Once again a Windows home-call 'feature' raises concern of Microsoft software users. The search assistant ( wizard like running in background ) is spying on the PC users searching behaviour according to an article at The Register. If one makes use of the function it gathers your IP adress, the search terms that you type and more. This does not only apply to internet (online) searches but also to searching for files and folders on your local computer. Read more...

Windows XP Search Companion is calling home to the Microsoft website sa.windows.com when connected to the internet and transmitting the gathered information. During existing internet connections further files on the PC were compared, loaded and replaced with the Windows servers. There would however be no ppload of data on Microsoft servers The Register writes. One of the files the assistant fetches is the MS Search Companion privacy statement. (Oh really? I would have liked to read this earlier...) MS Search Companion privacy statement