New Anti-Piracy Windows 7 Update from MS

[maineman]

Again, by my read, your windows install will still be seen as genuine should you choose not to install this update.
In the Windows Blog, Joe Williams, General Manager (Genuine Windows) states,
"the Update is voluntary".

I sincerely hope Lauren's inference is correct.
As you say,

Time will tell

[Gummigutta]

In XP and Vista, if you didn't updated the Windows Update control or verified your Windows version you couldn't download any future upgrades. Only the critical updates.

Time will tell.

[maineman]

So if I don't install that update, I can't get any more ordinary updates for Windows 7?

No, not at all.

The update KB971033 is optional and does not affect any future updates should it not be installed.
Additionally, it can be uninstalled up to a certain point.
However, once your system has been tagged as "pirated" by MS, you're stuck.
At this point the uninstall will be of no use to you.

"...The update will reportedly be tagged simply as an "Important" update. This means that if you use the Windows Update system, the update will be installed to your Windows 7 PC based on whatever settings you currently have engaged for that level of update -- it will not otherwise ask for specific permission to proceed with installation.

If your Windows Update settings are such that you manually install updates, you can choose to decline this particular update and you can also uninstall it later after installation -- without any negative effects per se.
But don't assume that this will always "turn back the clock" in terms of the update's effects... "

"Windows 7 systems will be "downgraded" to "non-genuine" status if they're flagged as suspected pirates. What does this mean?

Essentially, they'll behave the same way they would if they had failed to be authenticated and activated initially within the grace period after purchase."


I'd read over the blog again.
According to my read, you should be manually downloading updates and simply skip this one and essentially there's no downside.

Apparently, this technology has been part of Windows since XP.
I think Lauren has a link or at least a reference to this in his blog.
It's simply being activated with this, shall we say, insidious and somewhat covert update.

As far as predicting MS, who knows what the future holds...?

[Gummigutta]

So if I don't install that update, I can't get any more ordinary updates for Windows 7?

[maineman]

New Anti-Piracy Windows 7 Update from MS and what you need to know

Coming soon to your Win7 pc from MS, an "Important Update"

Windows Activation Technologies update KB971033
Available as a manual download on Feb. 16, 2010 and automatically on Feb. 23, 2010 (for those unfortunates who leave this to MS).

This blog by Lauren Weistein just came to my attention.

Link:

http://lauren.vortex.com/

The Windows Blog:

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/genuinewindows/archive/2010/02/11/windows-activation-technologies-update-for-windows-7.aspx