Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software

Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software
John Leyden, The Register 2003-02-28

Evidence obtained by German hardware site tecChannel suggests a list of software installed on an XP machine is sent to Microsoft when users run Windows Update.

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-02-28
Hamster1:) (1 replies)

Well well, I am not surprised. This could be a way for MS to make money. Just keep a database of all this info, and sell it to the "Direct Marketing" people. Instant cash!

It also could be MS's way of keeping tabs on software incompatabilities with WinXP, used with WinXP's send error message featur...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-01
hellz

"It also could be MS's way of keeping tabs on software incompatabilities with WinXP, used with WinXP's send error message feature, MS could then work with other software companies and fix any bugs."

Heh, you can bet your life they'll market it as something stupid like that. Problem is, most of t...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-01
hellz (4 replies)

"So why is Microsoft collecting this data?"

Simple, because as always, Micro$oft feel they're exempt from all the rules that companies are *supposed* to follow. I can't think of one "privacy policy" that I would ever believe, because most companies snoop on everything we do.

It's like a while...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-01
Willow

I was never convinced that MS & the NSA didn't agree to have "backdoors" to Windows. Of course they both agreed publicly that it wasn't done. But NSA doesn't agree publicly that ECHELON exists either!!! And remember the V-chip? That was back when Bush was still a govener.

CARNIVORE is apparen...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-01
nate

...and you think its up to the good ol american president to regulate the internet now? ...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-04
Anonymous AD Military in SWA protecting your Const. Rights

"The Internet is plagued with this stuff, and while we've got idiots like George Bush in power, it'll never be sorted."

Oh, I forgot that the U.S. got got rid of the two greatest political leaders in years; Bill Clinton and the internet inventor, Al Gore---NOT! Clinton and his cronies started t...

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Re: Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2005-10-23
Anonymous

like...where are you comming up with this information that Bush has his hands in this. Microsoft dosen't have to get permission from him or anyone else until they get caught at it. Go figure, one will bring politics in this.....

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In addition... 2003-03-01
hellz (1 replies)

This is why the Open Source movement is becoming so strong. There's no privacy concerns when you can view the entire source at will. M$ just never seem to learn. They say one thing, and steal something else. It's like when a patch was released for Media Player 8 (think it was 8). The agreement ...

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In addition... 2003-03-03
Anonymous (1 replies)

To read source code does not mean understand it. BTW, Mozilla source code is about 45 MB. How long it would take you to walk through it?...

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45MB is nothing... 2003-03-04
Anonymous

How much time do you think it'd take 500,000+ people to review 45MB of code? I'm not saying that over 500k people contribute to Mozilla, but Sourceforge alone has over 578,000 registered users. I'm certain a vast majority of the Mozilla codebase has been read (and understood) by a lot of people, s...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-01
AP

You must take into consideration that a lot of companies out their have the same view of Microsoft as the last two guys who posted comments about this article. I am not saying that Windows Update is not doing what is alleged. I am just saying that it is a real possibility that this is not the case...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software & MORE! 2003-03-04
B-ware

Microsoft is pushing "Trusted Computing" initiative to make your unsecured Microsoft products secure. It seems that Microsoft will be "Trusted" by your network because it is their product. But does this give us cause for worries about espionage by Microsoft to have possible access to your network?...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-04
Anonymous

Along these same lines, the default configuration of IE will redirect your failed DNS lookups to a msn site to make the 404 look "pretty." When really, there's nothing preventing them from recording and selling this information to companies.

They just feel like because they can, they should. I ...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-04
Nat! (1 replies)

Maybe it is M$ way of figuring out what software should be bundled with their latest OS.......

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-04
h3h

The news is no suprise to me, but what they do with it is a concern nonetheless. It seems that Microsoft has put themselves in a law enforcement position where they are able to transcend normal levels of security. Even if they say they don't, they have easy access to any secure company data/software...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2003-03-04
Anonymous

Actually I think they're trying to find cracked and copied software, in addition to keeping tabs about what you do.

As far as spying on us, or Windows being an illegal trojan, couldn't they say "...you chose to install it, or not Uninstall it and use Linux etc... ".

They have the money and leg...

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Windows Update keeps tabs on all system software 2005-08-19
Anonymous

You may want to check out the EULA for Windows XP it is found in the Windows folder eula.txt look at section 13. The one thing they Indemnify themselves against "FOR LOSS OF PRIVACY".

Right from the moment you accept the EULA and start using Windows XP you have said "I no longer have any privacy"...

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