End User

Microsoft wants to know if your Windows 7 is pirated

Attempting to stay a step ahead of software counterfeiters, Microsoft this month plans to release an update for Windows 7 that will scan computers for evidence of the latest tricks being used by tech pirates to fool the company's software-activation technologies into thinking counterfeit operating systems are the real thing.

As in the past, the channels of distribution will include the operating system's Automatic Update mechanism. That practice has gotten Microsoft in hot water in the past -- including a recently dismissed lawsuit that accused the company of using its security-update pipeline to quietly distribute what amounted to spyware.

However, the company is making the update voluntary this time, and it's making a point of announcing it publicly in advance. In addition, if the new check determines a user's Windows 7 copy to be pirated, the repercussions are less severe. Windows no longer removes access to features in those cases, but instead turns the background black and takes other steps that essentially amount to nagging.

"Over time, we have changed our approach, mostly based on customer feedback," said Joe Williams, general manager of Microsoft's Genuine Windows initiative, in an interview. "We’re just a lot more open and transparent about what our business methods are."

Williams announced the plan in a blog post this morning. It's the latest step in the company's long-running effort to cut down on piracy and boost sales of genuine Windows copies. Microsoft also says it's trying to protect customers, citing studies showing that pirated systems can come chock full of traditional spyware and other malicious code.

In the interview, Williams said the company says doesn't collect "personally identifiable information" from computers as part of the anti-piracy scan. However, as noted in this privacy policy, the company does collect, temporarily, the IP address associated with a machine. One of the most interesting aspects of the recent court case was the judge's ruling that IP addresses didn't qualify as personally identifiable information.

"We do collect the IP address. We do not keep it," Williams said. "Where we have a machine-specific item, we convert that to a hash, so we don't keep the particular item. But it helps us to understand when that unique PC visits us or revisits us."

The new update will scan systems for two tactics being used by counterfeiters to trick the company's Windows Activation Technologies into thinking pirated systems are genuine -- manipulation of registry settings, and a modified "bootloader" that intervenes when the operating system is loading.

The company plans to make the update available for download from its website starting Feb. 16. Later in the month, the update will be available through the Windows Update system as an "important" update (as opposed to the higher ranking of "critical"), which means that people who have their Windows 7 machines set to receive those updates will receive them automatically as if they were getting a security patch. The update will also be uninstallable if a user finds out later and wants to remove it.

After installation of the update, the system will check back with Microsoft's server every 90 days for further updates, and if they're available, it will scan the system again to see if it has been pirated.

"For most Windows users in the developed world its impact will be nonexistent; on a system with a properly activated copy of Windows, it will make an initial validation check, update itself every 90 days, and never make a peep," writes Ed Bott, an independent Windows author and blogger, in a post today. "What’s noteworthy to me is the degree to which Microsoft is going out of its way to disclose the details of this update and to allow anyone who is skeptical of it to opt out with no negative consequences."

People whose systems are determined to be pirated will be given an opportunity to buy a genuine Windows copy at a discounted rate. There will be deeper discount if they help Microsoft identify the source of the counterfeit, Williams said.

At the same time, people who continue to run systems identified as pirated won't be able to use free software from Microsoft, such as its Microsoft Security Essentials program.

But why bother distributing an update such as this as voluntary? Won't people who know they're running pirated copies just skip it? The answer is yes, but the company says it believes many people who bought pirated systems from questionable sources have been tricked into thinking they're running a real copy, particularly as counterfeiters get better at making high-quality installation discs.

More coverage: Paul Thurrott, Mary Jo Foley, and Ina Fried

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop

Console Battle Heats Up Between Wii and XBox: Netflix, ESPN Rumors Up the Stakes

While games themselves certainly influence the console competition—notably with the XBox 360 making big news last week with the top-selling game of 2009 in spite of the Wii's heavy presence in the top ten—as we turn the corner into 2010, the situation is heating up in new and intriguing ways.

Both the Wii and XBox have generated a good deal of buzz so far this week, but not with game titles as you might expect (though XBox's Rock Band Network has gone into beta). It appears that both companies are making strides toward re-imagining their consoles as multi-media gadgets, pushing their usability far beyond the game realm. While initially the Wii and XBox have influenced very different demographics—the Wii for family-oriented gaming and a certainly advanced approach to gameplay, and the XBox to the more hardcore gamers—the line between the two is starting to blur.

First up, the Wii. From the outset, one of the biggest complaints about Nintendo's Wii has been that--though it can simulate a variety of sports, help trim your waistline, and even tackle classics like Mario Kart--it has no DVD playing capabilities to speak of. As a result, consumers have been forced to view the device primarily for games. And it's good at games, which is not a bad thing.

However, in spite of its 3-year presence as a gaming console and subsequent success in sales, Nintendo announced today that it's partnering with Netflix to offer streaming video on the Wii, much the same was as the XBox has done since 2008. The service will be free for Netflix subscribers with $9 or more monthly plans, and will require a CD update. It's definitely a new direction for the company.

Speaking to the Times, Reggie Fils-Amie, president of Wii America, indicates that new ventures such as the Netflix partnership have always been a part of the long-term plan, however, and that it's "a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii."

But there are a few drawbacks, and skeptics are already voicing their trepidation. The Wii doesn't support high definition, unlike both the XBox and the Playstation 3. And while Nintendo has seen impressive sales numbers, it's unclear if people will be willing to sacrifice better quality for accessibility. To get an expert opinion on the subject of adoptability, IndustryGamers.com went to Michael Pacher of Wedbush Morgan, and he is far from optimistic:

In our view, only a small percentage (likely fewer than 20%) of Wii owners have connected their consoles to the Internet, which is required to activate the Netflix service.  In contrast, we believe that more than 75% of Xbox 360s are connected to the Internet, and more than 80% of PS3s are connected.

Pacher expects a gradual growth, but nothing astronomical. In spite of the fact that the Wii is the number one selling gaming console, with over 26 million in the U.S. according to IndustryGamers, it's likely that consumers simply won't make the jump from gaming to media center, especially with the lackluster standard definition option.

XBox, however, does not appear to be chasing the tail of any other console, although the New York Times does report they're planning to release motion-based gaming technology akin to the Wii in the near future. Instead of following trends, the XBox is making them, and taking on bigger competition than ever. According to the New York Times, Microsoft is working to make XBox Live, their online subscription service, closer to "entertainment on demand" rather than just games. Netflix has already proved a successful partnership with the console, but how about streaming TV to sweeten the deal? The buzz is that Microsoft is already in talks with the Walt Disney Company about streaming ESPN through XBox Live.

The rumors aren't surprising. The XBox has recently added Twitter and Facebook support, as well as streaming music from Last.fm. That it would stream videos and television, like any PC can with Hulu, seems like a good tactical move. It certainly shows what the console is capable of, moving far beyond a simple gaming device and to something more akin to a multimedia center.

Says Marc Whitten, general manager of XBox Live: “I don’t think there’s a real difference between a game and ‘Lost.’ Or a game and ‘American Idol.’ They’re all ways we spend our leisure time… these narrow swim lanes — games, music, movies, etc. — will dissolve.”

Either way, it looks like if the Wii is going to compete as a multimedia platform, it's got a lot of laps to make before it can catch up.

--Natania Barron

Microsoft exec: Slate computers a 'reasonably interesting' category

 Posting from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: Apart from 3D TVs, one of the biggest trends at CES is the surge in computers and devices that are something more than smartphones but less than notebooks. The buzz is particularly intense over touch-enabled slate computers -- fueled by Apple's plans, whatever they may be.

In many ways, we've been here before. Microsoft and computer makers tried -- and failed -- to push slate computing into the mainstream almost a decade ago through the Tablet PC initiative. And they weren't the first. So what's different this time, and what's the potential market? Those are among the questions I asked Tami Reller, Microsoft's Windows marketing and finance chief, in an interview here.

Continue reading for edited excerpts.

Q: One of the interesting trends here is this space between smart phones and notebooks and it was represented by the new HP slate that Steve Ballmer talked about. How do you view the role of Windows 7 on those slate devices?

Reller: It’s a classic example of taking innovation in Windows 7 and making the most of it in a device, and really saying, what is innovation in touch. The all-in-one did an excellent job with touch. Now we’re seeing the slates. It has the same technology as a netbook, and the things that we found with netbooks, which is, it’s a good companion, and it tended to be a good companion on the road. How do we bring an entertainment netbook and really take advantage of touch? that’s what we think the slate has the potential to do. Terrific companion device.

Q: How big is the market for devices like that, the ‘entertainment netbook’?

Reller: It’s early to tell. But the beauty of it is it does multiple entertainment things. It’s certainly not just good in home. It will be good for travel. I think it’s a reasonably interesting category. Clearly a companion category, and I think that’s what’s important.

Q: So it’s not going to replace somebody’s notebook, probably not their desktop computer, probably not their smartphone. So at some point you say, OK, how many of these things are we going to be carrying around?

Reller: Clearly PCs are being viewed now as entertainment rich. So if I’m going to have a companion device, then let’s make sure it can do as many entertainment things for me as possible, so I can have less of them. I think that’s the key — how many of my entertainment scenarios will this device cover for me. Then it’s interesting. But it’s clearly early days.

Q: Did you feel that you needed to blunt whatever Apple might be coming out with later this month by touting the HP slate?

Reller: The HP slate has been an important conversation for us with HP for some time. I’ll just go back to the whole Windows 7 planning process. There has been regular, consistent, often, senior and detailed technical conversations on this wide range of devices. So it was just a very natural process. It’s always interesting to make competitive fodder of these things, but that’s clearly overblown.

Q: So are you not worried about anything Apple may be coming out with later this month?

Reller: Listen, Apple is always an interesting competitor to us.

Q: Are there differences between this slate market that we’re looking at now and the Tablet PC market that was going on back in 2002?

Reller: There’s certainly similarities, but it is such a different world, in terms of the range of devices, range of capabilities, and the sheer design. Most important is the Windows 7 touch technology brings a level of innovation that lets partners do much more interesting things. Not just on the hardware side but on the application side. It’s education, it’s commercial uses, it’s some very interesting consumer applications.

That’s the story of Windows, which is if the ecosystem can do interesting things, that’s when adoption happens. These devices become interesting when you can use them for more and more things. Using them for more and more things means that the ecosystem is rich and doing interesting things.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com.

Hands-on with Lenovo's hybrid IdeaPad U1

Posting from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: Now here's something you don't see every day. The new IdeaPad U1 computer unveiled by Lenovo today isn't just "hybrid" in the sense that it's a notebook with a pop-out slate computer as its screen. It's also hybrid in the sense it runs Windows 7 in notebook form, then quickly switches to a Linux-based interface in slate mode.

The idea is to give people two machines in one -- a notebook computer that spawns a comparably lightweight, power-efficient Internet tablet.

I jostled my way through a ring of interested onlookers to see the new IdeaPad during a Consumer Electronics Show event tonight. It looks pretty cool. The switch between Windows 7 to Lenovo's Linux-based Skylight operating system seemed smooth, as you can see in the accompanying video. I could do without the glossy finish, but I did like the tactile feel of the palm rests.

However, as a fan of ThinkPads going back to the IBM era, I really wish Lenovo would just stick with those classic, ThinkPad-style mouse buttons and keyboards across its lineup of notebook computers. A Lenovo rep at the booth acknowledged that I wasn't alone in that opinion. And after playing with the new Lenovo Skylight "smartbook" at the booth, there's no question in my mind that it would benefit from the same thing.

At any rate, the IdeaPad is also hybrid in terms of its architecture, running on dual-core Intel processors in notebook mode, and a more mobile-oriented ARM processor in slate mode.

More stats from Lenovo: Screen is an 11.6 inch HD LED. The machine is 3.8 pounds as a notebook, and the slate is 1.6 pounds detached. The price will be less than $1,000. Release date is June 1.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com.

Week in Windows: Tech support tips and links for Windows 7

Microsoft has launched a new site to help lead people through the process of installing, uninstalling and/or upgrading Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley notes that the site could be helpful and timely for people who get Windows 7 or a new PC -- or both -- as a holiday gift.

Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 is tough enough that tech blogger Shaun Nichols gave the new operating system an honorable mention on v3.co.uk's list of the worst tech presents, at least for people running Windows XP as opposed to Windows Vista. "Between the screaming children, eggnog hangovers and cheesy Christmas specials, the holidays bring enough headaches without having to perform a complete wipe and reinstall of your operating system," he explains.

For more on the process, see our earlier post: Leaping from Windows XP to 7? Some important stuff to consider.

So what types of glitches are early Windows 7 users running into? Installation problems represent the biggest hurdle encountered by new users of the operating system, according to Ars Technica's detailed analysis of data from consumer tech services company iYogi. The second-biggest problem: Missing applets or components. Next on the list is the Windows Aero interface failing to run properly.

Even so, Microsoft is seeing fewer support calls since launching Windows 7, according to a report this week by CNet News.com, quoting Microsoft support VP Barbara Gordon saying that "call center volume is down significantly more than we expected." That's another sign that the new operating system is less troublesome than Windows Vista, but CNet's Ina Fried notes that the new Microsoft Answers site and Microsoft Helps Twitter feed are also playing a role by helping users resolve problems without calling.

What if you're still determined to talk with a real person about your Windows problems? Start at this Microsoft "Assisted Support" page, and provide information about the problem you're encountering to connect with a support staffer by email, online or via phone.

But the big Windows news of the week -- for PC users in Europe, especially -- was an antitrust truce between Microsoft and the European Commission. The commission's decision will allow the company to continue incorporating its Internet Explorer browser into the operating system, so long as it addresses antitrust concerns by distributing a "ballot screen" letting Windows users. For more background, see my interview with Brad Smith, Microsoft's top lawyer.

And in other notes from the week, Windows 7 is leading the pack in voting for Tech Platform of the Year in The Flashies, the year-end community choice awards on  TechFlash, where I'm managing editor. Windows 7 is beating out the iPhone, Facebook, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and others. But the race isn't over yet. You can cast your vote for any of the nominees here.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop

Microsoft's Windows 7 Family Pack disappears in U.S.

Microsoft said from the start that it would be offering limited quantities of its Windows 7 Family Pack, which let people upgrade three computers to Windows 7 Home Premium for the discounted rate of $149.99. But the deal turned out to be more limited than people expected, and the company is now taking heat over the news that it's no longer available in the U.S., at the height of the holiday shopping season.

"The Windows 7 Family Pack offer has ended," the product page says. Microsoft told CNet News.com last week that the package was selling out. As noted by CNet and Computerworld, some affiliates of Amazon.com and other sites have raised the price on their remaining Windows 7 Family Packs to as much as $279.99.

"I've got a new spelling for 'Scrooge,' " writes Joe Wilcox on BetaNews. "M-i-c-r-o-s-o-f-t."

Adds Windows author and blogger Ed Bott: "For Microsoft, this decision is stupid and short-sighted. It’s guaranteed to bring them a boatload of ill will and bad publicity in the final three weeks before Christmas. It looks greedy and decidedly not 'customer focused.' "

Paul Thurrott, who first reported the news last week, suggests that the decision might not be final.

"If you're upset that the company has strategically made this product unavailable just in time for the holidays, I recommend leaving some feedback on the Windows 7 Team Blog," he writes. "Microsoft has heavily promoted how feedback-focused they are with Windows 7, so I'm sure they'd love to hear from you."

ZDNet blogger Mary-Jo Foley also notes that it wouldn't be a surprise to see the company change its mind.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop

Week in Windows: PCs vs. Macs for the holidays

If you successfully avoided those questionable Black Friday PC deals, but you're still in the market for a new computer this holiday season, it's worth checking out Rob Pegoraro's no-nonsense "How to Choose a PC" column from the Washington Post -- which starts by breaking down the pros and cons of Macs and Windows PCs. His conclusion: Macs are technically superior, but the price means they're not for everyone.

"It's fair to call a Mac a luxury," he writes. "It's more affordable than many other luxuries, but see what your bank account has to say first."

 If your bank account says it's a Mac, check out Macworld's latest Mac buying guide, explaining the features and differences among Apple notebooks and desktops. If you decide to go for a Windows 7 PC instead, see Microsoft's "PC Scout" online utility for some help narrowing down your many choices.

Speaking of Windows vs. Macs, the latest web traffic stats from online research firm Net Applications suggest that Microsoft's new operating system exceeded Macs in overall usage last weekend, at least temporarily, according to a ComputerWorld report. That's largely a function of Windows' larger market share, but the rapid rise is another sign that Windows 7 is doing well.

 However, the traffic patterns also suggest that Windows 7 is being adopted more quickly by home users than by businesses, blogger John Lister notes. As industry analyst Roger Kay has noted, that's not as good for Microsoft, because business upgrades are mostly voluntary, driven by a desire for the new operating system, whereas consumer usage is largely a function of PCs preloaded with the new OS at retail.

Here's the type of headache Windows users were hoping to avoid this time around: Reports began to surface this week that Windows Vista machines with a specific type of Intel storage driver were unable to move to Windows 7 because of a problem in the upgrade process. See this Microsoft support document for a detailed description of the symptoms, and a temporary workaround for the problem. Glitches like this were widespread in early days of Windows Vista, but they've proven less common with Windows 7 -- so far.

Despite the best efforts of MacDailyNews and others, it appears that Microsoft successfully thwarted an attempt by Mac fans to take over the Windows 7-powered window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. Microsoft had invited people to submit messages to display on screens in the window by using a #holidaywindows hash tag on Twitter. Hundreds of pro-Mac messages appeared in the raw Twitter feed, causing the Mac faithful to think they had hijacked the public displays. But Microsoft says it was filtering the messages all along and none of the Mac-oriented tweets showed up in the windows.

Wired calls Windows 7 and Google's Chrome browser an "excellent" combination on netbooks. "The two together make pretty good use of a netbook’s most limited resources: screen size and processor power," writes Dylan Tweney for Wired.com's GadgetLab. "The result is a surprisingly pleasant combination for browsing, working in GMail and Google Docs, and other lightweight tasks." He notes that it's also a good sign for Google's plan to launch its own Chrome operating system next year, initially targeting netbooks.

Assessing Windows 7, one month later

In October, hoping to reduce expectations in advance of Windows 7's launch, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer noted that Windows Vista also received favorable reviews from testers prior to its launch. "I am optimistic," he told Bloomberg News in an interview about Windows 7, "but the proof will be in the pudding."

It's now more than one month since Windows 7's Oct. 22 debut, and that pudding is worth a closer look. That's because, at this point in Windows Vista's life cycle, there were clear signs of widespread problems. "Vista glitches frustrate first-wave users," was the headline on a Feb. 20, 2007, article in Newsday -- detailing what would turn out to be a rash of hardware and software compatibility problems.

So far, at least, Windows 7 seems to have avoided that type of debacle.

Of course, success is more than the avoidance of failure. And the upgrade to Windows 7 hasn't been without complication, particularly for people moving from Windows XP, or for students participating in Microsoft's discounted upgrade program. Windows 7 also hasn't gone unscathed from a security standpoint.

But sales of the new OS appear to be strong so far, my own experience running the operating system has been smooth, and favorable comments still outweigh complaints in the "Windows 7" Twitter search that I've been checking regularly during the month since the launch. I also haven't been hearing the types of complaints that I frequently did in Windows Vista's early days.

In fact, the biggest Windows 7 controversy so far has involved not the new operating system's performance, but the revelation that the National Security Agency worked with Microsoft and the Department of Defense to leverage its "unique expertise and operational knowledge of system threats and vulnerabilities to enhance Microsoft's operating system security guide," as an NSA official told a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

Understandably, that comment raised speculation and concerns that the NSA would be able to eavesdrop on Windows 7 users through a technological "backdoor" -- which Microsoft subsequently denied.

So what's next? Microsoft has started to hint about the next version of Windows Server coming in 2012, raising speculation about the timing of Windows 8 for PCs. But so far, at least, Microsoft's Windows president Steven Sinofsky isn't tipping his hand at all -- which means that the recipe for the next Windows will remain secret while people decide if they really like the one Microsoft just put on their plate.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop

Easiest Hack Ever: Install All Your Essential Programs at Once with Ninite

If you've ever had to do a format and reinstall of Windows XP (and I like XP, but everyone's had to do it at least once), you're familiar with the hours spent on a fresh desktop hunting down drivers and all the essential programs you need to get back to being productive.

Ninite (formerly a project called Volery) can take one of the lengthiest steps out of the process of any new Windows install.  It's a site with a catalog of useful free software--familiar apps like Firefox, Pidgin, Skype, and VLC--that you can select for download.  Once you've selected all the software you need, simply click "Get Installer" and you'll download a sub-200K file that you can carry anywhere for future installs.  (The installer will have a huge filename, so you may want to rename it for convenience, but this is optional.)  Keep it on a flash drive, or even save it in a draft email in your Gmail like I do, and you'll always have one-click access to your most-needed apps for those dark days when there's no other way to be sure but to nuke your hard drive from orbit.

Using the installer will install each of the programs you selected without any input needed, selecting each program's default settings and automatically refusing any addons like browser toolbars.  Note that this does mean that if you need special settings, like different install paths, they won't be available; once it starts, you can cancel the process but otherwise can't affect it.

There are only a couple of catches.  First, no 64-bit apps are available, though they're reportedly coming soon.  Second, as mentioned, you only get the default settings with each install, so you'll still have to do a little configuring once everything's up and running.  Lastly, Ninite is currently free to use, but will eventually have the option of "premium accounts", with free accounts to lose some features (but not the basic purpose or functionality).  So you may want to hop on and grab your essential programs while you can. 

Ninite works for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.  Grab your own custom installer at the Ninite website.

Video: Is this reason enough to buy Windows 7?

Microsoft isn't typically known for wowing audience with its product demos, which may explain why this moment at the company's Windows 7 launch event in New York today impressed even some veteran company watchers. If Microsoft's goal was to make a statement and convince the skeptics that its new operating system is different, and much better, the attention-getting demonstration might have done the trick.

The feature, called "PlayTo," lets Windows 7 users stream content from a computer to devices and screens around a house. It was the capper for a series of slick demos by Brad Brooks, the Windows vice president for consumer marketing, during the company's Windows 7 launch event in New York City this morning.

Will be interesting to hear what people think after watching.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop