Windows’ Quirky Bluetooth Drivers and the Sound Forge Saga
Last week, I shared an intriguing tidbit about the Bluetooth drivers associated with Windows, a topic that might not immediately evoke thoughts of charm or whimsy. Yet, it turns out there is a delightful layer to this story. Microsoft had to make an unexpected adjustment in its Bluetooth driver code for a specific device—the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000, which debuted in 2006. The reason? A simple ® symbol in the mouse’s name inadvertently caused the driver code to falter.
Following the publication of that story, a reader named Bill (not Gates) reached out with a fascinating piece of Windows history that easily eclipsed the Bluetooth blunder. He referenced an archived article from PC Welt, where an editor delved into the .wav files bundled with Windows. The initial impression upon opening these files in Notepad is one of confusion, as they appear as a jumble of letters. However, scrolling to the very bottom reveals something unexpected: a watermark that indicates the software used by the Microsoft musician to create these sound files.
At first glance, this revelation might seem mundane. The watermark indicates that the software in question is ‘Sound Forge’—a professional-grade tool priced at 0, used for crafting WAV, AIFF, MP3, and other audio formats. It’s not surprising that Microsoft would employ professional software. But then comes the twist: who is ‘DeepzOne’?
DeepzOne, it turns out, was a member of the Warez group Radium, known for cracking music software. Alongside an individual using the alias ‘Sandor,’ he co-founded this group in 1997. Notably, DeepzOne was responsible for circulating a cracked version of Sound Forge 4.5 just a few years prior.
A follow-up report from Tom’s Hardware revealed that a member of Radium had tipped off PC Welt about this curious connection. The irony was palpable, especially considering Microsoft’s public stance against software piracy at the time, while the music industry was embroiled in lawsuits against teenagers for downloading MP3s. What could be more ironic than discovering that Microsoft had potentially used a cracked version of Sound Forge to produce sound effects included with every copy of Windows XP?
Despite the scandal, Microsoft denied any wrongdoing, asserting that it had secured the necessary licenses. The company explained to Beta News that a placeholder file had been replaced with original music, but the metadata referencing ‘DeepzOne’ had not been purged.
As discussions about this incident resurfaced in forums, it became apparent that many users were largely indifferent. By 2007, when the topic was revisited, some expressed frustration that it was labeled as “old news.” One user lamented, “What DO people consider as news?” They contrasted the significance of this revelation with tabloid headlines, arguing that the world’s largest software company being caught using pirated software while reaping billions was indeed a matter of importance.
In the realm of forgotten stories, it seems there’s also a need to remind Entertainment Tonight about the exhilarating experience of Space Cadet Pinball running at an astonishing 5,000 frames per second.
