From: "Glenn Meadows" 

What happens with this Key, if you have a LEGAL copy of Windows, and want
to clone to a large HD that you've added to your system (or replaced in a
Laptop computer)?  Will this key allow you to clone/ghost the existing
install partition to a new and larger drive, or will this then break the
ability to get updates?

--

Glenn M.
"Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
news:42e6b426{at}w3.nls.net...
> So we have a product verification 'key' that has already been cracked last
> month? The quote I find interesting from MS is  'The only way to remove
> the key is to reformat the hard drive, said David Lazar, director of
> Genuine Windows.'.
>
> http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002402071_microsoft
26.html
>
> In a shift toward greater monitoring of personal computer systems and
> potentially less copying of software, Microsoft will require users to let
> the company place a software "key" on their systems if they
want the free,
> regular system updates it provides.
>
> Privacy advocates are concerned, but Microsoft said the system is
> anonymous and won't be used for anything other than verifying the
> operating systems' authenticity.
>
> Starting today, registration is mandatory for anyone seeking updates, such
> as the updated versions of its media player or graphics program, glitch
> fixes and other features the company may issue 10 or more times a year. It
> works with Windows XP and 2000.
>
> The system works by identifying unique characteristics of a system and
> implanting a software key that can be read by Microsoft when updates are
> requested. The only way to remove the key is to reformat the hard drive,
> said David Lazar, director of Genuine Windows.
>
> The system isn't foolproof, however. A researcher in Bangalore, India,
> cracked it last month, developing a way to generate keys for illegal
> copies of Windows, according to Indian news site Rediff.com.
>
>

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