Number 226 - March 2002

UPDATE
WPA Lockout With Windows XP Products     WPA (Windows Product Activation) is related to Microsoft's latest incarnation, Windows XP and its associated products Office XP, Excel 2002, Word 2002, FrontPage 2002, etc. It is their latest effort to prevent "unauthorized" use of their software. When triggered, WPA prevents further use of the XP product (or operating system) by locking the user out--sometimes effectively preventing any use of his computer. Unfortunately, it has been reported by some to be super-sensitive and sometimes locks out even those who are playing strictly by the rules.     In a recent column (www.langa.com/ newsletters/ 2002/ 2002-02-04.htm#1) Fred Langa said:"All XP software contains the WPA subsystem--even "preactivated" OEM-installed or site-licensed versions--so everyone using XP should be prepared to recover from an unexpected WPA lockout". Some readers don't agree that it is such a big deal. See www.langa.com/ newsletters/ 2002/ 2002-02-07.htm#1	Like Steve Gibson (www.grc.com), Langa alerts us to potential problems. He suggested making a copy of his Information Week column covering some work-arounds (www.informationweek.com/story/IWK2002 0131S0005). If you are using, or are likely to use XP, it might be wise to make a copy of the article and store it away--in case you need it in the future. But Wait... XPect More     In "Windows XP. Why You Oughta Upgrade?" you will find a very Pro XP article, in which the author talks about what XP offers. The author also has a book out on the subject so his motives might be suspect. The article is a follow-up to a presentation he gave to clarify and expand on some points. He does seem to lay out some reasonable arguments which you might consider before deciding whether or not to upgrade.
Number 226 - March 2002