And then imagine that as this writer, you became the richest man in the entire world, worth billions and billions and billions of dollars, not baht.... then how pixxed would you really become if some hapless school teacher xeroxed your book?

Do I understand you correctly? It is OK to steal from the rich and give to the poor? Careful cause that is alike to Socialism!!!!!.

And then imagine that as this writer, you became the richest man in the entire world, worth billions and billions and billions of dollars, not baht.... then how pixxed would you really become if some hapless school teacher xeroxed your book?

Do I understand you correctly? It is OK to steal from the rich and give to the poor? Careful cause that is alike to Socialism!!!!!.

I'm simply suggesting that perhaps USD $52,800,000,000 is enough for one guy's wealth, but if you think it's not and think he needs to have some more money, then by all means go ahead and pay B8,000 for your windows cd.

Well how much is a fake then?...but really once you have entered that aerial number would you still be able to upgrade via the Microsoft site?

Really I wouldn't trust a fake copy...I'm sure it wouldn't work properly!

Microsoft has openly stated that WinXP Service Pack 2 is available for all XP users, including those who didn't pay for it. If you think about the security implications of it all, it makes sense. They want their OS to be seen as a secure OS and that means making sure that as many installations are updated as possible.

The same is NOT true for copies Office and other apps. In my experience I have found that the Service Packs detect that it is a corporate edition with a hacked installer and refuse to update. Of course it is always just a short matter of time before this is circumvented...

I lived in the Seattle area before. I went to the MS campus in Redmond and found a MS employee willing to take me into the employee store (You cannot go in by yourself). I purchased a full version of XP Pro for $30 and a nice optical mouse for $15.

"Microsoft has openly stated that WinXP Service Pack 2 is available for all XP users, including those who didn't pay for it. If you think about the security implications of it all, it makes sense."

No. I now have an edition of XP Pro running and it won't let me apply SP2. It refers me to a website which questions the validity of my copy.

Clearly Microsoft do not want you to have updates for a copy of XP that is not yours.

I will now have to find a key generator that will satisy whatever checking the system does, prior to adding updates.

Microsoft has openly stated that WinXP Service Pack 2 is available for all XP users, including those who didn't pay for it..

I read that as well, some interview with a MS executive. Surprised me too, but the reason given was as Veazer says, that it is in everyone's best interest that as many machines as possible are protected. Using genuine Windows was by comparison a secondary issue.

...I now have an edition of XP Pro running and it won't let me apply SP2. It refers me to a website which questions the validity of my copy......

...I will now have to find a key generator that will satisy whatever checking the system does, prior to adding updates.

Can't find it at the moment, but just prior to release of SP2, a Microsoft Support Specialist posted in one of their NewsGroups, a statement to the effect SP2 (either the CD, Download, or WindowsUpdate) would install on all but a very few versions of XP having "very-early" pirated serial numbers.

I'm sure nobody in this forum approves-of nor supports the use of pirated software. That said, you may wish to re-read A._BOOZER's post on page 2 of this thread.