[Malvern] MS Vista

[Andrew Morris]

One of my son's friends was bought a laptop, ("E-sphere", or something 
like that) with Vista on it, from PC World, on 21-Dec-06. About a 
fortnight ago, it stopped booting, saying that NTLDR was compressed. 
This is a start-up file. He brought it round the other night. Checked 
out perfectly with Knoppix 5.01. He had tried the rescue recovery 
process, as well, which, from the backups, had rewritten everything back 
to start. NTLDR is unchanged from creation date, which appears to be 
2004, therefore probably comes from XP.

Then it hit me. This machine is standalone - for gaming, homework, etc. 
- it has never been connected to the Internet - it has never been 
validated after initial switch-on. It stopped booting, 30 days fater 
first switch-on.

I think it has self-disabled because it has not been validated on-line.

Vista has /no/ manual validation procedure, it can only be validated 
after install, on-line. This is a primary security point that M$ have 
been harping on.

So how would any standalone, non-Internet system, cope? And before you 
ask, I can think of two such systems - the new services pay system 
created by EDS for the RAF-ARMY-NAVY - which is totally enclosed and has 
no outside network connection; and the (sssh!) non-existent standalone 
email system that is (not) installed in Downing Street. There are 
potentially many others.

Shooting-oneself-in-corporate-foot time?

By the way - does anyone have a copy of Knoppix 5.1.1 CD I can borrow to 
copy?


Cheers,

Andy


Ian Pascoe wrote:
> Hi All
> 
> Been catching up on the whys and woefores of MS's new offering.  I have to
> admit some of the stuff in there appears to be quite nice.
> 
> However, the pricing structure just beggars belief!  The US$ price for one
> of the editions figure wise is exactly the same in GB£ - put another way
> Home Premium which will probably be the normal level for most homes and
> small businesses costs $199 or £199.
> 
> Reading the various Linux news feeds there seems to be quite alot about this
> being the ideal time for Linux and Open Source to break through.  I have to
> admit, I agree!  Especially as the upgrade path from XP appears to be so
> frought with danger and that even with a successful upgrade you still need
> to reload all programs .
> 
> If the Open Source Community doesn't take this plate held out to them by MS
> we are indeed a very clique group of nerds and egg-heads.
> 
> Be interesting to see what happens as time progresses.
> 
> Ian
>