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Windows XP source code has leaked

gizmodo.com.au

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Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#211

Post by WillAdams »

dx034 wrote: post #99
Answerawake wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows 10 telemetry, secretly turning on auto updates even after you turn it off and correct me if I am wrong, even if you disable the update service or add the urls to the hosts file it now "mysteriously" undoes that stuff over time. Windows 10X will probably have some more goodies.

I believe auto updates aren't malicious. Microsoft had a huge problem with worms infecting millions of computers that used outdated Windows version. It made Windows less secure in public opinion, even though these issues had often been fixed a long time. Forcing people to update was probably the only way to stop that. I'm also not a fan, I got burned at least once by a Windows 10 computer restarting in the middle of…

Yeah, but when Fall Creators Update cripples pen functionality to the point that I assumed it was a bug and rolled back:

http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/threads/fall-creators-update...

and there's no way for me to use my machine as I purchased it (Samsung Galaxy Book 12 bundled w/ a Staedtler Noris Digital Stylus) and I've had to roll back an un-asked for upgrade since, the bottom line is Microsoft needs to completely decouple the OS layer where the security updates occur, from the UI layer.

If I pay for a system with an active stylus, I don't want it to be dumbed down to an 11th touch input which scrolls and won't select text or interact w/ the system as I've been accustomed to since Windows for Pen Computing.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#212

Post by taneq »

buran77 wrote: post #106
cblconfederate wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i think the consensus is that windows 95, XP, 7 were the least troublesome versions. I still think 7 > 10

The humorous but not wrong "consensus" was that you always had to skip a version. In this case 95 > not 98 > 98SE > not Me > XP (this was a bit of a departure because it was a successor to both the 9x and the NT lines) > not Vista > Win 7. And both XP and Win 7 were criticized at the beginning because they had to compete with very solid predecessors, and because they came with plenty of teething problems even if they…

This is because since at least ‘95, MS has alternated focus between base technology and polish/reliability/UX. The ones we think of as good (98SE, 2000/XP, 7) are the ones with the focus on polish. The ones we remember as flaky (ME, Vista, 8) are the ones with substantial new tech in them that hadn’t had the additional years of refinement.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#213

Post by WinterKills »

fimdomeio wrote: post #43

Forgeting about legality for a moment, this is great. Windows XP is probably the greatest operating system if you factor usability and how many people it has reached. It was also from a time where people still did not expect proprietary operating systems to be actively working against you. So it's great that this source will not be forever lost.

Windows XP's source code will never be leaked. Don't fool yourselves. Microsoft will never disclose the source code of theirs commercial software. It's against theirs law.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#214

Post by mattowen_uk »

segfaultbuserr wrote: post #70
mindfulhack wrote: post #31

My immediate thought is whether researchers or investigative journalists will find cold hard US government backdoors. This is potentially big.

If it really does exist, the backdoor can simply be inserted during the last-minute compile before release. It would be invisible in the code repository, the vast majority of internal developers at Microsoft won't even see anything unusual. Also, I heard anecdotes that Microsoft already allowed governments to audit the source code of Windows under NDA on multiple occasions in the past. But if you cannot guarantee the…

> I heard anecdotes that Microsoft already allowed governments to audit the source code of Windows under NDA on multiple occasions in the past.

I can confirm that back in the Windows 2000 days, MS let a major global bank have access to the Windows 2000 source code to aid them in coding some low level bespoke software.

Back then, if you were a gold customer, you could pretty much get anything out of MS under an NDA.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#215

Post by moshimoshir »

wasmitnetzen wrote: post #193
moshimoshir wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Technically I'm looking to buy a serial so I can tell myself I didn't steal. Thank you for your link, once I have a serial I'll know where to get a safe copy from.

I have an educational MSDNAA (or Dreamspark, or whatever it is called this month) key I can send you, if that's legal enough for you.

You are so kind for making that offer but probably not, thank you :). I want to buy from someone who has paid money to get the key. Thank you again.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#216

Post by Hackbraten »

tinus_hn wrote: post #185
Hackbraten wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unpopular opinion but: telemetrics help developers prioritize stuff and triage bugs. From a user’s point of view, isn’t that a substantial benefit?

That kind of telemetry was in Windows 95 already with dr Watson. If people want the benefit of having the problems they run into fixed and they believe telemetry helps with that, they can just turn it on. No need to force things.

> No need to force things.

Forced telemetry and opt-out telemetry are two different things.

The former is clearly evil. The latter can be helpful if it’s communicated clearly and not hidden in some EULA.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#217

Post by Hackbraten »

krageon wrote: post #161
Hackbraten wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unpopular opinion but: telemetrics help developers prioritize stuff and triage bugs. From a user’s point of view, isn’t that a substantial benefit?

Very good software was written before people that think like you were taken seriously. Clearly it is not necessary.

You know you can disagree with me while still respecting my opinion?

Also, beneficial does not imply necessary.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#218

Post by oxymoron »

bayindirh wrote: post #176
josteink wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> First, it was the first solid (in relative terms) consumer operating system from MS. That was actually Windows 2000, based on the NT 4 code base. It was near perfect, given the era it was made in. The only reason I upgraded from Windows 2000 was that Microsoft was extremely reluctant to back-port USB- or WiFi-fixes and support, effectively forcing you to upgrade to XP if you wanted to fully use your modern hardware…

> That was actually Windows 2000, based on the NT 4 code base. It was near perfect, given the era it was made in. I also remember Windows 2000 fondly. It was really really stable. Even if it looked like it's frozen like a polar ice cap (they weren't melting that bad back then), a short coffee break would give it enough time to normalize itself and continue like nothing happened. Should retry it in a VM sometime. :)

I stuck with Windows 2000 for many years after XP was released. XP brought absolutely nothing I wanted and a lot of things I didn’t want. All the truly interesting stuff, like WinFS, never made it in.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#219

Post by TeMPOraL »

garaetjjte wrote: post #204
TeMPOraL wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't forget Windows 2003 Server in that list. That, to me, was the ultimate Windows. Had the XP stuff, but with the ugly theme disabled by default. Was super stable even compared to Windows 2000. Was lightweight. Only annoying thing was it came with sound disabled, but a few clicks in the Control Panel after installing, and you were golden.

And contrary to consumer versions, free trial was available!

And, you could also get a free license through university (MSDN AA). That's how I got to run mine.

Re: Windows XP source code has leaked

#220

Post by Hackbraten »

WinterKills wrote: post #213
fimdomeio wrote: post #43

Forgeting about legality for a moment, this is great. Windows XP is probably the greatest operating system if you factor usability and how many people it has reached. It was also from a time where people still did not expect proprietary operating systems to be actively working against you. So it's great that this source will not be forever lost.

Windows XP's source code will never be leaked. Don't fool yourselves. Microsoft will never disclose the source code of theirs commercial software. It's against theirs law.

It’s illegal so it can’t happen?
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