Black screen of darkness to haunt Vista pirates
Microsoft Windows' infamous "blue screen of death" has become synonymous with an operating system crash or freeze, but that's nothing compared with what users of pirated copies of Vista worldwide can expect from now -- a black screen of darkness.
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12.9.2007 Black Screen of Death for XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Upgrades
Microsoft has warned end users that performing Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 upgrades from copies of XP SP2 and Vista RTM, respectively, that have Onekey Recovery 5.0 installed will cause the operating systems to display a black screen following reboot.
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9.8.2008 Microsoft: Vista's 'Black Screen of Death' Is a Hoax
Many other news sites have just picked up the original article believing that it's legit. We have already updated our original post from last night and are posting the following to correct any disinformation out there.
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12.9.2007 Windows 7 RTM Black Screen of Death after Forced Shutdown Actions
Microsoft has informed users of an issue that prevents Windows 7 from starting after the computer the OS is installed on has been forced shut down.
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7.10.2009 Vista SP1 Application Compatibility Update Fixes Black Screens of Death
With the release of the gold version of Service Pack 1, but also with the maturing of the software and hardware environment orbiting around the Windows client, Windows Vista's compatibility level has continually increased.
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14.8.2008 New Vista Screen Shots Hit the Web
ActiveWin has posted some
new Windows Vista screen shots of Build 5268, which is the "Interim OEM build," according to the site. We are still hearing that
5270 is what will be designated as the December Windows Vista Community Technology Preview (CTP) build, however.
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19.12.2005 How to Change Windows Vista Boot Screen
Some of you remember how it was possible to change the boot logo screen of Windows 95/98. I'm not sure why anyone would go into the trouble of actually doing it, but it seems that it is possible to do the same for Windows Vista.
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19.11.2007 High quality image Vista boot screen
Some people found a way to change that black boot screen of Windows Vista RTM to a high quality one, the one that was supposed to be in before it was cut from the final version.
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19.11.2006 Enable New Boot screen in Microsoft Windows Vista Beta 2
Tired of the pathetic boot screen in current Vista builds? There is a new trick that will allow you to see what may be the new boot screen for Windows Vista.
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12.5.2006 Windows Update Blocker Tool Kit - Block Automatic Windows Vista SP2 Update
After availability of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 for public download I am sure many users would have already installed Vista Service Pack 2 to see the performance improvements and its advisable to install Windows Vista sp2 as it has many noticeable changes and also includes all the fixes released after Vista sp1.
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27.5.2009 Black Friday brings down online retailers
Amazon, like many other online retailers were brought down yesterday from eager users trying to get their hands on some limited offers from the sites.
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29.11.2008 Black Xbox 360 With HDMI, Improved Features
Rumors of a hardware refresh for the Xbox 360 began earlier this year, when photos of a prototype console with HDMI output and a revised scaling chip appeared on the Web.
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22.3.2007 XP Black Edition USA 2007 DVD
Thanks to odeeee and other posters to for this download. No Viruses....Cracks....for the programs it comes with.....Falsly reported as Viruses....Coz they R Crackz.
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7.5.2007 Winstep Xtreme 7.1 - Black XP Visual Styles
Thanks to hwh1226 for this download. A powerful, multi-paged desktop replacement, program launcher and document organizer that can be used as an alternative or supplement to the normal Windows desktop.
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18.6.2007 MS preps black Xbox 360 as PS3 spoiler?
Is Microsoft preparing a spoiler for Sony's PAL-region PlayStation 3 launch on 23 March?
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9.2.2007 German hacker denied entry into U.S. for Black Hat training
Thomas Dullien, a prominent security researcher who has been a fixture at the annual Black Hat security conference, has been denied entry into the U.S. to attend and conduct training at this year’s confab.
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30.7.2007 Windows 7 Ultimate Black Edition 2009 Beta 32bit
Dont modify this Seven® Black™ Edition 2009 R1 Beta in anyway and for torrent uploaders dont add any viruses.
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11.3.2009 Microsoft presenting at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas
Hi everyone, Stephen Toulouse here. As you probably know, all throughout the year we attend various security researcher conferences all over the world. One of the biggest and the best is the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. And of course the MSRC, as well as a number of other Microsoft teams, will be down there this August.
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11.6.2006 Microsoft plans to issue non-update update for Win 7
Microsoft will spit out dummy updates for Windows 7 beta testers next week that will probe the forthcoming operating system’s updating abilities.
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20.2.2009 Windows Update versus Ubuntu Update
A few months ago, Steve Ballmer publicly noted that Windows Vista was “a work in progress.” That inspired a predictable outpouring of Vista-bashing.
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15.7.2008 Matrix Screen Saver
Whether you're a newbie or senior software engineer, you want your screen savers to look cool, and this one fits the bill. It emulates the green Matrix code you see in the movie, with characters running vertically down the black background. You can set the resolution, the speed of the falling glyphs, and other options.
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SumoDance Screen Saver
Whose life can't be uplifted by the site of rows of dancing sumo wrestlers? Life's not so bad once you get to know these guys, as rows of them dance, bounce, and stomp to a goofy tune.
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UFO Screen Saver
Watch flying saucers zoom across a virtual cityscape. To preview the screen saver, unzip both files and put them in your c:windowssystem directory. Then go to the Control Panel, click the Display icon, and select the Screen Saver tab.
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Turkey Screen Saver
Adorn your desktop with some turkeys strutting across a simple black background. As the turkeys amble across the screen, they show a little knowledge of what will become of them Thanksgiving day--making for a poignant scene of innocence the moment before all is corrupted. You can choose from one to ten turkeys; the program also offers password protection.
Note that the screen saver shows the vendor's name on your desktop, and although this brash self-promotion can seem a bit annoying, it is tolerable--especially since the program is free, and because it's seasonal, you'll probably want it on your desktop for only a short time.
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Sea Life Screen Saver
Display a variety of sea life, including jellyfish, dolphins, sand sharks, and other underwater denizens. This screen saver works best at a resolution of 800 by 600 pixels, although 640 by 480 is also supported.
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Hubble Images Screen Saver
Take your mind to the heavens every time your computer is left idle. The Hubble Images Screen Saver displays images of nebulae and celestial bodies, captured by the world-famous telescope.
There's no other information concerning the images than the names, so if you wish to learn more about spacey sights with names like "Eta Carinae" or "NGC-3603," you'll have to look elsewhere. But the full-screen NASA photographs will jettison you to places far removed from this mudane, terrestrial existence.
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3D Dissolve Screen Saver
Watch 3D objects in random sizes and colors as they spin and transform. You might not see the same morphing twice. This updated version is smaller in size and has fixed a system key bug in Windows 95B.
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Halloween Witch Screen Saver
This screen saver shows a witch flying across the night sky, dropping pumpkins. A Halloween banner also slides down the screen.
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Flying Christmas Screen Saver
Watch Santa as he flies across your screen while Christmas music plays in the background. You specify the number of Santas to display and how fast they fly. You can also choose how long the included photos display before they fade out. The registered version contains ten photos.
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3D Santa Screen Saver
This screen saver features a 3D Santa Claus performing a variety of acrobatic acts (and a few unusual stunts, too). If you have a sound card, you can listen to some accompanying effects, as well.
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Black screen of darkness to haunt Vista pirates
Microsoft Windows' infamous "Blue Screen of Death" has become synonymous with an operating system crash or freeze, but that's nothing compared
with what users of pirated copies of Vista worldwide can expect from now - a black screen of darkness.
In an e-mail to a large
Windows Vista OEM distributor titled "Pirated Vista - A darkness descends!", a local Microsoft representative made it quite clear what Vista pirates
can expect to happen to their unlicenced installations.
A copy of this e-mail was obtained by Computerworld:
Good Afternoon, As of this week, Microsoft have
activated a function in Vista called 'Reduced Functionality'. This is a specific
function in Vista which effectively disables non genuine copies of Windows. Therefore, anyone who has a pirated copy of Vista will
experience...
winbeta.org - 11.09.2007
European Vista and XP to get browser ballot screen too
Microsoft has confirmed that it will be distributing a ballot screen software update to users, in Europe, of Windows XP and Windows Vista. Last week
Neowin reported that Microsoft has proposed the idea of a ballot screen to the EU. European consumers who buy a new Windows PC with Internet Explorer
set as their default browser would be shown a ‘ballot screen' from which they could, if they wished, easily install competing browsers from
the Web. If this proposal is ultimately accepted, Microsoft will ship Windows in Europe with the full functionality available in the rest of the
world.
Read full
story.....
neowin.net - 28.07.2009
Apple releases iTunes 8 update to fix Vista blue screen of death
UPDATED Apple has released an updated version of iTunes 8 to correct the blue screen of death problems some users have been experiencing after
installing the software. The issue relates to a driver that conflicts with Windows Vista...
betanews.com - 13.09.2008
Enable New Boot screen in
Vista Beta 2
Tired of the pathetic boot
screen in current Vista
builds? There is a new trick
that will allow you to see
what may be the new boot
screen for Windows Vista.
This new boot screen
is still not what we have been
expecting but is a move in the
right direction compared to
the white progress bar screen
currently used.
Enable New Boot Screen:
1. Click on the
start orb and type in
"MSCONFIG" in the textbox.
2. Once the
System Configuration tool
loads, click on the Boot tab.
3. Under Boot
Options check "No GUI
Boot".
4. Hit
OK and reboot to see the new
screen
More
tweaks at source!
jcxp.net - 12.05.2006
Microsoft: Vista's 'Black Screen of Death' Is a Hoax
Many other news sites have just picked up the original article believing that it's legit. We have already updated our original post from last night and are posting the following to correct any disinformation out there.
Has Microsoft adopted an even tougher stance on piracy? According to recent e-mails warning of new, harsher anti-piracy measures in Windows
Vista, that was believed to be the case.
Australian PC World printed an e-mail Tuesday it says was sent from a Microsoft representative to an unspecified large Vista OEM distributor. The
e-mail describes a new initiative which renders computers running a pirated copy of Vista unusable by making the screen totally black.
Microsoft was quick to debunk this e-mail warning of a Black Screen of Death. A Microsoft representative told Wired News "the reporter
received inaccurate information," and that the company has not rolled out any updates to Windows Vista's anti-piracy platform.
winbeta.org - 12.09.2007
Latest iTunes 8 update causes Vista user headaches
Some Windows users are getting the infamous "blue screen of death" after installing the iTunes 8 update, which some say tracks back to extra
software that is being installed along with the software...
betanews.com - 12.09.2008
BSoD Takes On a Whole New Meaning
The definition of the Blue Screen of Death acronym BSoD may soon be replaced by a more ominous meaning, Black Screen of Death. In an e-mail sent to
Windows distributors a Microsoft representative laid out the details of what unlicensed Vista users can expect.
"Good afternoon, as of
this week, Microsoft has activated a function in Vista called 'Reduced Functionality.' This is a specific function in Vista that effectively
disables non genuine copies of Windows. Therefore anyone who has a pirated copy of Vista will experience:
A black screen after one hour of
browsing
No start menu or task bar
No desktop
Please communicate this anti piracy initiative from Microsoft to your resellers --
note this function has only just been activated in Vista worldwide and therefore any issues with non genuine versions will start to arise from now
onward."
While it isn't unusual for Microsoft to impede upon the functionality of unlicensed or falsely licensed copies of Windows,
this seems to be a new direction in regards to their stance on warning users. Typically users of unauthorized copies of Windows have been alerted to
the status of their software legitimacy via Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA). The new "Reduced Functionality" approach is certainly more aggressive,
and according to the Microsoft representative, will reduce the functionality of an unauthorized Windows system to the point of being near useless
until properly licensed.
neowin.net - 12.09.2007
Why installing Vista SP1 might fail via Windows Update
When you try to install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update you can get error: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from
Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates.
To help ensure a positive update experience, Windows Update will temporarily not
offer Windows Vista SP1 to systems that have the following device drivers. In some cases, these device drivers are problematic on Windows Vista-based
computers when you update to Windows Vista SP1. By installing updated device drivers, you will resolve the issue and enable Windows Update to offer
Windows Vista SP1.
Click read more to view a list of drivers that don't work well with Vista SP1:
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 20.03.2008
XP Pro to receive WGA similar to Vista SP1
Remember how everyone was excited about how Vista SP1 received a WGA update to not block you from your computer?
Well, the same is coming
to Windows XP. (Professional only, though. Who would want to pirate XP Home?)
From the WGA Blog:
With this update to
WGA Notifications in Windows XP, we've implemented a couple of related features that draw on the notifications experience we designed for Windows
Vista SP1. After installing this version of WGA Notifications on a copy of Windows XP that fails the validation, most users will discover on their
next logon that their desktop has changed to a plain black background from whatever was there previously (see below).
The desktop
background can be reset to anything else in the usual ways, but every 60 minutes it will change back to the plain black background. This will continue
to happen until that copy of Windows is genuine.
Also, the user will see the addition of what we call the "persistent desktop
notification." This notification is similar to a watermark but works a bit differently. The image (see below) appears over the system tray and is
non-interactive in the sense that you can't click on it or do anything to it.
As with previous releases, if a copy of Windows fails
validation, notifications will appear above the system tray regularly - and we will continue to have the pre-logon message, the logon interrupt
message and the messages that appear from the system tray.
jcxp.net - 27.08.2008
Windows Vista X Update New
We Have Now Updateds Are
Download And Drivers Plus
Microsoft Logo Pack And
Windows Vista Screen Shots Are
Now Up To
Date.
Win X
Security May Hit Full By
December 10..
windowsvistax.com - 29.10.2006
Windows 7 695x boot screen revealed
Chris Holmes, Windows Enthusiast and blogger, has posted a short and somewhat blurry video of the new Windows 7 boot screen in action. The latest
sign of changes for Windows 7 signals a departure from the Vista boot up screen. Microsoft kept the boot screen simple with Vista after asking BIOS
makers, PC makers, and video card makers to remove product advertisement screens at system boot. Microsoft created a simple boot method which it
claimed took 6 seconds off initial boot compared to the more graphical boot that it had originally planned with the Longhorn betas.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 04.12.2008
Windows Vista Gets Another Dose of The 'Blue Pill'
Once again security researcher
Joanna Rutkowska took the
stage at Black Hat, and once
again she set out to prove in
glorious detail how to exploit
and attack Microsoft Windows
Vista.
Rutkowska blew the lid off
last year's Black Hat event
with her landmark presentation
ahead of the official Vista
release where she demonstrated
a virtualized rootkit called
Blue Pill that took control
over a Vista machine.
This year she
brought a new pill and a few
more tricks to take Vista to
task.
"I'm going to talk about
Vista kernel protection and
why it doesn't work,"
Rutkowska boldly declared to
the overflow crowd.
winbeta.org - 03.08.2007
Microsoft: Another Vista Reliability & Performance Update
Vista’s performance is one of those topics that won’t be exhausted until Windows Seven hits RTM. It all comes down to trade-offs. Ever
since the features of Vista were finalized, Microsoft tried to tip the scale the other way by focusing on performance, with the obvious limitation of
not disabling any services. Updates regarding performance and stability are numerous, but most have not hit Windows Update as they are not quite ready
(preview releases). The Windows Serviceability Team wants feedback on one such update, available for download at the Microsoft Download Center, before
its expected release on Windows Update in January.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 13.12.2007
Compatibility, Reliability, and Stability of Vista Update
About 2 months ago Microsoft released a couple of hotfixes that improved the stability and reliability of Windows Vista, these were not made available
on Automatic Updates. That aside, Microsoft has released an update to the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista fix that
further improves the reliability of your system.
The original fix improved annoyances such as file copy calculation & speed from within
windows to other (local or network) drives.
This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista. This
update includes the following improvements ->
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 24.10.2007
SP1 brings with it a softer, gentler, naggier WGA
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Windows Vista SP1 brings with it a new tweaked version of the WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) anti-piracy scheme. How does
this look to the end user?
Check out the complete SP1 WGA gallery here.
Currently Vista offers two different user experiences to those considered to be running non-genuine
installations of Vista <...> As of SP1, both these states are gone and if a system is considered to be non-genuine it will enter what I can call a nag
state. In this state users will see:
- A nag screen to activate at logon that cannot be dismissed for 15 seconds.
-
Every hour the desktop background is switched to black (it can be changed back, but after an hour its set to black again).
- Activation
dialogs and balloon dialogs appear regularly.
- Optional Windows Updates arent delivered.
So, instead of losing
functionality, the user is nagged to activate...
winbeta.org - 10.02.2008
Vista Fix Packs Now on Windows Update
Following their public availability on Microsoft's Download Center, two hotfix packs for Windows Vista that improve performance and reliability are
now available as optional downloads via Windows Update. They will not, however, be delivered automatically to Vista users...
betanews.com - 29.08.2007
Apple to offer discounts of up to 15% on Black Friday
While Apple is remaining tight-lipped on what we can expect from their stores on Black Friday, one analyst is predicting consumers will see discounts
of up to 15%. According to Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu, Apple's Black Friday sale will be more aggressive than usual. Apple products are
traditionally more expensive than their non-apple counterparts and price reductions are not commonplace for the tech giant. In past years, Apple has
offered Black Friday discounts between 5 and 10%. If Wu's prediction is correct, consumers will be seeing a reduced price on the iPod, iMac, and
MacBooks. However, Wu is skeptical as to whether or not the iPhone will be subject to the Black Friday discounts.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 27.11.2008
Refreshed 4/8GB Zunes Coming?
From Long Zheng's blog:
"Several hours ago Microsoft released the Zune Spring 2008 Update with a new Zune software package (version 2.5).
Embedded in the resource files is an interesting image of a new red "Scorpius" (4/8GB) Zune. Instead of the model available today with a silver
backing and red touchpad, this had a black backing and black touchpad.
For any skeptics out there, the two images have notably different
positioned logos which confirms these are not the same images colored differently."
jcxp.net - 09.05.2008
Microsoft to beef up anti-piracy checks in Vista SP1
Microsoft will change the user experience of its automatic anti-piracy checks in Windows Vista and also make it harder for hackers to bypass the
system in the first service pack for the OS due out early next year. Once Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is installed on a PC, that computer will
no longer go into limited functionality mode if a user or administrator fails to activate Vista on that system in 30 days, or if the system fails
Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation, which checks to see if a version of Vista is pirated or counterfeit. In Vista, WGA is
called the Software Protection Program feature.
In limited functionality mode, a computer will shut down after 60 minutes and then allow
only browser use. Now, instead of going into that mode, a version of Vista that has not been activated in 30 days will start up with a black screen
and a dialogue box that gives users the choice of activating Vista now or later, said Alex Kochis, a group product manager at Microsoft.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 04.12.2007
Microsoft Unveils Surface Computing
Microsoft Corp. has taken the
wraps off Surface, a
coffee-table shaped computer
that responds to touch and to
special bar codes attached to
everyday objects.
The
machines, which Microsoft
planned to debut Wednesday at
a technology conference in
Carlsbad, California, are set
to arrive in November in
T-Mobile USA stores and
properties owned by Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Inc. and Harrah's
Entertainment Inc.
Surface is essentially a
Windows Vista PC tucked inside
a shiny black table base,
topped with a 30-inch
(76-centimeter) touchscreen in
a clear acrylic frame. Five
cameras that can sense nearby
objects are mounted beneath
the screen. Users can interact
with the machine by touching
or dragging their fingertips
and objects such as
paintbrushes across the
screen, or by setting
real-world items tagged with
special bar-code labels on top
of it...
winbeta.org - 30.05.2007
