Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7

by Joe Williams

In the coming days, we'll be deploying a new update for Windows Activation Technologies, the set of built-in activation and validation components built into Windows 7. Called Windows Activation Technologies Update for Windows 7, this update will detect more than 70 known and potentially dangerous activation exploits. Activation exploits are sometimes called "hacks", and attempt to bypass or compromise Windows' activation technologies. This new update is further evidence of Microsoft's commitment to keeping customers and partners secure. The update will determine whether Windows 7 installed on a PC is genuine and will better protect customers' PCs by making sure that the integrity of key licensing components remains intact. Read more ...

Source: The Windows Blog

The announcement sounds a bit like 'Newspeak' to me. Why MS cannot simply state that the intention of this update is to prevent activating pirated copies of Windows without a legal license?

Marketing blabarish... so funny...

welo

No doubt there will be a many out there whining because there pirate windows has stopped working

This update is voluntary , its up to you to choose if you want to install this update or not (most updates are voluntary) . I am actually surprised Microsoft made this announcement , stealth update would have rendered a lot of pirated OS useless.

This update is voluntary , its up to you to choose if you want to install this update or not (most updates are voluntary) . I am actually surprised Microsoft made this announcement , stealth update would have rendered a lot of pirated OS useless.

It's only voluntary if you are skilled enough to know how and what to exclude during the upgrade process.

welo

You don't need to be terribly advanced to catch this update before it loads onto your computer - if that is what you wish to do. It is just a case of changing the setting in Windows update to "download, but don't install".

The KB number of the relevant update has already been announced on other forums/blogs as KB971033.

You don't need to be terribly advanced to catch this update before it loads onto your computer - if that is what you wish to do. It is just a case of changing the setting in Windows update to "download, but don't install".

The KB number of the relevant update has already been announced on other forums/blogs as KB971033.

Well, I guess most of those people I was referring to will not hear about or notice the update until AFTER their system has been updated. Thanks to Thai common practice their automatic update feature will be turned off anyway (yikes!), so no problem here (at least not of this kind )

welo

That KB971033 update could be uninstalled as well.

That KB971033 update could be uninstalled as well.

Really, this was not possible with previous updates to WGA AFAIK.

welo

Can be uninstalled but not without leaving a trace of the offending o/s. http://preview.tinyurl.com/ylowh4a