[h3]Microsoft WGA servers down; [span style="text-decoration: underline;"]all[/span] XP and Vista installs now being marked as "counterfeit".
[/h3]Another reason DRM sucks, and another reason not to use Vista:
The Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage servers (which XP and Vista "phones home" to) failed sometime earlier today. Not just some of them, but ALL of them.
This means that every Windows XP and Vista installation is being marked as counterfeit when it tries to check in. Installations which are flagged as counterfeit switch to a "reduced functionality mode" which results in stuff like the Aero interface and DirectX being disabled.
At thit time the only public response from Microsoft has been from their technical support forum. The resonse? Lame at best. One user has posted the following snippet from an email he received from MS's technical support address:
[blockquote][blockquote]Thank you for your response. [p style="font-style: italic;"]I'm sorry to inform you that the Windows Genuine server might be down for few days. I have escalate the issue to our Genuine team, kindly try to validate again on Tuesday 28 Aug 2007. [/p] Thank you for contacting Microsoft Technical Support. [/p][/blockquote][/blockquote] [a href="vny!://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2053834&SiteID=25"]Link[/a]