Windows Genuine Advantage Is it really our advantage or theirs?

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

inconnu is right, go back and file a complaint.Good thing Linux doesn't have something like WGA, if there was, then it's gonna be hell.*knock on wood*xboxrulz

[twitch 0]

To be honest, I don't care whether they have the WGA or not. I get all my patches from The Software Patch.com, then at least I know there isn't going to be any stupid CRC errors

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

well, it seems now they've unblocked after like a negotiation or something.xboxrulz

[twitch 0]

How can you have genuine Linux? It's free (well for the most part).I suggest everyone gets there updates from thesoftwarepatch.com because they take it directly from the dedicated servers at Microsoft (as far as I am aware).

[HellFire121 0]

I hope you have already raised a complaint against the store that has done the maintenence, repair or upgrade work and recovered from that situation, because that's certainly not a problem you should encounter when you have paid for a genuine copy.

Yeah i have, not much of a reply yet. I might have another go at contacting them. Edited February 15, 2006 by HellFire121 (see edit history)

[Shadow X 0]

Well of course some of this would be to Windows' advantage. This is because when a company releases a new product, then some of it would have to advantage the company in question so that they can get some profit and benefit from it, which will in turn increase their popularity.

WGA, designed to differentiate the value of genuine Windows software from counterfeit software, enables customers to enjoy the capabilities they expect, provides them with the confidence that their software is authentic, and delivers ongoing system improvements, including approximately CAD $450 in software offerings available only to genuine users.

But when they say this, it sounds like Microsoft is just trying to protect their Windows product from counterfeit software. This of course will benefit Microsoft and Bill Gates because it means that more people will now be more aware of what couterfeit software is and will thus, more people will buy Windows products instead of the couterfeit ones. This means that Microsoft will earn more money if more people are buying there products.
However, they cover this up nicely by going on to say what benefits the customers will receive. And this of course draws attention away from what Microsoft wants because the customers will be more interested in what they will get from not buying couterfeit products.

[McGuy 0]

I really hate Windows Genuine Advantage or the Genuine Validation System/Program. Every time I want to download a program from Microsoft i'd sy 75 percent of the time I have to do this all again. IVE DONE IT BEFORE. Its just like I have to download two programs to get one, yes, thatsx exactly what it is. I hate it! I hate it!

[torres1287 0]

I agree with most of everything that has been said here about the whole Windows Genuine Advantage thing. This is just Microsoft making sure that all the money in the world goes into their pocket. My roommate had computer problems about a year after she bought it. She took it to someone who was a "certified" Windows person whoever. This person wiped her laptop and put a new Windows on it. Her laptop was fine until she brought it to college with her. Our university requires you to download a program called Cisco Clean Access. Here's what they say about themselves (Cisco Network Admission Control):

Virus and worm invasions continue to disrupt business, causing downtime and continual patching. NAC helps organizations reduce this risk by preventing vulnerable hosts from obtaining and retaining normal network access. NAC helps ensure that all hosts comply with the latest corporate antivirus, security software, and operating system patch policies prior to obtaining normal network access. Vulnerable and noncompliant hosts may be isolated and given reduced network access until they are patched and secured, thus preventing them from being the targets of-or the sources for-worm and virus infections.NAC is useful to any organization focused on limiting damage from emerging security threats, such as viruses, worms, and spyware. It is beneficial to organizations that are intent upon restricting access to their environments only to approved and compliant assets, or with requirements to audit and monitor all endpoint access within the networked environment. NAC is beneficial to all enterprise organizations, especially those having difficulty managing desktop and server compliance, including contractor and business partner systems. For the same reasons, NAC is also beneficial to smaller organizations. Virtually all industry segments-including financial, healthcare, government, and manufacturing-can benefit from NAC. To achieve comprehensive network coverage, NAC spans across all of the access methods that hosts use to connect to the network-including wireless LANs.

Here's a link if you want to know more: <a href="http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/index.html Network Home Page</a>

Sorry about the huge quote, just thought you would better understand what I am talking about. Anyways, she downloads the updated version of Cisco Clean Access. She runs the program, updates her antivirus software, clicks the "update Windows" button, her browser window pops up, and Windows tells her that her version is not genuine. She freaks out. She asks me what to do. I look on the bottom of her computer, write down the Windows product key, type it in on the Windows site, and it says that it is an invalid key. I told her that if the key on the underside of her laptop did not work, that she was screwed over. The person did not give her the copy of Windows they installed on her computer or anything. I feel kind of sorry for her, but not really because she should have taken it to the store she bought it from. She learned that lesson the hard way.

In summary, Windows Genuine Advantage is just Microsoft whining because they are not smart enough to protect their operating systems from being hacked. :-)

Have a great day everyone!

I agree with most of everything that has been said here about the whole Windows Genuine Advantage thing. This is just Microsoft making sure that all the money in the world goes into their pocket. My roommate had computer problems about a year after she bought it. She took it to someone who was a "certified" Windows person whoever. This person wiped her laptop and put a new Windows on it. Her laptop was fine until she brought it to college with her. Our university requires you to download a program called Cisco Clean Access. Here's what they say about themselves (Cisco Network Admission Control):Here's a link if you want to know more: <a href="http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/index.html Network Home Page</a>

Sorry about the huge quote, just thought you would better understand what I am talking about. Anyways, she downloads the updated version of Cisco Clean Access. She runs the program, updates her antivirus software, clicks the "update Windows" button, her browser window pops up, and Windows tells her that her version is not genuine. She freaks out. She asks me what to do. I look on the bottom of her computer, write down the Windows product key, type it in on the Windows site, and it says that it is an invalid key. I told her that if the key on the underside of her laptop did not work, that she was screwed over. The person did not give her the copy of Windows they installed on her computer or anything. I feel kind of sorry for her, but not really because she should have taken it to the store she bought it from. She learned that lesson the hard way.

In summary, Windows Genuine Advantage is just Microsoft whining because they are not smart enough to protect their operating systems from being hacked. :-)

Have a great day everyone!

Sorry about the link not working! I guess you can just copy/paste it! :-)

Have a great day everyone!

[elmo121 0]

But when they say this, it sounds like Microsoft is just trying to protect their Windows product from counterfeit software. This of course will benefit Microsoft and Bill Gates because it means that more people will now be more aware of what couterfeit software is and will thus, more people will buy Windows products instead of the couterfeit ones. This means that Microsoft will earn more money if more people are buying there products.

is essentially how WGA works, however, in all honesty, all it does is adds an extra step to downloads, as the majority of people that know where to get the counterfit copies of XP also know where to get the softwares needed to get past the checks, and microsoft are playing cat and mouse, and playing catch up.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

yes and the thing is that people have already cracked the WGA algorithm, so really, the system fails to work.xboxrulz

[Melanova 0]

Well, as we all know, the Windows Genuine Advantage was launched on July 25th, 2005, but is it really to our advantage or theirs? Especially after reading this section of the article:It sounds like it's to their advantage because they of course want customers to buy genuine software, they are the people who are raking in the money. The consumers won't care less using a counterfeit software.

What are your opinions? Mine is, it's their advantage, not ours!

xboxrulz

its deffinatly their advantage. People dont care as long as it works. If anyone cared enough wether or not their OS was legal, they would just use something other than windows.


Right now WGA is a pain. You have to keep downloading, redownloading, and checking stuff. if it was streamline and out of the way, people would hardly notice.

[ruijie 0]

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