Windows Vista vista?

I've been hearing rumours that if you don't connect to the internet every so often, vista will shut down. You are required to be attached to the internet so vista can check in with microsoft and microsoft will scan your computer to see if you are being naughty.

Also, I've heard that vista will only recognize certified hardware and software. What happens to small shareware that can't afford the cost of getting certified? I have a USB GPS device that isn't certified so I have to throw that out?

I guess I'll ride XP until 2014...or switch to MAC after 20 years of Win.

 

The thing about rumors being passed is funny cause its like a bunch of lil school girls gossiping and one word changed, left out or added to each phrase can misconskrew everything.

 

and?

Fang
Are you saying these aren't true?
Perhaps you can direct me to a site that can clear this up?

 

Whoever thought up the "Microsoft will scan your computer" apparently isn't aware of just how big and populated this planet is.

There are millions of computers running Windows. Microsoft would have to buy Montana, turn it into a server farm and employ the entire population of it and a neighboring state to analyze the results of those millions of daily scans.

I've installed several programs already that surely aren't "certified" (whatever that is)...little utilities and apps and games. They're running just fine.

Maybe they were thinking about "unsigned" drivers. Plenty of legitimate businesses either don't bother to pay for Microsoft's "seal of approval" for their drivers or Microsoft hasn't finished whatever it does to hand out that seal. I read somewhere that process can take months.

Or maybe they saw that annoying "permission" nagging that Vista does by default. Every time I wanted to delete a file, move a file, install a program, uninstall some of the junk that came preinstalled or pretty much do anything other than open or close a program, Vista would demand to know if I wanted to grant permission to continue. It would include one of those "dire warnings" about great misfortune that would follow if I continued. Fortunately, it's easy enough to turn that feature off.

 

Just to give you a clear answer:

No, Microsoft does not scan your computer. You will need to validate your copy of Vista within 30 days of installing first installing it, and everytime you download software from Microsoft's website. To validate, all they do is check your license key against the valid ones - just like XP did.

Vista will recognize any hardware that is has a driver for - just like XP. The 64 bit version won't allow you to install any unsigned drivers, although I've heard there are ways around that. If you have the 32 it version, it works just like XP did.