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Microsoft Offers Uninstall For Antipiracy Tool
David Utter
Staff Writer
2006-06-28
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The Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications software has been rereleased in a new package that disables the "phone home" component.
 | | Microsoft Offers Uninstall For Antipiracy Tool |  |
Many users did not appreciate one part of Microsoft's WGA Notifications package that would ping a Microsoft server on startup, especially since Microsoft didn't disclose that would be happening. ZDNet reported how Microsoft has released instructions on disabling and removing the annoying software.
Microsoft described this test as a "pilot program," only the company did not provide a way of opting out of it. The pilot program has ended, and Automatic Updates will begin pulling in the latest version of WGA Notifications as the company makes it available globally.
The two tools used in WGA Notifications check to see if a copy of Windows on a system is a pirated version of the software. One component does the check, while another displays alerts on-screen that the copy of Windows on the system is not genuine.
Response to the utility and its behavior spurred a virtual cottage industry of cracks and workarounds focused on defeating the WGA tool. Some of those fixes gained considerable attention from users.
The WGA Notifications pilot definitely had its flaws, as I observed on a standard Dell laptop with an OEM copy of Windows in place. The utility continually tossed up the "Not Genuine" notice every time I started the computer after installing the tool.
Since I'd already run the laptop through Microsoft's online validation tool months ago, I was quite surprised to find that Microsoft considered my installation to be not genuine. Clicking the "Get Genuine" button had no effect other than to continue with the usual startup process.
Subsequent visits to Microsoft's validation site affirmed what I'd learned previously - my copy was valid and eligible for all of those special offers only Genuine users could access. A World Cup '06 Scoreboard application available as one offer installed without a problem on my machine.
It's a nice application, and being able to send off the irritating WGA alerts is a good start to the day.
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About the Author:
David Utter is a business and technology writer for SecurityProNews and WebProNews.
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