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Microsoft is hacking into my computer!

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deepblue

Registered
Joined
Jan 28, 2002
OK, so MS isn't hacking into my computer, but i got an e-mail today from a friend of mine who seems convinced this is happening.

He was apparantly told by "somebody who knows" that XP automatically records and sends out information about each of the installed programs on your computer.

Then he asked me where this information was being sent to.

I tried to tell him that this didn't happen, but with the whole spyware thing that really does exist, i don't think i sounded very convincing. Any ideas on creating a more sound argument other than "That doesn't happen".
 
I would guess that what he is referring to is the "error reporting" functions that alot of MS products contain,(including IE) they can and do report on installed software and other info which could be sensitive. He could also be mixed up with the hardware (device) reporting the XP does to maintain pushed updates and known imcompatability checks during the program instal process. Also, he could be confusing the reporting going on when your system is "scanned "during the auto updating. Even the new Intilimouse software has reporting code.

But to my knowledge, none of this is randomly done to, say update some evil database. Conditions have to exist. Unfortunatuly, they exist on the millions of XP default instals.
 
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