Re: Microsoft's WGA spyware again!

hey buddy;
calling people dummys when they express a point of view isnt gonna fix
anything, much less your issue;
I know you love the challange of mucking with pc's so power to you,and sice
you like the sound of your own voicw so much just carry on no more comments
fro me

Rich lol

"Jeff" wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:
"Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:u6WpPOmPIHA.4136@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In 2006 when Microsoft seems to have introduced its "Windows Genuine
Advantage" there was an outcry by the public because it was
discovered that this WGA was in fact spyware that called home to
Microsoft on a regular basis. The outcry was such that Microsoft
provided a way to uninstall it.

My PCs have been running XP for years and I have downloaded critical
updates on a regular basis without WGA. But, in the last set of
critical updates I could not download them without first having to
download and install WGA. My Windows XPs are all legit and I have no
problem with Microsoft checking that they are legit at the time of
the critical update download, but I do have a problem with my PCs
connecting to Microsoft at other times because there is no reason
for that and it introduces additional risks.

Does anyone know anything about this new WGA installation? There
seem to have been n o messages about it on the newslist after the
2006 ones and my questions on the general XP newslist go unanswered.
Can the new WGA be uninstalled using the old uninstall tools? Does
it call home like the old one did?


You are talking about the AX control used when visiting their web
page, not the event that runs when you start Windows. Everytime you
visit the WU site, it checks if you have the latest version of this AX
control. It runs when you use their WU site. If you don't want it to
run, don't do updates.

No, I am not. I update regularly and know what the regular check AX
control is. This last update was different. It specifically said it
needed to upgrade some Windows "components" before proceeding further.
When I said OK, the popup window said "Installing Windows Genuine
Advantage". This is something new. Happened on 2 of my PCs. First 2
times I stopped it and cancelled the WGA installation, but it would not
then go on to the critical updates and there was no way to bypass it on
other tries.

So it did install WGA without which I could not get the critical
updates. I have since gone to IE6's Tools/Manage Add-ons and when I
select to see "Add-ons that have been used by Internet Explorer",
Windows Genuine Advantage is indeed listed among them and listed as
enabled. I know WGA was not there before this last update. If you have
not yet come across this forced installation of WGA with your last
critical update you will be faced with it on your next upgrade.
Happened on 2 PCs and - as I said - I do the critical updates regularly.
This is new behavior.

I do not mind MS checking that my Windows is genuine before providing me
with the updates. What I do not want is WGA calling MS at "other times"
(as it is reputed to do) when I am not knowingly connecting to MS for
updates or anything and sending who knows what information about my PCs.
That is the spyware behavior that caused a public uproar and made MS
stop forcing WGA in 2006. Now they have decided to again force it on
its customers.

I have now disabled WGA in the IE6 add-ons but do not know what will
happen the next time critical updates are again available for download.
It is the not knowing what it is doing in the background that bothers
me. I use Firefox for everything except the upgrades but do not know if
that is sufficient to prevent MS from having WGA connect through IE in
the background un-beknown to me. This would cause slowing down of my PC
and my other internet connections and possibly bringing in other malware
that might be lying in wait on their website.

(My next PC will certainly be a MAC and I am tempted to already go back
to using Linux on the ones I now have).

Jeff




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Relevant Pages

  • WARNING LONG - Brian Livingstons take on Windows Genuine Advantage
    ... Genuine Advantage is Microsoft spyware ... Some tech writers have said categorizing WGA as spyware is arguable. ... It causes serious problems for some legitimate Windows users and was sprung on customers with no notice other than a press release the day before. ... If an instance of Windows doesn't seem to have a valid license, display notices to the user and prevent any updates being downloaded from Microsoft.com except security upgrades that are rated "Critical." ...
    (alt.sys.pc-clone.dell)
  • Re: non-genuine version of windows- how do I get this resolved
    ... All of a sudden, on startup, I get an error message that tells me that the version of Windows that I am running is not genuine. ... Some tech writers have said categorizing WGA as spyware is arguable. ... If an instance of Windows doesn't seem to have a valid license, display notices to the user and prevent any updates being downloaded from Microsoft.com except security upgrades that are rated "Critical." ... Then it wanted me to install the second one again. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Transferring a retail Win2K to another PC - how to persuade WGA that its legit?
    ... WGA does not block updates for Windows 2000 users, but you may be having an ... issue installing the WGA controls on this new box please go to ... > Windows 2000 to a different PC *and* persuade WGA to allow ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)
  • Re: WGA Error Log and WGANotify.settings in Windows Temp
    ... I believe that WGA is tied in to the Windows Update Service. ... probably slipped in with one of your updates that you authorized. ... so see what it wants me to install. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain)
  • Re: Microsofts WGA spyware again!
    ... updates on a regular basis without WGA. ... You are talking about the AX control used when visiting their web ... not the event that runs when you start Windows. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)