Software
‘Kill switch’ dropped from Vista in SP1
Microsoft is to withdraw an anti-piracy tool from Windows Vista, which disables the operating system when invoked, following customer complaints.
The so-called “kill switch” is designed to prevent users with illegal copies of Vista from using certain features.
But the tool has suffered from glitches since it was introduced with many Windows users claiming that legal copies of Vista had been disabled.
Microsoft says its efforts have seen a drop in piracy of its software.
In a statement released by the company, Microsoft corporate vice president Mike Sievert, said: “Users whose systems are identified as counterfeit will be presented with clear and recurring notices about the status of their system and how to get genuine copies.”
The change will take effect with the release of Service Pack 1, a major update to Windows Vista.
Customers who buy a copy of Windows Vista or have the operating system (OS) installed when they buy a new PC are required to validate the OS with Microsoft.
An online tool, called Windows Genuine Advantage, checks the authenticity of the OS to determine if it was legally acquired.
The tool can “lock” Vista from further use if it believes it is an unauthorised copy. But many users have complained that the system is not working because legally bought copies result in error messages.
