Is this a fake Microsoft site?

[georgek7]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/home
^^ alleged fake site

I did a Google search to try and find ways to troubleshoot some windows media player problems I was having, and my search led me to this site which I believed was Microsoft. I downloaded this thing called Microsoft Fix It, and during the whole process I noticed a very small number of typos that I wouldn't expect Microsoft to do. So I started getting paranoid because I was starting to feel like what if this isn't really Microsoft and I'm actually downloading some super virus or something.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/default.aspx
^^ This is obviously Microsoft's legit website, and if you compare it with the alleged fake website, you will notice some very minute differences, like the bing search box says "Search Microsoft.com" on the legit website, and it says "Search this website" on the fake one. Also the Windows logo is different as well as the fonts and layout. The legit site says "Explore Windows" and the other says "Discover Windows."

So I'm either extremely paranoid or this really is a fake site...could I get some more opinions?

 

[SNGX1275]

Its not fake.

 

[georgek7]

How do you know

 

[captaincranky]

WTF is wrong with you? Well, other than being, "extremely paranoid".

And if you need an extended explanation, because you can get to the "genuine" M$ page, from the page you're calling a "fake".

 

[LookinAround]

It's a genuine MS web page.

And if one's not certain or just inexperienced for that matter, is better to be cautious and paranoid then reckless on the web these days

 

[LookinAround]

Btw.. you can also get information about the domain name by doing a WHOIS lookup

Many places to do a WHOIS (like here (just copy/paste the url into WHOIS)

In this case you'll also see the web names are registered to Microsoft

 

[georgek7]

I'm not inexperienced but I could not get to the "fake" link from Microsoft's website. And yeah it wouldn't be too hard for the fake site to put a link to the real one somewhere...

Thanks though

 

[captaincranky]

It's a genuine MS web page.

And if one's not certain or just inexperienced for that matter, is better to be cautious and paranoid then reckless on the web these days

It's not really paranoia if they actually out to get you.

 

[LookinAround]

It's not really paranoia if they actually out to get you.

LOL.. Well, i never was able to get this song outta my head...

 

[ruready2]

http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/windows.microsoft.com

You can install MYWOT site adviser ad-on for your browser. I have found it to be 99.9% accurate.

http://tinyurl.com/2c86q8x

 

[captaincranky]

LOL.. Well, i never was able to get this song outta my head...

I just love songs about being crazy. In my day, (cough, cough) we had some of the very best. That and songs about heroine addiction. The title track of this; http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Heroine-...1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1285301430&sr=1-1-spell (rousing prog rock anthem in D minor). "Heroine wore fleecy white, she beckoned like some savior bright".

Le presamtamos; "All the Madmen", (David Bowie), from; http://www.amazon.com/Man-Sold-World-David-Bowie/dp/B00001OH7N

y, "Cherry Blossom Clinic" from "The Move" aqui; http://www.amazon.com/Shazam-Move/dp/B000TJ6C6I/ref=sr_1_7?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1285300199&sr=1-7

"Beautiful Daughter" from the same Move album, doesn't sound anything like "Eleanor Rigby", or does it? I think I'm gonna order a copy of this tonight.

Accordingly, "crazy is as crazy does", early Alice; either http://www.amazon.com/Love-Death-Al...=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1285300445&sr=1-1 and/or http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Alice-...=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1285300445&sr=1-3

Sadly, the only one you can sample is the David Bowie

I should add, to keep this on topic, it is my firm belief, that all of these web pages are genuine...!

 

[Giwrgos]

It is not a fake.It is not a microsoftt home page actually.It is something like a download center.
Do this:
Open www.microsoft.com
Go Downloads & Tips /Windows Download

 

[Guest]

Just to support the original poster: FLAME virus PHISHED Microsoft Windows Automatic Updates, redirecting the download requests to their infected files!
A huge mess two years after this post, depending on what country were in in 2012.

 

[DelJo63]

Examine a URL

http:// domain.name/page.name

the site name is domain.name and the page is page.name ;; what is the http:// ?

That's the prefix, denoting the means (or protocol) of access and there are several, eg

• ftp file gopher http https

Http tells the browser to use port 80, while Https says use 443

So to ask is http:// foo/page a fake site is a misnomer, the correct question should have been
is foo/page fake and then to follow with are both http & https valid protocols to it?

 

[mailpup]

FYI, a five year old thread.