Windows Vista: Microsoft Fights Back Against Piracy

Microsoft has long been a victim of piracy. Even back in Windows 3.1 days, consumers would install their copy of Windows on more than one machine even though they didn't have the license to do so. As technology advanced and the costs of bandwidth were reduced greatly, people were able to download pirated copies of Windows right off the internet and install them on their machine. Microsoft tried to create two systems which would prevent people from pirating Windows XP, but they were quickly cracked and gotten around. In fact, Microsoft estimates that 60 million people are using pirated copies of Windows XP.

Microsoft tried to create a new activation system in Windows Vista which would stem the curb of piracy on their business version of Windows by requiring people to install a key management server as part of enterprise licensing agreements, which would ensure only legitimate copies of Windows would run in that business. Pirates were quick to get around the usage of a key management server by creating their own pirate key management server which would allow you to register a copy of Windows Vista, even though it's not legitimate.

Microsoft is now fighting back against these rogue key management servers and released an update to Windows Vista which will shut down unauthorized versions of the operating system that allow users to bypass the product's activation system.

Microsoft has called the update "frankenbuild." Specifically the patch detects tampering in the code which deals with the Windows Activation system. Microsoft requires users to activate their product within 30 days of installing the software, and if a user does not do that, their computer will be come for all intensive purposes, unusable