Home » General Discussions » General Discussion » Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems
| Re: Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems [message #284771 is a reply to message #284537] |
Sun, 16 September 2007 21:20   |
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NukeIt15
Messages: 987
Registered: February 2003
Location: Out to lunch
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Colonel |
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No, not quite... Norton is quite a bit worse than Windows Firewall. If you disable Norton's firewall, it gives you a popup every few minutes or so reminding you that it isn't turned on- even if you shut down the software completely (or, at least, as completely as it will let you- some Norton processes can't be terminated without asking Norton first). Norton requires you to log into their service and verify your user privileges before you can uninstall their crap off of your computer- and then it might not uninstall all the way, leaving components behind until you can root out and eliminate any leftovers. Norton, these days, is (IMHO) a bit tougher than even AOL is to clean off of a system.
Windows Firewall at least buggers the hell off if you tell it to, even if it is a crappy substandard excuse for a "firewall" built into the OS which couldn't find its own ass with both hands and a searchlight, much less any threat to your system. If you believe yourself well-protected and you use anything built into a Microsoft OS for protection, you are a sadly deluded individual.
Myself, I use ZoneAlarm these days. It works, it doesn't bork up the system every time I disable it, and- best of all- it only asks for my permission to do things, not its vendor's. That's what I want software to do; I don't like to have anything less than 100% control over everything that happens on my system. Software that alters my startup options, or denies me permission to access my own files, or downloads crap from its vendor without my say-so, is simply not acceptable.
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. Horrid mischief would ensue were (the law-abiding) deprived of the use of them." - Thomas Paine
Remember, kids: illiteracy is cool. If you took the time to read this, you are clearly a loser who will never get laid. You've been warned.
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| Re: Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems [message #284821 is a reply to message #284537] |
Mon, 17 September 2007 10:06 |
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I rely on my router firewall, does ok.
Norton is very hard to remove. Repair install three times, several "Norton Removal Utilities" and still it is present. Grr. Reformat...
No, what I don't want is Microsoft installing stuff on my PC without me checking first, because previous updates from them have broken things, like my sound. I need control, or else, I lose my sound, or something like that.
(The last paragraph is aimed at Puddle, who seems to think the internet is for pron. Besides, anyone with any sense would use a Linux live CD, no record, spyware can't run on Linux (or most can't) and it's not permanant, anyway)
Renguard is a wonderful initiative
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| halokid wrote on Mon, 11 October 2010 08:46 |
| R315r4z0r wrote on Mon, 11 October 2010 15:35 |
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the hell is that?
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| Re: Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems [message #284824 is a reply to message #284537] |
Mon, 17 September 2007 10:25 |
egg098
Messages: 147
Registered: August 2003
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Recruit |
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You seriously didn't that Microsoft are able to do what they like do Windows when you run Windows Update (either automatically or via the site)? Though I'm curious no one's managed to hijack the Windows Update stuff before....publicly.
Also moaning about them forcing you to have the WGA tool installed is kind of stupid; they have a right to protect their software from being pirated. I'm hardly saying I'm goodie-twoshoes, but think of it like that. If they want to check you're not using a pirated version of Windows, then they can do it if they like. I would if it was my software.
[Updated on: Mon, 17 September 2007 10:28] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems [message #284837 is a reply to message #284537] |
Mon, 17 September 2007 13:20 |
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NukeIt15
Messages: 987
Registered: February 2003
Location: Out to lunch
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Colonel |
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Considering that WGA has already been cracked and the folks with pirated copies can therefore get away with it anyway... yes, there is a point to moaning about WGA, because although it is somewhat inconvenient for a pirate to find a way around it, it is possible to do so.
It is a stupid tool designed to do something which is not possible, and it serves only to inconvenience the people who bought their OS legally. I'll go right on moaning about it just as long as I damn well please to; you may feel free to take it up the ass every time MS decides it wants more DRM if that is your desire.
*edit* and that is my primary concern which arises from this shadow updating business- what if MS decides it wants to install more DRM measures on everyone's systems, just in case? What if, unlike WGAN, they actually do interfere with how you choose to use your computer- i.e. what programs you run, what files you modify, etc? What if you never knew they'd done it until you went and tried to do something you've done a hundred times before and some little message popped up telling you that it wasn't allowed anymore?
MS has come forward and stated that they only use their little backdoor to update Windows Update itself, but if they can use it to modify one set of files then they can most certainly modify more, and I don't have much faith in the whole "oh, they'd never try it" argument. Sony has done it already- even if they were ultimately shot down, many were affected before that happened- and MS is a lot bigger with a lot more to lose from piracy. Unless I get a written statement, legally binding, guaranteeing that MS won't use this backdoor in such a way, I as a consumer have no reason whatsoever to believe that they'll keep their word on this. Their stated position is current company policy; it may not reflect their policy three years or even three months down the road.
"Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. Horrid mischief would ensue were (the law-abiding) deprived of the use of them." - Thomas Paine
Remember, kids: illiteracy is cool. If you took the time to read this, you are clearly a loser who will never get laid. You've been warned.
[Updated on: Mon, 17 September 2007 13:29] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Microsoft has a backdoor into XP and Vista systems [message #284974 is a reply to message #284537] |
Tue, 18 September 2007 10:28 |
egg098
Messages: 147
Registered: August 2003
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I am completely anti-DRM in all aspects; if people buy something, they should be able to use it as they wish, the same as Steve Jobs said in his open letter a while back. This is why I use iTunes, but only because I have enough music that needs management like that and I hate WMP and Winamp, along with the interface being nice (ignoring the resource whoring). But I never buy music from iTunes - yes I use an iPod, but I don't want that DRM shit that comes with music from the iTunes Store. Software piracy doesn't come under DRM in my view.
The target of Microsoft's WGA/OGA isn't pirates who know how to get round it - they will always be able to get round it and that's not going to change imminently. Microsoft targets consumer education, getting them to buy products from them instead of cheap copies, and statistics say it works (for the people they are targetting).
They will always be able to do anything they like to Windows - of course they have this in there. But they won't do anything more than updating the operating system. The EU fined them upwards of £300million just for "restricting" consumers to Microsoft software. Imagine what would happen if they were found to be in breach of privacy laws - it just wouldn't happen. This is why I'm alright with it. Yes, the method is wrong, but nothing bad happens, and no personally identifiable information about what you do/have on your computer is sent.
[Updated on: Tue, 18 September 2007 10:32] Report message to a moderator |
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