If I go to the Microsoft Update site, it takes just under 10 seconds for them to see what I need in the way of updates/patches.
If I type a keywork search in my Registry it takes considerably longer to produce a result, so I am confident that MS is only checking the contents of my Win Update folder.
However, let us say that in a weak moment I downloaded from a file sharing site, Office XP, to help with a school project. Can’t afford the original and will dump the download once project is completed.
My question: can/is Microsoft capable of seeing more via something they installed during an Update session than I am lead to believe?
When I go to the Update site and they say, “Drop 'em and bend over!” can they see clear to my tonsils?
It’s worse than that. If you have the latest and greatest version of XP, it will tell on you without your even having to go to Update.
I’m not sure this is appropriate thread material but I have, let’s say “consumer friendly” versions of MS products and I am able to update and download patched with no problem.
Yes.
Not literally, but yes. I had a bootleg of XP that had a notoriously widespread Product Key. It wouldn’t allow me to update SP1 (service pack 1) because it knew I was using a bootleg.
Most likely you won’t run into this problem, because you’ll dump the software as soon as your project is done. 