Microsoft closes private folders amid user outcry

Stan Beer
Monday, 17 July 2006 05:24

Your IT - Home IT

"Keep your folders open!" the public cried, and Microsoft jumped to the command. After just one week, Microsoft has canned a new freeware release called Private Folder 1.0 after a public outcry. The free download would enable users to save their data to password protected data encrypted folders.

Microsoft released the product download as an incentive for users to sign up to its Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) anti-piracy campaign, the idea being that users willing to submit to WGA product verification would be given Private Folders 1.0 as a reward. Microsoft believed that customers would appreciate having the ability to securely lock away their data from prying eyes. The software company was wrong.

User groups raised their voices in a public groundswell of concern. One issue was that data could be unrecoverable if passwords were lost. Another issue was that parents didn't like the idea of their children keeping naughty files hidden on home PCs away from their prying eyes. Likewise, corporations were concerned that workers could store data unchecked on company storage.

It seems that Microsoft is making policy on the run these days like a beleagured government.

The recent WGA fiasco, where users have complained that the software is spyware, has forced the company to modify the software hurriedly so that it doesn't do daily check-ins with home base. Now the company has pulled back a product release which even supporters say was hasty and ill-conceived.

Like a government under pressure, Microsoft is also facing an increasing number of challenges from all sides.

The European Commission has recently fined the software company US$357 million for non-compliance with antitrust regulations; users have issued a class action law suit against WGA, claiming it is spyware; anti-virus vendor Symantec has launched a legal action against Microsoft for alleged misappropriation of intellectual property claimed to be part of Vista; and Adobe has forbidden Microsoft to include a save Office 2007 files in PDF format.

As if all that wasn't enough, Microsoft has announced slippage on the release of Office 2007 and hinted that the release of Vista will also once again be pushed back.