<<< Date Index >>>     <<< Thread Index >>>

[IP] more on Windows Media Player 11 crippleware



Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 19, 2006 5:48:21 PM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: lauren@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] Windows Media Player 11 crippleware


Dave and Robert, et al.,

Windows Media Player 11 also has other serious problems that people
should think about before considering installation (one clue to its
complexity is its lengthy and rather arcane release notes "readme"
file).  WMP11 is (last time I checked) listed as an "optional update"
if you use the windows update site manually, but is also being
pushed by WMP10 ("new version available, do you want to update
now?").

In my own testing, WMP11 was unable to play various valid video
streams that WMP10 handles fine.  Also, I too was unable to cleanly
roll back to WMP10 using the standard system add/remove function
that advertised this ability (the resulting WMP10 player gave a nasty
internal error when run, and had no entries available in the system
add/remove list for complete removal).

However, I found that despite the lack of a way to remove the
corrupted WMP10, it was possible to do a fresh install of the
standalone WMP10 package that then worked fine.  This is a bit
difficult to find since MS has redirected most WMP10 links to point
at WMP11, but is still available from MS via:

http://tinyurl.com/9rz5l  (choose "Player 10 for Windows XP" from
                           the "Select Version" option)

Note: I do not know if this distribution includes any security fixes
or other changes that have rolled out for WMP10 since its initial
release.

As far as I know, WMP11 does not include any significant new codecs,
and there are plenty of ways to deal with portable audio/video
devices without using WMP11.  If you don't really need WMP11, you
may wish to skip it, at least for now.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxx
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, IOIC
   - International Open Internet Coalition - http://www.ioic.net
Founder, CIFIP
   - California Initiative For Internet Privacy - http://www.cifip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
DayThink: http://daythink.vortex.com

 - - -




Begin forwarded message:

From: Robert Alberti <alberti@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 19, 2006 3:11:21 PM JST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Windows Media Player 11 crippleware
Reply-To: alberti@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Regular readers of the mailing list might recall my dilemma with Windows 
Genuine Advantage, the software that attempts to verify whether your
copy of Windows is pirated or not.
To summarize briefly, when a year ago I found my new Vaio TX-650P laptop 
arrived infested with so much unwanted software that it ran poorly, I
thought the smart solution would be to reformat and install my
first-edition (no service packs) copy of Windows XP. Sony did not send a 
copy of XP, although the key sticker is on the laptop.

Unfortunately I was unaware that not all copies of XP are alike, and
ever since then my computer has failed the "Windows Genuine Advantage"
test.  Several helpful people have offered solutions such as utilities
with which to shoehorn my Sony license key into my generic existing XP
installation, to no avail. Nothing works.

Still, I've survived pretty well, up until today.  Today while working
with a reluctant AVI file I received notice that Windows Media Player 11 was available. Hoping the latest version might have the codec I need, I 
downloaded it.

AFTER installation, attempts to run WMP 11 launch the Windows Genuine
Advantage check (rather than, say, launching the check BEFORE
installation).
The result is that I now have NO Windows Media Player, since I can find 
no means of rolling back to WMP 10. Rolling back system restore points
did no good. I am trying to create and test an avi file for use on a
website, and I need Windows Media Player to verify that it can play this 
file, so I am stuck.

Despite having paid for two copies of Windows XP already - the old CD
I've got, and the copy that came with this laptop - I am going to be
forced to either pay $15 more for the media to be mailed from Sony
allowing me to reinstall my operating system, or else ghost my laptop
back to its original bloatware installation.  More than the money, the
time this will take is prohibitive and costly to me.  And on principle
alone, I should not need to take such measures to get my expensive
laptop to work efficiently, nor should I or anyone be forced to learn
the difference between OEM and generic OS versions "the hard way."

So just be warned - if you install WMP 11 and for some reason you fail
your WGA check, your media functions will be crippled.
Now I'll go look at my schedule and see if I can find a couple of nights 
that I can afford to spend reinstalling my operating system on my
laptop, and restoring all my working files.

Or maybe I'll just install Linux.
--
Robert Alberti, CISSP, ISSMP                       (612) 961-0507 cell
President, Sanction, Inc.                          (612) 486-5000 x211
http://sanction.net                                (612) 486-5000 fax
"Security solutions are cultural solutions facilitated by technology."





------- End of Forwarded Message



-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/