Many have come to be familiar with Windows Vista, which was launched only earlier this year, will also be aware of Microsoft’s anti-piracy tool that prevents users of illegal copies of Vista from using certain features. The ‘kill switch’, which was introduced to the programme, has seen many glitches with complaints from customers claiming that legal copies of the OS have been disabled.
Microsoft has stated that the new approach to dealing with piracy has been effective, cutting down the number of fake copies of Vista than XP. This was first introduced as a voluntary option 2006 with XP; it later became mandatory with the release of Vista. Customers who have bought Vista legally are required to authorise the programme with Microsoft. Microsoft have pursued legal action against more than 1,000 dealers of fake Vista packages, and killing more than 50,000 illegal online software auctions.
Windows Genuine Advantage is an online tool that checks the OS authenticity. Since the day of the new tactic being released onto Vista, there have been numerous complaints and problems. Those who are using a legally bought version of Vista have faced problems of receiving error messages and in some cases; the legal copies have been disabled.
The tool can in fact lock Vista preventing the user from accessing it, if it believed that this version of the OS was not authentic. Yet it has left many customers unhappy, as this new tactic does not work properly for genuine Vista users. Their recent decision to drop the ‘kill switch’ was as result of the high level of customer complaints, but Microsoft still maintains their initial strategy against piracy has not changed.
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