In our estimation, this is in large part because Windows Anytime Upgrade will allow users to add new features to the OS on the fly, Microsoft is keen to protect this feature by watching for post-activation hacks on the system, and the OS will reportedly perform occasional internal checks on itself to search for evidence of tampering.Ĭori Hartje, director of Microsoft’s Genuine Software Initiative, made it clear that Microsoft intends to use this technology in additional Microsoft products at a later time. WGA is intended to monitor systems for evidence of tampering post-activation. Instead it will disable Aero, ReadyBoost, and Windows Defender, and it will display a persistent notice in the lower right-hand corner of the desktop that reads: "This copy of Windows is not genuine."
WGA will not throw the machine into full reduced-functionality mode if activation has been completed once. This is where Windows Genuine Advantage comes in.
If the technology later decides that a key is no longer valid, through either a software update or via some other means, it will give the user another 30-day period to rectify the situation. Unlike Windows XP, Vista will monitor the activation status of the computer even after the initial 30-day period. It also has ostensible public relations benefits stemming back to the days of the WGA phone-home scandal. Microsoft has not taken the extra step and simply disabled the computer entirely, apparently in an effort to court users trapped by counterfeiters. The general approach is quite clear: reduce the computer to a web browsing station and make it inconvenient to be a pirate.
Users can view documents by using the web browser, but Microsoft has essentially designed the system to prevent "read/write" access. This anti-piracy mode will also disable other installed applications such as Office, making it impossible for a user to edit documents. Additionally, users will only be able to obtain security updates marked as "critical." Other downloads and updates will not be available. Reduced functionality mode will also disable Aero, the new Windows Vista interface, and any "Premium" or "Ultimate" features of the OS will be completely locked down. Notably, Microsoft is adamant that these technologies "cannot and will not turn off your computer."
Additional limitations are described below. The web browser (presumably IE) will work for about an hour before interrupting the session and forcing you to log off. Microsoft has not disclosed full technical details, but they have indicated that