Windows 7 - Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7.

Here's my problem with this whole concept: What if you only had "usage rights" to the front door of your house and if the key not only suddenly doesn't fit, but trying to pick the lock might set everything in the house on fire? Is it wrong to decide to alter the lock so that that can't happen again?

I can tell a few stories about trying to reactivate windows xp after WGA shut it down because I upgraded hardware. Not to mention the level of professionalism of the 1st tier of call center monkeys I got connected to.

Well, in my opinion...they have done what they started out to do. That is to cause controversy, then to sit back and analyze all information received by the debates of others in well reputable forums such as ours, and they then turn it over to legal analyst for review to find specific ways of leagal manipulation of said EULA.
They are going to see what everyone in the world is writing about this, such as how to bypass, crack sites, loaders, and anything else they see as viable information to use in the making of their politically correct manipulation of words in order to protect the users from said viruses and trojans that have been used to crack said item. I see it this way, If some individual wants to willingly infect their system then let them, why take it into Microsoft's hands to fix it, and at the same time bring every legitimate individual down with them at the same time while trying to fix it? It's like they want to be the inventor of the cure for cancer. You would be better off creating a hack proof OS that was very user friendly, and cheap. GOOD LUCK!

P.S. stop bringing your war against piracy to my doorstep. Go after the retail chains or whatever your saying is the cause for this controversy and start the investigation there. It kinda reminds me of being at work, all this corporate manipulation is unjustifiable, as is the word multitasking!

This comparison is misguided for a ton of reasons, starting with the most obvious one - nobody pirates your house and sells it for $6 in a Chinese street bazaar. But there are perfectly understandable arguments against how MS is approaching this. I refuse to install this update. I don't trust the company enough, based on their history with XP. It's got nothing to do with phoning home without my permission. My software could be merged with Bill Gates colon 24/7 and I wouldn't care. Omegatron's comments validated MS's incompetence with this stuff.

The fact that MS said this update is totally voluntary and then (apparently) make it totally mandatory with SP1 would be total BS. Is that actually the case and I missed the link stating this?

Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7

It's briefly discussed here about the SP1...

Not even close. My income depends on the files stored in my computer, which are worth much more than the $180 I paid to microsoft. The operating system is just the door to those files, and if someone were to copy my product key and post it with an illegal torrent that is then downloaded by 10,000 people, I'll have to waste my time on the phone with Microsoft to get windows reactivated if I need to reinstall windows.

WAT cannot determine whether windows was installed from a legitimate source, and there have already been cases which prove this

My income depends totally on the files I keep on my computer, too. If your copy of Windows or mine comes up not genuine because of this new WAT policy, do those those files suddenly become inaccessible? No. If someone steals my wallet, I have to get on the phone with a bunch of companies, not just one. And I'll probably lose more than access to my wallet. I could easily lose money and maybe even my identity, which is far worse than what I stand to lose if someone happens to steal my 7 product key. Anyone can steal anything. I've had my car broken into twice, that's also a pain in the @ss. I cut my thumb yesterday splitting firewood. Life is one big fat riskfest.

That link you gave had zero complaints dealing with new WAT. Maybe I missed them if they're there, sorry. I'm not saying you're wrong, all I'm saying is that I saw no proof from that page to back up what you assert about WAT. But let's say it's true in every single case. The problem that most everyone here has (including me) is not with the first check. It's with the repeated checks, because MS has no history of being able to pull this sort of thing off with minimal hassles.

I think we pretty much agree about MS's ineptness, and I appreciate the debate. Also enjoying reading everyone else's comments because this stuff is a big deal for everyone involved - MS, customers, ye pirates. It's just that I don't consider what they're doing as an attack on my sovereignty. I'm not installing the update. Case closed. When SP1 comes out I'll deal with that then.

I would not have a problem at all with it if microsoft can guarantee it will not affect anyone who purchased a genuine copy of windows legitimately, but they can't. I don't distinguish between WGA and WAT. The new name is simply a polishing of the same old turd. It's a sore point with me, having lost a few irate customers who had to have windows reinstalled to fix their problems only to have WGA invalidate the install a couple weeks or months later.

Just got though reinstalling my laptop...

If it's true that this will be included in the final version of SP1. I'm either 1) not going to install it. or 2) Take a crash course in hacking service packs.

I am not amused by the fact that the update did something weird at the end of installation, did not show up in my list of Hot fixes/updates, and that I couldn't find a way to verify it's existence...

Have you not checked your browsers plugins, as it shows up in Firefox.

Hi there
often on Secured networks you don't NEED to update the system very frequently if at all between Service pack releases -- since you aren't exposed to external networks you don't need to install "security" updates - and the way of updating is to re-install the whole OS after say a service pack has been issued.

It's VERY RARE that the OS will crash when running the usually limited set of applications on a SECURED NETWORK. These are totally different from "Day to Day" LANS even in a corporate environment.

Another way of course is to update another NON SECURED SERVER -- then create an image for your secured server and deploy it MANUALLY i.e via a usb / dvd.

Cheers
jimbo