Kurt Shintaku's Blog

Today, I received an email from a customer saying that he’d gotten a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate from China for $5 and questioned if he needed the legitimate copy I’d sent him.

The biggest reason for ensuring that you have a Genuine copy of Windows Vista, besides the fact that your machine may go into reduced functionality mode, which sucks, is the fact that while you can download security patches, you can’t download any patches or updates that are:

• Reliability fixes
• Performance fixes
• Junkmail updates for Windows Mail
• Functionality fixes (stuff that’s straight up broken)
• New add on components (like Windows Mobile Device Center or Powershell for Vista)

All of the following links require Genuine Windows Vista activation.  Consider this a sample of the updates that you can’t download if you do not have a Genuine copy of Windows Vista:

Reliability Patches:

Performance Patches:

• Update for Windows Vista (KB928089)
  This update resolves a performance issue with the Internet Explorer Phishing Filter when visiting web pages that contain multiple frames or when multiple frame navigations occur quickly.

Functionality Fixes:

• Update for Windows Vista (KB931573)
  Resolves an issue where you may be prompted to activate a pre-installed copy of Windows Vista.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB930163)
  Resolves an issue where connecting to a remote network using VPN after you switch from an active wired connection to another wired or wireless connection fails.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB932649)
  Resolves an issue where poor video quality may be experienced when configuring video to interlaced mode on a system running Windows Vista.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB931671)
  Resolves an issue where an error message is received when placing a Windows Vista system into a sleep state while a PPP connection is active.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB930857)
  Fixes an issue with Windows Error Reporting that may cause some information about application errors to be sent to Microsoft without notifying you.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB929735)
  Resolves an issue that prevents Windows Search from returning a complete set of results when a search is performed using the date option and a non-Gregorian calendar is in use.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB933872)
  Resolves an issue where the default gateway setting is lost when you wake a computer running Windows Vista from a sleep state.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB929762)
  Resolves an issue which may cause the system to crash while resuming from hibernation while an IEEE 1394 hard drive is connected.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB933590)
  Resolves an issue where your display flashes and becomes corrupt when Flight Simulator X is run in multi-monitor mode and the monitor configurations are not identical.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB932988)
  Resolves an issue where when adding metadata to RAW images from Canon EOS-1D or EOS-1Ds cameras, the file is truncated and the image is permanently lost.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB929761)
  Resolves an issue where installing a Microsoft Update (.MSU) using the /quiet switch fails if the update contains a new or updated EULA.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB932590)
  Addresses an issue where the TZ environment variable may not work as expected due to Daylight Savings Time changes in the United States.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB929763)
  Addresses issues in the Mongolian Baiti font that prevent correct display of Mongolian-language text.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB932634)
  Improves the translation quality of the Swedish version of Windows Vista.
• Cumulative Update for Windows Media Center for Windows Vista (KB932818)
  Addresses issues with Windows Media Center. For a complete listing of issues included in this cumulative update, see KB932818. 
• Update for Windows Vista (KB932637)
  Improves the translation quality of the Czech version of Windows Vista.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB930585)
  Addresses an issue with the Romanian language pack where the letter T may be incorrectly capitalized.

New Components & Improved Functionality:

• Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center Driver for Windows Vista (32-bit)
  The Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center enables data synchronization between Windows Mobile-powered devices and Windows Vista.
• WinHlp32.exe for Windows Vista
  WinHlp32.exe is required to display 32-bit Help files that have the ".hlp" file name extension. To view .hlp files on Windows Vista, you need to install this application.
• Windows PowerShell 1.0 Installation Package for Windows Vista (KB928439)
  Microsoft Windows PowerShell is a new command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration and automation. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell enables IT professionals and developers to control and automate the administration of Windows and applications.
• Microsoft Photo Info 1.0 
  Easily view and change "metadata" properties in digital photographs from within Windows Explorer.
• Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator 1.4
  Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator allows users to create or modify keyboard layouts
• Update for Windows Vista (KB930955)
  Install this update to enable the User Profile Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider (Win32_UserProfile).
• Microsoft Experience Pack for Windows Vista
  Download these four programs to add fun and functionality to your Tablet PC.
• Update for Windows Vista (KB931174)
  This update configures the Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program to improve the quality of software information sent to Microsoft.
• NZ Bliss Desktop Backgrounds for Windows
  Free uniquely New Zealand desktop backgrounds & wallpaper.
• Group Policy Log View
  Provides the Group Policy Log view tool for Windows Vista

Junkmail Filter Updates:

• Update for Windows Mail Junk E-mail Filter [April 2007] (KB905866)
  Install this update for Windows Mail to revise the definition files used to detect e-mail messages that should be considered junk e-mail or that may contain phishing content.

Development Tools for Windows Vista:

• Device Simulator for Windows SideShow
  This download allows developers of gadgets for Windows SideShow to test their gadgets without physical hardware.
• Windows SideShow .NET Framework Components 1.0 (Beta)
  This download allows developers to build and users to run gadgets for Windows SideShow in managed code using the Microsoft .NET Framework.
• The .NET Show- CardSpace (300K)
  The .NET Show hosts Microsoft’s Richard Turner, product manager, and Garrett Serack, community product manager, to talk about how CardSpace solves the problem of securely managing your digital identity on the web.
• PDC 2003 Avalon Screen Saver Contest Winners
  Download the source code for the PDC 2003 Avalon Screen Saver Contest Winners.
• The Panel – Code and Examples
  Code examples and applications for WPF and Windows Live applications.

Miscellaneous Downloads requiring Windows Vista genuine advantage:

• BitLocker AD Guide
  Describes how to configure Active Directory® to back up recovery information for BitLocker™ and the TPM
• Power Management for Windows Vista Best Practices
  Use computer power plans to reduce consumption with Windows Vista.
• Planning the Windows Vista Deployment at Microsoft
  Describes how Microsoft IT facilitated the deployment of Windows Vista with careful pre-deployment planning.