Windows New Registration Process Collects Personal Information

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This page is only used to restrict the amount of personal information transmitted to Microsoft during registration. It will not bypass the required registration of Microsoft products. Since no one is completely sure what is being transmitted and Microsoft will not be open about its registration process when questioned by industry leaders, our company policy is to limit the transmission of personal information to Microsoft databases.

To use Windows Update, you have register XP. If you want support from Microsoft without having to give them your private data (name, email, phone, ...), you can use the following registry hack to fool XP into thinking that XP has been registered. This is essentially the same hack used in Win98 to block registration. Don't be confused - this is not blocking Product Activation. This will only work if you have not installed XP. If you have installed XP and there is internet connectivity, you already are registered.

Before you upgrade: Disconnect your PC from the network/internet. Remember that during XP setup, you must click "No" when setup asks you to use Windows Dynamic Update. Dynamic Update is nothing more than a "registration" to obtain your personal information, it does not update any files for installation.

• (Skip) Dynamic update - because that connects to Microsoft and will automatically register XP.
• Once the installation is completed, reboot to Safe mode.
• Click Start
• Click Run
• Rename %systemroot%\System32\regwizc.dll and %systemroot%\System32\Dllcach\regwizc.dll to "regwizc.dll.bak" to block it from running. By renaming the regwizc DLL, it blocks other windows components from registering XP to Microsoft.
• Apply registry this adjustment:
• Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion
• Name: RegDone
• Type: REG_SZ
• Value: 1
  And you have just registered XP, without Microsoft.

Change the IE home page to something besides Microsoft's web site. Reboot to Normal mode and reconnect your nic card before the XP Windows GUI loads.

But after activation, Microsoft creates another "regwiz.dll" so you need to go back and rename it again (very sneaky of them). Also, several new Service Packs and Internet Explorer 7.0 attempt to "re-register" your PC by replacing the same file - watch out.

Now, you may go "update" your out-dated operating system, without giving too much personal info.

To Microsoft: In programming and in life, it's always a good idea to close the doors you open.

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