Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft Other Vista Discussions Discuss Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft in the Windows Vista forums; Are you using Windows Vista? Then you might as well know that the licensed operating system installed on your machine is harvesting a healthy volume of information for Microsoft. In ...

[allen6368]

Are you using Windows Vista? Then you might as well know that the licensed operating system installed on your machine is harvesting a healthy volume of information for Microsoft. In this context, a program such as the Windows Genuine Advantage is the last of your concerns. In fact, in excess of 20 Windows Vista features and services are hard at work collecting and transmitting your personal data to the Redmond company.

Microsoft makes no secret about the fact that Windows Vista is gathering information. End users have little to say, and no real choice in the matter. The company does provide both a Windows Vista Privacy Statement and references within the End User License Agreement for the operating system. Combined, the resources paint the big picture over the extent of Microsoft's end user data harvest via Vista.

Source @ Forget about the WGA! 20+ Windows Vista Features and Services Harvest User Data for Microsoft - From your machine! - Softpedia

[airman]

Thats why i have always turned off these services that send the info or as many as I can and also run a firewall that tells me what is being sent from my system and if i do not know or do not want it sent to the other party i will block the transmission to the other party and that ahas been the way i run my systems for years. I am not as paranoid as a lot of MS users thats why i beta tested Vista and did the feedback program offer to get free software from MS and i have been really happy with the some 1000.00 worth of software I have received from MS for my involvement with there software.

[crabby]

The information is used the same way as your banks and store cards use your transaction history. There is a company in the UK called Tesco, which is a huge Grocery store and they are constantly being brought up by the media for the huge amount of information they keep on the shopping habits of their 'Clubcard' users. They use the information to make deals and store layouts which will pshycologically make the most money out of their customers.

In return I get to go on holiday for a quater of the price! Swings and roundabouts

I guess my point is, as long as the information is not personal then I really don't care what gets sent. Sometimes though, you do wonder how much information a company needs!

crabby