Microsoft may let some users off the hook on antipiracy checks

IDG News Service - Microsoft Corp. is releasing an updated version of its antipiracy software for Windows XP that will start to give the benefit of the doubt to some users whose operating systems may or may not be valid.

The company has added a new "indeterminate" category to its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) Notifications tool for cases in which the software can't be sure whether the operating system running on a user's PC is legitimate or not, said Michala Alexander, head of Microsoft's antipiracy efforts in the U.K.

Previous versions of the WGA software labeled an operating system as either valid or invalid. In the latter case, it would block the user from downloading software updates, except for security patches and other critical updates.

But some users have complained that WGA Notifications incorrectly identified their copies of Windows as unlicensed. The new category aims to address that problem by enabling the tool to simply not rule one way or the other on whether software is pirated.

When the updated version of the WGA tool flags an operating system's validity as "indeterminate," the user will be redirected to Microsoft's Web site for more information. Alexander said one way out of the problem would be to re-enter a legitimate product key, which wouldn't require the user to reinstall the operating system.

One reason why the issue has gained attention is because sometimes, through no fault of the user, the wrong product activation key can be used to unlock a legitimate copy of Windows XP.

For example, a PC repair shop might reinstall the operating system on a customer's PC with a product key that it uses over and over, Alexander said. She noted that she visited one repair shop that had a product key written on a whiteboard so the number could be easily reused. Software pirates can also complicate matters by generating fake product activation keys to try to unlock copies of the operating system, Alexander added.

WGA Notifications checks the activation key on a user's PC against a database of legitimate keys. Alexander said a computer may pass the test initially but then fail a second test at a later time if other systems have subsequently been registered using the same product key.

The complications sometimes make it difficult for Microsoft to make a clear call on the validity of the software being checked. "The last thing we need are false positives," Alexander said.

Microsoft will continue to update WGA Notifications every three to four months, according to Alexander. Earlier this month, it released an update through Windows XP's Automatic Updates service and rolled out localized versions of the program in 21 countries, including China, Portugal, Russia and South Korea.

Complaints from users have prompted Microsoft to make several changes to WGA Notifications since it debuted in July 2005. For example, the company dropped persistent pop-up messages that previously warned users that their software might be unlicensed. It also reduced the frequency with which the program checks for pirated or counterfeit copies of Windows.

Together, WGA Notifications and the new Software Protection Platform technology built into Windows Vista represent one prong of Microsoft's antipiracy strategy, which also involves suing counterfeiters and visiting computer retail stores to ensure that sellers are properly installing Windows on systems.