Bonum Certa Men Certa

How Microsoft Discourages Use of Competitors' Products

One word: F.U.D.

SOME months ago we showed recent examples of technical sabotage at Microsoft and about a year ago we explained what Microsoft did to DR-DOS [1, 2, 3, 4]. One of our readers pointed out that Bill Gates had some personal involvement [PDF] and in fact one exhibit reveals: "Bill Gates ordered to all application business units to include checking routines of operating environments and if it is Microsoft DOS, nothing will happen."



DOS screen



We actually found the code that was prepared for the court to have a look at. It's Microsoft code, which produces errors like "may void valuable warranty protection provided by.”

We have produced a plain text copy of this scan [PDF] by hand, for those who are interested:







/******************************************************** *DisplayAlienDosMessage * *Purpose: * Displays a warning message if the user is running * a non MS or IBM PC DOS machine (i.e. pirated DOS). * Returns: * none ******************************************************** int near DisplayA1ienDosMessage(void) {

print(9,TAE,”WARNING: Microsoft QuickPascal has been tested for use”); print(lO,TAB,"only with the MS-DOS and PC-DOS operating systems.”); print(12,TAB,"Your use of this product with another operating system"); print(13,TAB,"may void valuable warranty protection provided by”); print(14,TAB,"Mlcrosoft on QuickPascal."); print(16,TAB,”...Press any key to continue’); getch(); return(1); }

/*** *main - setup's main *Purpose: * main code for setup. Initialize stuff and do the setup. * *Entry: * argC, argV as in ‘the bible” (K&R) *Exit: * void, note that setup exits from “terminate" not main. ******************************************************************* / void NEAR main ( argC, argV ) int argC; unsigned char *argV [];

{ extern ME1~4U contMaiu; extern unsigned char sDrive; // set if sourcedir non- default int retVal; unreferenced (argC);

InitVideo();

. if (!Verify_DOS ();

DisplayAlienDosMessage ();

if (argV[O](1)==’:’) // don’t assume drive A: sDrive = (unsigned char) toupper(*argv[O]); JnitDefOptions ();

if(GrabMemory()) { retVal = DoThatStateThing (); ReleaseMemory Q; } else ( ppszErrLns= ppszErrTable [ OUTOFMEM ]; AlertState ( &contMenu, 1.2, dispGenErr); retVal = rv_JtJSTEXIT;

} terminate (retVal); // exits setup} }






It all seems eerily familiar.

'We recommend that we *informally* plant the bug of FUD in their ears. "Have you heard about problems with DR DOS?"'

--Internal Microsoft communication [PDF]



Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

Sounds Like IBM is Preparing for Mass Layoffs/Redundancies in Red Hat, Albeit in "PIP" (Performance Improvement Plan) or "Relocation" Clothing
This isn't the "old" IBM; they're applying pressure by confusion and humiliation
Gemini Links 17/04/2025: Role of Language and Back to Mutt for E-mail
Links for the day
 
Egypt is Controlled by Google, Not Microsoft
Moving from Microsoft to Google is not the answer
Microsofters Say They Cannot Find a Job (That They Want) Because of Techrights, But Techrights Merely Reported on Their Behaviour
Quit pointing the finger at people who are recipients of abuse or merely mention the abuse
Free Software and Standards - Not Marketing Blitz - Needed Amid Growing Severity of Dependency on Hostile Suppliers (or Another Country's Sovereignty)
ZenDiS can be described as the "Center for Digital Sovereignty of Public Administration"
When It Comes to the Web, Google is Evil and It Destroys the Web's Integrity With LLM Slop
Even academia, which is meant to keep standards high, is being lured into LLM slop
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, April 18, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, April 18, 2025
Links 18/04/2025: "Fentanylware (TikTok) Exodus Continues", Chinese Weapons Allegedly in Russia Already
Links for the day
Gemini Links 18/04/2025: Price of Games and State of Tinylog
Links for the day
"Sayonara" (さよなら), Microsoft
Windows had fallen below iOS in some countries
Links 18/04/2025: Layoffs at Microsoft Infosys and Qt Becoming Increasingly Proprietary (Plus Slop)
Links for the day
Google News is Dying
treating MElon's algorithmic/biased site as a source of verified news
Microsoft's Attack Dogs Have Failed. Now What?
It would be utterly foolish to assume that Microsoft has any intention of changing
All Your "Github Projects" Will be Gone One Day (Just Like Skype)
If you have code you wish to share and keep, then start learning how to do so on your own
To Understand Who's Truly Controlling You Follow the Trail of Censorship (or Self-Censorship)
Do not let media steal and steer the narrative; CoCs are not about "social justice", they're about corporate domination
Fedora Already Lost Its Soul Under IBM
Fedora used to be very strict compared to many other distros and it had attracted very bright volunteers
Microsoft is Still Attacking GNU/Linux and the Net
Microsoft bribed the government using money that did not even exist
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 17, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 17, 2025
Gemini Links 18/04/2025: Pinephone Pro and Linux is too Easy
Links for the day
Links 17/04/2025: Calling Whistleblowers at Microsoft, Slop Doing More Harm Everywhere
Links for the day
Links 17/04/2025: Russian Bot Farms Infect TikTok (Which US Government and SCOTUS Decided to Block January 19), US Hardware Stocks Crash Due to Tariffs
Links for the day
Gemini Links 17/04/2025: Sticking to Free Software, Smolnet, and Counting the Reals
Links for the day
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: In Conclusion and Enforcement Action Proceeds Against OSI at the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)
There's too much to cover in one single part
When You Fail to Filter Your Clients You End Up SLAPPing Reporters on Behalf of Bad People From Microsoft in Another Continent
“American Psycho”
Links 17/04/2025: LayoffBot and Tesla Cheats Buyers
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 16, 2025