can (to all intents and purposes) lock down a workstation running Windows?
| And/Or does it engage in any WGA-Notications like behaviour such as phoning
| home and handing over its spy reports to Microsoft?
|
| I need to know before I can make any recommendations to my customers.
|
| Thanks
 
It covertly hands over spy reports and locks down the system at MS's will.
If you do anything they don't like, the keyboard shocks you and the system
locks up until you call them to apologize and beg for access to your own
files. Really, let's save a few hundred posts here; you hate it and can't
recommend to any of your customers because of (likely illegal) spyware and
file seizures. There was never any suggestion that SSP or any other
anti-piracy software would be removed from RTM.

-Mike
 
Saucy said:
Does does the RTM'd Vista carry the SSP features such as a kill-swtich
which can (to all intents and purposes) lock down a workstation running
Windows? And/Or does it engage in any WGA-Notications like behaviour such
as phoning home and handing over its spy reports to Microsoft?

I need to know before I can make any recommendations to my customers.
Click to expand...

Start at
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/FAQ.aspx?displaylang=en#Question8Label.
There is also some good info provided by Rich Eizenhoefer at
http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=817090&SiteID=25.
I'll copy/paste his post here for ease of access:

"1) The user has 30 days of non-genuine grace period before being locked out
of the machine. A few features no longer work when non-genuine, that is
true. I know that Aero is one of them, but I'm not informed enough to know
what the others are. If there's something specific that might be an issue,
please advise and I'll go check to see if we have a mitigation.

2) A recovery image can be restored; this is a "potential" mitigation for
some situations. Backups are always everyone's friend, especially for
mission critical clients and servers. If my machine seemingly randomly
became "non-genuine," a good mitigation would be to restore the backup
image. Remember, I would have had 30 days notice of non-genuine state before
being locked out of my machine.

3) If the machine is running a retail version of Vista and its hardware
changes enough (many components are considered with different importance to
each, but in general changing the physical OS hard drive or motherboard will
often be enough) so that our hardware ID algorithm thinks that it's "new"
hardware, then the machine will have 3 days of "Out of Tolerance" grace
period. During this time, the user can activate via a telephone call. If
it's life or death, the old hardware can be swapped back in. If it's due to
a hardware failure... keep reading.

4) Many versions of Vista that ship with new hardware from many major OEMs
use a different method of activation: "OEM Activation." This involves
verifying elements in the BIOS, and if they are correct, the machine is
considered activated. No online connection or phone call is ever needed. Any
hardware can change, even the motherboard *IF* the motherboard is replaced
with another motherboard from the same OEM (typically from the same model
line). Having a backup motherboard at the North Pole might be a good idea in
this case. If the motherboard failed and there was no backup M/B anyhow, the
user would be in trouble.

5) If running a Volume licensed version of Vista, a machine can be activated
by finding and getting confirmation from a machine running the "Key
Management Service" (KMS) -- this is special code within the software
licensing service binary. I hate to say it, but I'm sitting at home on
Friday night writing this, and I'm not sure what else I can say about KMS
yet -- I can add more on Monday if there's interest AND if I can confirm
that it's okay to do so before Vista RTM."

More good info at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/oct06/10-04SoftwareProtection.mspx
(lot's to read there).
 
You forgot the Vista Taser feature that fires Taser darts at you from
inside the LCD screen and then zaps you with 50,000 volts.
 
My experience with XP is that if anything bad happens, you only need
to pay MS $30.00 to fix it; that and waste a few days of your life
trying various things the tech suggests, and downloading and running
programs he suggests. Since MS no longer has unpaid support that
I could find, any problem you get will cost you money. By the way,
the $30.00 was a few months ago, I can't guarntee it won't go up,
up, and away. At least in XP the worst case is you couldn't update.
In Vista, it will turn your computer into a lump of coal, so you will
definitely want to pay the ransom to MS.

-- Larry Maturo
 
Inline:



OK. Microsoft removed the offending nonsense re: retail transfers .. perhaps
they removed SSP from RTM'd Vista since. No one mentioned, so I thought I'd
ask.



I'd venture that is not the case. But it probably could be arranged. I'm
sure Microsoft development teams have dreamed up all manner of scenarios.

True.
Click to expand...


Why? It's worth talking about. Most here want to improve Windows. SSP is
sort of ugly .. do the math.



I think it is a violation of civil liberties and is either illegal or should
be.



Would you recommend something that is illegal to your customers?



And you admit it too.



Well, in a way there was because Microsoft relented on the transfer issue ..
there's no reason why they can't come 'round to good sense on the SSP issue.



Thanks again.

Saucy
 
Carey,
What part of that link discusses SPP?
Looked; didn't see anything.
SPP; Carey; is what the OP was asking about.
If you could provide a more definitive link, I'de appreciate it, not for
myself;as I am thoroughly versed in SPP/WGA N,
but for others here.

Jeff
 
As far as "unpaid support" from MS goes, this last weekend I upgraded the
motherboard and processor of my XP box. To keep it on topic, I did this so
when I install Vista, I won't be upgrading for awhile. Anyway, I figured
I'd do the repair install. It went ok, but after getting things back up and
running, I found I couldn't download any updates from MS. On the Updates
page, there was a link if you were having problems. I sent off my problem,
next day I got an e-mail back, and by the end of that same day, I had an
e-mail of about 10 options to fix the problem. Didn't need them all; after
the first item, it was fixed. Didn't cost me a dime.

BTW, my motherboard upgrade did require my copy of XP to need activation
again... Had to phone in and go through their automated service. Pain in
the butt, but no real issues. I'm not a big fan of IVR systems.

Clint
 
if your xp copy is OEM you are in violation of the EULA you cannot install
xp
again on the new motherboard.

how do you feel now about IVR systems?
 
Larry Maturo said:
.... In Vista, it will turn your computer into a lump of coal, so you will
definitely want to pay the ransom to MS.
Click to expand...

No, your PC will turn into a Linux box, and yourself into a penguin...

--PA
 
Hi Clint,

That link wasn't there when I had the problem, and as far as I can
tell, it won't be there in the future. I haven't seen any guarantee
that they will always support this. Have you? What happens if
you buy Vista, MS doesn't recognize it, and the free link isn't
there or dosen't solve your problem? You were luckier than
I.

-- Larry Maturo
 
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