Free Windows Vista, Office, Money and more - Just forfeit your privacy!

iowaholdem

iowaholdem

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That's right! For the small price of your privacy, you can get the following Microsoft products for free:
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit DVD)
  • Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007
  • Microsoft Money Plus Premium
  • Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008
  • Microsoft Streets and Trips 2008
Just visit http://wfp.microsoft.com (WFP = Windows Feedback Program) and agree to install a sort of tracking software on your computer for three months and you'll get ONE those programs for free.

Note that you will receive your product only after we have confirmed that you have:
  • Entered a valid e-mail and shipping address.
  • Fully completed the survey.
  • Downloaded and installed the software on Windows Vista or Windows XP.
  • Used our software for at least 3 months on a Windows Vista or Windows XP computer that is periodically connected to the internet.
We will verify that you’ve used the Windows Feedback Program software for three months, and then we’ll send your gift to you. If we detect that your computer does not send data, we will notify you.
Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable. This offer expires on 12/31/2007, while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are your sole responsibility.
Click to expand...

Requirements?
  • Participation is currently limited to US residents of 18 years and older.
  • You are the owner of the computer you use for this program.
  • The automated feedback program is offered to Windows Vista and Windows XP customers only.
  • The survey feedback program applies to all versions of Windows.
  • Microsoft, comScore, and MarketTools employees are not eligible to participate.
What exactly am I installing?
You will be installing a small application called "Windows Feedback Panel" on your PC. This application starts up automatically every time you log in to Windows and silently collects data about your PC's hardware and settings as well as some basic information about how you use your PC. The first time the application runs, it also collects information about how your files are organized.
Click to expand...
Personally, I'm going to bite. I've just created a second partition for a clean install of XP that I'll install the tracking software on for three months and then delete that partition and continue to go about my merry way. I'll pop in on that XP partition from time to time to fulfil the requirements of occasionally accessing the internet and answering feedback surveys.

So ask yourself this: "Am I willing to sell my privacy to Microsoft for some free software?" If so, go ahead and sign up. If not, and understandably so, avoid this like the plague.

UPDATE!
If you plan to dual boot, that is to say you have two partitions (one with your personal OS and another with your WFP OS), I just found a great fix to hide and lock on partition from the other. So, what you do is log in to your WFP OS, follow the steps on this page: Hide and lock any drive(s) using regedit - ZomgStuff Forum and then your personal OS (and files) should be fully hidden and locked away from anyone trying to access them from your WFP OS.
 
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Would it be able to detect that I'm running a pirated copy of Vista already? :lol:

But no, seriously, even if it was possible, do you think Microsoft even cares if you download anything illegally, unless it's their product of course. I don't think Microsoft is going to lose sleep over you illegally downloading the new Britney Spears CD while watching an illegal copy of the Nanny Diaries.
 
[quote name='Link127']does option 2 - the Survey Feedback one - get you a prize? I'd like to have Vista on my Mac as well.[/quote]You have to do both options to get the free prize.
 
thanks TC i bit and hope to get windows vista, but i have one question it says offer expires on 12-31-07 so does that mean the thing ends and our three months wont count or do we just need to be registered before 12-31.

this is awesome and thanks again :applause:
 
[quote name='reicaden']this sounds awesome :) I am for sure in for one!

I signed up, doesnt seem to be dead. ....[/QUOTE]

I can sign up, but there is nothing about receiving software for participation.
I found another sight with the old page cached to show that they have removed the incentive.
Maybe it will show back up in a few days.
 
I'm betting it'll show up in a few days.

The OP has been updated with a link to a page that will tell you how to use regedit to lock and hide any partitions. This will be useful for those of you that want to dual boot but keep your privacy on one partition. Check it out.
 
I'd do it if it wasn't Vista. Maybe if it was XP. Vista is like the hot girl in high school. It looks pretty, functions well, but once you remove all the flashiness it has more viruses than (insert Hilton).
 
Anybody know if the computer actually has to be used during the three months? I have a spare laptop that I haven't touched since I got my new one and that would be a great candidate to use for this spyware. Othewise, I just don't see myself knowingly inviting the richest man in the world to examine my PC.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']Othewise, I just don't see myself knowingly inviting the richest man in the world to examine my PC.[/QUOTE]

You know all this is for is so Bill Gates can laugh at everyone else's vastly inferior computers.
 
How much memory does the the OS by itself take up. I've got a macBook dual booting Leopard and XP. My XP's partition is 32GB and had like 24GB left to use on my other programs after I installed it.
 
Memory or hard drive space?

[quote name='maurinho_10']How much memory does the the OS by itself take up. I've got a macBook dual booting Leopard and XP. My XP's partition is 32GB and had like 24GB left to use on my other programs after I installed it.[/quote]
 
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/07/12/12/microsoft-yanks-free-vista-office-offer

According to my understanding of "Under a section titled "What about the free product?", the program's Web site spelled out the freebie. "If you are a Windows Vista or Windows XP user and decide to join and participate in both programs, we will send you a free Microsoft product when you participate in the program. Limit one gift per person. This offer is non-transferable. This offer expires on 12/31/07, while supplies last, and is not redeemable for cash. Taxes, if any, are your sole responsibility.""

The new "contract" just means if you got in while it was alive, nice because I'm going to go ahead and say it's dead now. Woot! Hopefully that copy of ultimate comes in!
 
I just read that a minute ago too. That thing is over. I guess I got here a little too late. Thanks for the heads up though guys, keep it up.
 
I sent them an email on the contact us page to verify if those that signed up and were able to select a free item are actually going to get it. Will update on a response.
 
It probably would have stayed alive a lot longer if not for everyone trying to rip Microsoft off.

They're offering a program in exchange for market research, $200+ programs for you doing absolutely nothing, a very generous offer, yet of course all of the scum of the "deal world" (SlickDeals, FatWallet, CAG, etc) have to piss in the pot by trying to get something for nothing.
 
[quote name='Koggit']It probably would have stayed alive a lot longer if not for everyone trying to rip Microsoft off.

They're offering a program in exchange for market research, $200+ programs for you doing absolutely nothing, a very generous offer, yet of course all of the scum of the "deal world" (SlickDeals, FatWallet, CAG, etc) have to piss in the pot by trying to get something for nothing.[/QUOTE]


Lemme get this straight: You're pissed that people are trying to "get something for nothing" in a deal that involves people doing, as you said, "absolutely nothing." How are people ripping them off? Doing nothing IS part of the deal.

Anyhoo, I'm peeved that I missed out on this.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']Lemme get this straight: You're pissed that people are trying to "get something for nothing" in a deal that involves people doing, as you said, "absolutely nothing." How are people ripping them off? Doing nothing IS part of the deal.

Anyhoo, I'm peeved that I missed out on this.[/QUOTE]

True.

Getting pissed about people getting something for free, when your aim was to do the same?

Priceless.
 
Anyone who resorts to picking apart words instead of ideas knows they have no ground to stand on.


All MS asked for in return is market research, which did not involve any effort on the user's end, just install a program. People are going out of their way to deny Microsoft of market research, with virtual machines and partitions, to get the free item without giving Microsoft what they asked for.

It's taking advantage of corporate generosity, which is a very common occurance on "deal" sites.
 
I'm getting on my XP to check email and internet feeds/sites with google reader (and firefox heh) so as far as I'm concerned I'm doing exactly what they're asking me to do. Just doing everything else on my main partition. But then again I can't blame the scum of the deals site, they're everywhere and if you snooze you lose. I mean really, strike while the iron is hot because if you don't someone else will [one too many cliches, I know.] You either make it in time or you don't, doesn't everyone know that by now?
 
[quote name='Danomano89']I'd do it if it wasn't Vista. Maybe if it was XP. Vista is like the hot girl in high school. It looks pretty, functions well, but once you remove all the flashiness it has more viruses than (insert Hilton).[/quote]


:roll:
 
Yeah, we've noticed. I (personally) still think that they'll start the giveaway promotion again, but that's just my bet. When the Microsoft Live games thing was going on, they pulled the Vista from that prize section for a week or two before putting it back up.
 
[quote name='Koggit']Anyone who resorts to picking apart words instead of ideas knows they have no ground to stand on.


All MS asked for in return is market research, which did not involve any effort on the user's end, just install a program. People are going out of their way to deny Microsoft of market research, with virtual machines and partitions, to get the free item without giving Microsoft what they asked for.

It's taking advantage of corporate generosity, which is a very common occurance on "deal" sites.[/QUOTE]


While I'm picking apart words, I thought I'd point out that lovely oxymoron. Seriously? You think they are being generous with this deal? Their whole purpose of giving those items is to get people to sign up for the research. I understand your point and think it's a perfectly valid argument, but to call what they are doing generous really seems to be missing the intent of the promotion. If they were truly being benevolent, they'd give the software away with no strings attached (which of course would be ridiculous).
 
MS was not giving this software away just out of the goodness of their heart. they've been trying to get people to sign up for this monitoring crap forever but people won't do it. They finally resorted to bribing people with free software in order to get them to turn over the market data they want.
 
[quote name='basketkase543']While I'm picking apart words, I thought I'd point out that lovely oxymoron. Seriously? You think they are being generous with this deal? Their whole purpose of giving those items is to get people to sign up for the research. I understand your point and think it's a perfectly valid argument, but to call what they are doing generous really seems to be missing the intent of the promotion. If they were truly being benevolent, they'd give the software away with no strings attached (which of course would be ridiculous).[/QUOTE]

They could have offered much less valuable incentives and people would have still jumped at the opportunity, simply because there is very little for the user to do. They could have offered two free downloads from the Zune Marketplace and would have likely had as many people sign up as they needed -- instead, they offered software worth several hundred dollars.

A more direct answer to your question is that I consider their offer generous, yes.
 
[quote name='Koggit']They could have offered much less valuable incentives and people would have still jumped at the opportunity, simply because there is very little for the user to do. They could have offered two free downloads from the Zune Marketplace and would have likely had as many people sign up as they needed -- instead, they offered software worth several hundred dollars.

A more direct answer to your question is that I consider their offer generous, yes.[/quote]

agreed. microsoft is one of the few (if not only) company that has the resources to give away so much for doing something like this. they arnt directly making money from it either, and im sure they know that a lot of ppl will just uninstall it after 3 months.
 
Does anybody know if we signed up while they offered the free prizes and downloaded the software, but didn't install it yet, if we'll still get it? I completed the survey and donwloaded the software, but didn't have time to install it. I'm not going to bother to let Microsoft make me a guinea pig if I'm not going to get something out of it.
 
I sent an e-mail to MS to make sure I got in under the deadline for the free prize. I haven't gotten a live response but here's the canned FAQ they've sent me so far:

Thank you for your inquiry about the Windows Feedback Program. Because of the high level of interest in the Program, we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions below.

If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to email [email protected] and we will make every effort to get back to you.

Thank You,
The Windows Experience Team


Frequently Asked Questions:

What happened to the free product offer?
The offer for complimentary Microsoft products was removed from the program when the supply of gifts ran out on December 11, 2007 at 2 p.m. PT.

How do I know whether I made the deadline to qualify for the free product offer?
If you entered your shipping address on our Web site and selected a free product from the list, you have successfully entered the program. (Please also see How long will it take to receive my free product?)

I know it says that participation is currently limited to the U.S, but are there any plans to roll out WFP in other countries?
The purpose of the Windows Feedback Program (WFP) is to provide a stable panel of customers who are willing to engage in feedback activities with Microsoft. We are exploring options for expanding the program to include international participants.

When did this program kick off? I can find references to it back in early November, for instance. Was that its official debut?
Actually, the WFP is an ongoing feedback program that has been active for more than five years.

[FONT=&quot]I can understand why a premium was given, but why is the program still active when there is no compensation to the user?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We still have customers sign up regularly, and they receive other incentives to participate. For example, when they are invited to take a survey, there is often a gift option or a sweepstakes associated with the invitation. [/FONT]

I started the free offer enrollment process before 2 p.m. PT but didn’t get to finish until the offer closed. Do I still receive a free software product?
All customers who entered their name and email address on the first enrollment page before the program closed at 2 p.m. PT on December 11, 2007 are eligible to receive the free offer. We review the timestamps in our system to select eligible customers, and these participants will be sent an email in January to get them up and running with the automated feedback tool, request that they pick their free product and provide us with a shipping address. If you believe you are eligible for the free gift, but have not received an email from us by January 31, 2008, please contact [email protected].

I signed up to participate in the Program, but have not received any follow-up information. Am I participating?
If you have not heard anything from us recently, it may just mean we have not sent out a survey. If you are an automated feedback program participant, you will be notified in the event that we do not receive any data from your PC.

Once I’ve been confirmed as a participant eligible for the free product, how long will it take for me to receive my free software?
You will receive your free product after we have confirmed that you:
A)Entered a valid email and shipping address;
B)Fully completed the survey;
C)Downloaded and installed the test software on Windows Vista or Windows XP; and
D)Used the designated software for at least 3 months on a Windows Vista or Windows XP computer that is periodically connected to the internet.

Once we have confirmed your eligibility, your gift will be sent to you. If we detect that your computer does not send data, you will be notified via email.

What if I didn’t receive an email confirming my enrollment in the free product offer?
If you did not receive an email confirming your enrollment, and you are not able to continue with the registration process, please check your junk mail folder. In addition, you may also want to add these email addresses to your ‘safe’ contacts list:
·[email protected]
·[email protected]

If you follow the above steps and still do not receive a confirmation email, try registering again from the beginning: http://wfp.microsoft.com.

All customers who entered their name and email address on the first enrollment page before we closed the free product offer program at 2 p.m. PT on December 11, 2007 are eligible to receive their free product.

What if I didn’t receive an email to confirm my registration?
We do not send a separate email at the end of the registration process. The setup wizard of the automated feedback tool ends with a page that confirms your registration. You can also check whether it is installed properly on your PC by following these steps:

·Windows Vista Instructions:
    • Click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and features.
    • See Microsoft Windows Feedback Panel 3.3 in the list.
·Windows XP Instructions:
    • Click Start, click Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Change or Remove Programs.
    • See Microsoft Windows Feedback Panel 3.3 in the list.
If we are not receiving data from your PC, you will be notified via email.

I received a message prompting me to contact [email protected]during installation of the automated feedback software. What does this mean?
After completing the survey and installing the software, you may receive a message that prompts you to enter your email address again. You may also receive a message that the email address didn't match the one on file with Microsoft. After entering it again, you will receive a notification to contact [email protected]. If you are sure you are using the correct email address, you may want to check your firewall application. Please make sure it is set to allow wfpuserreg.exe and wfpservice.exe access to the internet on outgoing TCP ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS). Both of these applications are located in "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Feedback Panel". If that does not resolve the issue, please email us again at [email protected] with the subject line “email not recognized”.

How can I be removed from the program?
If you are already participating in the Windows Feedback Program and would like to be removed, please contact us at [email protected] including the phrase “remove” in the subject line. Please note that after requesting to be removed, you may still receive another invite before the removal process has been completed.
If you recently received an invite to join the program and you would prefer to no longer receive promotional offers or research emails from Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Profile Center.

How can I uninstall the software?

·Windows Vista Instructions:
    • Click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and features.
    • Remove Microsoft Windows Feedback Panel 3.3.
·Windows XP Instructions:
    • Click Start, click Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, and then click Change or Remove Programs.
    • Remove Microsoft Windows Feedback Panel 3.3.
What if I’ve changed my e-mail address?
If you are already a member of the Windows Feedback Program, please submit your new email address to [email protected] and your contact information will be updated.
 
Has anyone heard anything more from MS on this? My guess is at some point after 3 months (late March or early April) we may get some sort of message saying we completed participation.
 
[quote name='Chitown021']Has anyone heard anything more from MS on this? My guess is at some point after 3 months (late March or early April) we may get some sort of message saying we completed participation.[/quote]

I have yet to receive anything from Microsoft. I would have expected at least one survey by now.
 
Email from MS:

Thank you for participating in the Windows Feedback Program!

This message is to notify you that you are a registered member of the program, and so far you have met all requirements to qualify for the free product offer. Congratulations!

As a reminder, when you registered for the program, we stated that you will receive your product only after we have confirmed that you have:

· Entered a valid e-mail and shipping address.
· Fully completed the survey.
· Downloaded and installed the software on Windows Vista or XP.
· Used our software for at least 3 months on a Windows Vista or XP computer that is periodically connected to the Internet.
As part of the registration process, we indicated that if we detect your computer not to be sending data, you would be notified accordingly.

We are currently receiving data from your PC on a frequent basis, and as soon as you complete the 3 months participation term, your free product selection will be sent to the mailing address you submitted at registration.

Your product selection:
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit DVD)

Your address:
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx

You may also receive an occasional invitation to participate in a Windows product survey, though this is not guaranteed.

If you have any questions, or if your mailing address has changed, please contact us at [email protected].

Thank You,
The Windows Experience Team
 
I got that email the other day too. I figured I was SOL since I thought I remember reading there would be weekly surveys, and I hadn't gotten any.
 
[quote name='iowaholdem']I got the email too even though I haven't accesses that partition in about a month. Maybe I should do that soon.[/quote]


Well they must be receiving feedback from the program you installed because that e-mail confirms your participation. Plus they'd send you an e-mail if they weren't getting info.
 
I got the email too. I am just wondering if my copy of Vista is going to be retail or OEM. I can't decide whether I want to keep it or not... BTW I am not complaining at all. A free copy of Vista Ultimate edition is awesome.
 
Same here I'm wondering if this will be retail copies like the prizes offered for the Live search games or if it will be a download only copy like the software offered awhile back for watching those on-line training videos. I got a download copy of Office in that training thing.
 
[quote name='Chitown021']Same here I'm wondering if this will be retail copies like the prizes offered for the Live search games or if it will be a download only copy like the software offered awhile back for watching those on-line training videos. I got a download copy of Office in that training thing.[/quote]


I got the same email over the weekend as well. I've been using my computer a lot so they should have some good feedback from my computer.

Someone on another who has been on the feedback program as well said they send out retail copies of their products. :applause:
 
I got my office ultimate software and it was a student edition, but it is a full retail liscenced version. It came with letter and e-mail to print stating this info. I am sure you will get hard copy and not a download. I also have already removed the spyware.
 
dang, i was close, my email says december 11 at 9 am or so, and they ran out of them at what would be 4 pm here. just in time
 
I'll bet that when the software comes, it'll all be retail versions. With the Live Search Club, they sent out a retail box of Vista to those of us that ordered one. I don't see why they wouldn't do the same here.
 
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