Community poll forum: How do you feel about Windows Genuine Advantage?

What stinks about WGA isn't that it's intrusive, it's that they are putting the responsibility of policing priracy on computer users without any compensation. If I buy a box from a retailer, my interaction is with that retailer, not with Microsoft, and Microsoft's interaction is with the retailer, not me. MS wants me to police their contract with the retailer and do their dirty work for them, which I think entitles me to compensation from Microsoft.
The arguement doesn't turn around and allow them to charge me for patches, since their product is flawed when released.
WGA will report a false negative by the way. My firewall wouldn't allow it to report back and WGA showed positive. Once I allowed it in the firewall the key turned out legit.
Man, I need to learn Linux.

My machine shipped with a customized set of CDs. I don't need to key in the number, but the discs won't install on any other brand (or even different model) of computer.

At the time of release it only had SP1. So I had to spend all the time in the world locating SP2, downloading it, copying off to somewhere safe, then re-installing my computer and then running SP2 before the computer got anywhere back near the net.

I have been postponing a re-install for far too long, and it is getting to the point where I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and do it.

That means that as soon as I'm back on the net, I'm going to be sucking down something like 36 months worth of "updates"--is that really much of an advantage?

As for MS taking "control" of particular machines according to demographic and erasing, shutting down or otherwise invading one's computer, I imagine the international conversion to Linux would be well underway within 24 hours of the first report of such an event occurring. Is it just a rumor, or is Microsoft so stupid to think it could get away with something like that?

That is freegin' scary....

Reminds me of "Big Brother is Watching"! No one should have that much control over your personal computer other than yourself.

Of course MS has a right to prevent piracy. That's a given. Nobody has the right to steal software. But all the methods commercial outfits use to protect themselves are too intrusive, not just at MS, but everywhere in the world I've been. It's insulting and offensive, but that's what happens when so many thieves are out there.

Disable automatic downloads of Windows updates and security patches. Always check to see what you're allowing MS to install when those updates and patches are ready to install. I once found WGA ready for installation after I'd instructed MS not to bother me with it again. They'd obviously ignored my request.

Uninstall Windows Genuine Advantge and download the alternate method: Genuine Check.exe. You can use that whenever you need to download something from MS. I've got that exe file on my desktop and use whenever I have to. It's worked every time for me, and I don't have to put up with having the WGA plug-in call home once a month or so.

Microsoft actually provides instructions for removing the WGA notifications updates...just click here for instructions. Unfortunately some have made it out to be an extremely invasive form of spyware that can only be removed with the usage of special programs/cracks (some of which are illegal) or through wiping the hard drive and starting over. Such claims have needlessly caused many people to become immediately outraged and concerned for their privacy.

John

You can only remove versions 527-532, using Microsoft's own instructions, that's why people use the removeWGA tool. The WGA looks at the main components of your machine to see if they match a certain spec. For instance Microsoft licences for H.P, Dell, Packard Bell, etc. All those machines have to match the specifications of when the machine was bought new. The hardware etc that is checked:
1. Windows product key
2. PC manufacturer
3. Operating System version
4. PID/SID
5. BIOS information (make, version, date)
6. BIOS MD5 Checksum
7. User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
8. System locale (language version of the operating system)
9. Office product key (if validating Office)
10. Hard drive serial number--
Fair enough you may think, till you buy a brand spanking new top of the range graphics card, and or, add some extra memory, and even a bigger hard drive to save all your new games etc on. Then Microsoft will see your copy of Windows as illegal. That's because the spec has changed and does not match with the product key for which it was licenced, e.g H.P, Dell,Packard Bell, or whoever. You could even have a perfectly legal Dell or H.P Disk of Windows, You machine may have been damaged beyond repair. ( you would be amazed at how many computers get damaged beyond repair and are not insured.) So you buy, may be a second hand, or get given another machine cheap, wipe the hard drive, and install your legal Windows system disk. Except the machine is not the one the disk came with. The key number does not match, so that system is seen as illegal too. Even though you are only using it on one computer. There are a lot of reasons why your legal copy of Windows may not pass the validation test. But It should be up to Microsoft to be certain your copy of windows is illegal, before they inform you it MAY be and stick the pop up and star on your machine. Why should the onus be on perfectly legit innocent people to do the contacting of Microsoft and the worry of it. I could give you many more reasons for Microsoft WGA adding 2 and 2 together and coming up with 9. So could anyone who has worked on computer help lines, or in computer repair shops. Of course there are mountain's of illegal copies in circulation, but I would bet 9 out of 10 have not been sold, they have been given. How many times have I heard - " I didn't think I would need the disk, so I chucked it, now I have been given a copy of my mates.) I have lost track of how many people are not even aware of the fact that they can produce their own recovery disk from the bought OEM manufacturers. that's because they do not find out till they ring the help line with the whole system lost. To late to tell them how to do it then, so they have to buy a set from the OEM company concerned at extortionate prices. There are not many people that when they buy an OEM machine actually check what comes with the machine, or even bothered to read the manual to see they need to make the recovery disks. In fact, most think they have no manual, because it is actually on the computer and they would need to print it out themselves, or copy it to a disk or memory pen. But thats another story

yes Mr. Joycee
very easy solution, just that easy as I did the first time this spyware try to install: I took the option "NO" and later checked the box "never tell about this again" (altough I suspect that within sometime the installation will be compulsive).

Neither of these changes the fact of intrusion and false antipiracy action and you can just take the time it took to be reading the tedious list of generally meaningless names of the updates (like "B666G666 fixes unauthorized access to your system").

There only two fixes to make in this MS WGA affaire -for LEGAL users that just could not migrate-: MS retires it completely (as Sonny did in the CD affaire) or LEGAL users should use ILEGAL software to circumvent this sillyness. Tell me, in which of this two ways you combat piracy ?

Regards
Pablo Balonga, PhD

Yes Microsoft has a right to try to prevent piracy of their product. They also have the responcability to ensure that while in the process of stopping that piracy they do not interfear with the legitmate day-to-day use of products that have been payed for. Microsoft however seems to think that something in the order of under 2, 3 or 4% of there product being rendered ''UN-USABLE'' as the result of that piracy prevention is an acceptable number... Well, that is just as UN-acceptable as the original piracy and is nothing more or less, than the reverse side of the exact same coin!
If 'MICROSOFT' can not find a remedy for this situation (and since it is a situation of their creation it is up to them to remedy and not the customer) Microsoft should be forced to provide these people with new hard drives and Operating systems for those drives that will funtion. So the affected parties could install (or have installed) the new drives and use there existing drive as back-ups and be able to retrieve there information from the originall drves so nothing is lost to them.
In addition to this remedy microsoft should in the interests of ''Customer Relations'' be forced to provide some type of compensation for the loss of time to these consumers, in as much as Microsoft itself charges a fee for it's ''custmer services'' (ie. Time Spent). Perhaps, the monies for all of this could be generated from the vigorous prosecution of real pirates. ''That would be as opposed to 'Wining and Dining' Them when they visit from Asia Mr. Gates. Since something on the order of one in five windows operating systems are pirated and the VAST majority of those are in China (That's called ''sleeping with the Enemy''). Anecdoticaly, Why would you be surprise when you wake to find a ''Figurative'', Knife to your throat?
These people that find themselves in this situation should seek each other out and begin to confront Microfoft with one voice since there is strength in numbers. Hopefully Microsoft would see the wisdom in voluntarily agreeing to something on this order. Then at least restitution could begin to be made. Since Piracy is going to be part of our reality for some time to come, so should the cure for these thousands of innocent affected individuals.
That's my oppinion on piracy with just a little ''Sauce for the Goose'' added.............

Dave ''Grrrumpy'' Bell

ME TOO

Personally, I agree that Microsoft has the right to protect from piracy, but in this case I believe they are over the top. This software sends information to Microsoft and they know what you have and who knows what else, then they can shut you down if you don't register with them, even though you purchase the OS from them or from a reputable dealer.
Of course you must use IE if you want to download updates from their website, or use automatic update, which can put some spyware on your system too. I use firefox and windizupdate to download just what I need in the way of updates to my system.
If Linux was just a little bit easier to install and use, I would be gone from ever using this OS again.

The only thing that separates WGA from the dictionary definition of spyware is that it is installed on your computer with your knowledge. Other than that it functions as spyware. It gathers and transmits data about your computer and who knows what else to an offsite location. Microsoft along with every other software vendor puts you through the ringer with their EULAs before you can use the software. Conversely, we should at least be offered the oppourtunity to inspect and either accept or reject the data that is leaving the computer for parts unknown or untrusted.

And I trust Microsoft as far as I can toss Bill Gates net worth.

Does anyone remember when Identity Theft was just something that geeks ranted about? Its been 20 years or so now.

I have to wonder what true criminals will make of the ''right'' to do whatever is required to ''stop piracy'' on their software/songs/videos/images?

Sony/BMG has already illustrated the problem for us. I am just waiting until the embedded Windows used to manage so many cars causes some disaster like random brake lockups due to a ''copy protected'' CD in the radio or something similar.

All of the pieces are in place for this to happen folks, just like the tools for Identity Theft were laying around for the first criminal to misuse them.

Every democratic country accepts that everybody has the right to do not declare against himself.

WCA is a way to declare against yourself.

This is true whether or not the installation were not tricky as it is now.

We all ought to fight piracy as we fight crime in the streets, but in doing so we must respect the essencial human rights.


Pablo Balonga, PHD

While MS does have a right to protect against piracy, they do not have the right to do so at the expense of my privacy. They also do not have the right to do so in the disingenuous manner in which they did. In fact, I would have to say the method they used was downright underhanded.

The reason I say underhanded is because they placed an update in the Critical Update section that in no way impacts the security of my system. In fact, the only people this update is critical to in MS itself. Not installing it does not put my system at risk either from hackers or from a system stability aspect. It does absolutely nothing for me as an end user.

If you want to have a bit of fun get a computer without WGA installed and then go into the update site. Uncheck the WGA update and then check the do not show me this update again box. Now sit back and be prepared to be nagged by MS. They will nag you every time you go to the update site. And going even further they will nag you every time you unlock your firewall and allow them to go on the internet. You will see a pop up nag box over the Security Center icon in the system tray. The only way to stop that BS is to turn off the auto-loading of Security Center on startup.

I bought and paid for my copy of Windows and it is a legitimate copy. MS has decided that everyone is a suspected pirate until proven innocent. We can't be trusted so it is up to them to check every copy of windows. Sorry, MS, but there are other OS's out there that presume I am innocent and can be trusted. Guess who is going to get my next business purchase... I don't need to deal with someone who thinks I can't be trusted.