Another Day With My PC

Have you noticed it?

Apparently, Microsoft has incorporated the images of three men sporting wide grins on the installation disks of Windows Vista (Business Edition). Those who were meticulous or curious enough to scrutinize the hologram must have thought that their copy was a crack.

I’m sure the operating system’s maker has received many calls regarding this. For the ordinary users who just want to get the software out of the box and install it on their PC, the find must have baffled them and made them wonder if their copy is truly genuine. Indeed, one would probably expect the logo of Microsoft to be the one depicted on the security sticker instead of three unknown faces, or that if Microsoft insisted on putting a face on the hologram, it should’ve been Bill Gates’.

Genuine Grins

The Vista maker allayed fears regarding the discovery. They belied suspicions or claims that copies bearing the grinning faces of the three grinning men were either hacked or carry add-ons that might significantly subtract the number of files in their hard drive. One of the reasons why many consumers are avoiding pirated copies of operating systems or even ordinary programs is due to the fact that a good number of them contain malicious codes.

It’s not surprising why many pirated copies of programs contain unwanted appendages. Antiviruses, spam guards, and registry cleaners have gotten more efficient in handling dangerous system intrusions. Thus, spyware authors have to find another way to infiltrate heavily-guarded PCs.

Welcome

The easiest way to get in to a computer is by letting the owner open its door for you. Hackers do this by disguising their malicious programs as legitimate ones, or incorporating them to the same. Thus, victims often find themselves being confronted by pop ups or unusual messages even if they haven’t opened any unknown file or accessed an infected Web site. Trouble knocked at their door and they immediately opened it.

Be careful when purchasing copies of programs from dubious stores or sources. They may offer you copies of applications that may seem to be genuine, but in truth are cracked copies that contain unwanted features. The caveat goes double for those who are buying pirated copies of various programs. The chances of getting registry-wrecking malware are significantly high when purchasing cracked programs. The few extra bucks that you’ll save from buying pirated software are not worth the troubles that you might probably get from malicious add-ons.

Mixed Reactions

I guess many were already relieved and enlightened on the mystery behind the three men in the Vista hologram. Microsoft assured its clients that those three are not hackers, but are in fact part of the designing team which made the security sticker. As for those who were hoping that the sticker would lead them to other hidden treats, the news came as a disappointment since they thought that Microsoft was up to something when it featured the three guys on the hologram.

Whether you’re installing genuine or pirated software, always have it scanned by antivirus or anti-spyware programs. It’s also equally important to check the integrity of your Windows registry after introducing new programs into your system.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 9:01 am and is filed under General . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.