Comments on: Can Microsoft Remotely Kill Your Windows PC?

by: Casandra

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:43:54 +0000

Yes, If MS is told by the CIA to get data on everyone they will and can do it thru updates and Genuine advantage.

They can install an Update that is just spyware and looks at all your files on your hard disk and sends it to their server. Since you do not know what MS windows does you have no way of knowing this is happening.

Get Linux, The US government hates it because it has no deliberate back doors.

by: Frank

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 08:14:32 +0000

I've known about the increasingly more onerous MS EULA's for a long time. Largely because of this, I started using Linux about 4 years ago, and the progress on the Linux desktop since then is absolutely amazing. Linux is not yet a complete Windows replacement, but it is getting to be SO close.

I stopped using Windows, except for a couple of legacy apps that I run under emulation, well over a year ago. (I run those few legacy apps on legally purchased copies of Win98 SE, by the way - one license for each machine I own.)

I also switched my small business over to Linux / Open Office / Mozilla and have run it that way for a year now. There IS NO NEED to put up with the MS EULA and its enforcement methods anymore.

Frank.

by: BJ Gillette

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:59:15 +0000

@Nishant.
re: “You dont own Windows XP…”
Sorry you had to check the EULA. I thought I already told you that.

And about IP tracking… For starters, a single webserver only knows where you *are*, not where you’ve been.

In addition… call me paranoid, Nishant, but I’m gonna guess that there’s a bit more trapped than an IP and datestamp.

As Mark so aptly put it (above), “If you want to steer clear of Microsoft snooping and spying, use an alternative.”

While MS paritsans could once spew that venom comfortably aware of no practical alternatives, Apple, Google, IBM, Linux desktoppers and others are closing the gap rapidly… finally.

In fact, I just posted an article to that effect: http://www.emailbattles.com/archive/battles/opsys_aaejcihhbf_d/.

OS competition is good for all of us.

by: Nishant

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:24:06 +0000

Ever read the EULA? You can see the EULAs here http://www.microsoft.com/legal/useterms/default.aspx. You dont own Windows XP (thats intellactual property n belongs to MS) copy you just paid for and own the LICENSE to use.
And about IP tracking… Almost all the webservers have the capability to track your IP address so you wont even know when your IP is getting tracked / logged.
Hope that helps

by: Jones

Thu, 15 Jun 2006 08:30:48 +0000

Mark -
If I hadn’t read this article, I probably wouldn’t have known about this. This post pointless? I think not.

by: BJ Gillette

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:55:41 +0000

@M.Adams.
Sage advice. But it’s not just Microsoft.

Same goes for all those giant and “free” email, search, and social sites.

Sadly, today’s users think all those services are offered up without any cost to them.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

by: M. Adams

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:06:06 +0000

Microsoft has been doing things to your computer without your permission for a long time. I switched to Linux about 3 years ago for security reasons. After running Linux for a few months, I logged into hotmail, the same as I do everyday. Only this time, when I accessed my inbox, my browser popped up a message indicating that I was trying to download “adsclient31.dll” and what would I like to do with it.

I am not sure what adsclient31.dll is, but it sounds like something Microsoft was trying to install.

Not sure what would have happened if I had been running IE, but I don’t run Windows anymore so I doesn’t really matter to me.

Use Windows at your own risk.

by: BJ Gillette

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 08:03:10 +0000

@Mark.
Change happens when people really understand the proposition they're buying into, whether it be licensing schemes that suddenly turn into people-trackers, or friendly social sites that sell your personal details, or e-commerce sites that lose your credit card information.

It may be OK to you to be owned, but I *am* doing something about it.

As regular Email Battles readers know, more and more of my company's servers and processes have moved to more "license friendly" environments.

In the meantime, if you like paying for the priviledge of being someone else's property, knock yourself out.

Pointless? Only to the clueless.

by: Mark

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 02:02:02 +0000

Is there any way to block your computer from sending and recieving this information using a firewall?

by: Mark

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:31:12 +0000

I do “get it,” and what I said is the truth. If you want to steer clear of Microsoft snooping and spying, use an alternative. I’m not saying you have to use Linux.

If you aren’t going to take action yourself (i.e., sue them), then this post is just pointless.