"Genuine Advantage" phones home

[Pathos]

We had a family friends computer alert him or he got an email saying his version of MS office was illegal. I didn't really investigate it.

This sort of shit is why I don't install updates, hope my router stops any hackers.

[Jack2000]

"hackers"
and why are these "hackers" going to hack your PC hm?
maybe because of the secret NSA ACCESS codes on your ps or maybe just so they
can some how hack  NASA ?


... hackers ... please !

so any way ... i am still waiting for Ms to do something with an update
i know the insides out of my 98sys  every dll and stuff
they can not  hide anything without me seeing it
let me see they get past my kaiowas shell that fucks all non approved by me executables

[pofnlice]

more poop on WGA

Microsoft's Anti-Piracy Tool Draws Criticism, Changes Planned


In addition, the software maker has come under fire for failing to make it clear to people installing Windows Genuine Advantage that the application communicates with Microsoft on a daily basis to do things like ensure that the Windows copy being used isn't pirated.


By Antone Gonsalves
TechWeb News

Jun 9, 2006 04:38 PM

Microsoft Corp. is being criticized for distributing its Windows XP anti-piracy tool in a way that may leave many PC users in the dark as to what they are actually downloading.

In addition, the software maker has come under fire for failing to make it clear to people installing Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) that the application communicates with Microsoft on a daily basis.

Microsoft on Friday acknowledged that it could have done a better job in explaining how the software behaves. The application is currently in beta.

"There have been some questions on this issue and Microsoft is working to more effectively communicate details of this feature to the public," a spokeswoman for the Redmond, Wash., company said in an email.

The company plans to change the settings of the application in its next release, so that it dials in to Microsoft every two weeks, the spokeswoman said. The call-in feature would be disabled permanently when the program is generally available worldwide later this year.

Microsoft's handling of the software's distribution has also raised eyebrows. People who have signed up to automatically receive updates for Windows XP have reported receiving notification of a "critical" security update that doesn't say it includes Windows Genuine Advantage until the download process begins. Once the program is installed, it can't be removed.

Joe Wilcox, analyst for JupiterResearch, experienced the install process, and said he wasn't happy with the experience.

"I'm somewhat dismayed by the tool," Wilcox said. "They could be handling it a lot better -- with more candor and more thought."

In its defense, Microsoft said people downloading the application are presented with an end user license that they can accept or reject. Choosing the latter will abort the process.

That process, however, fails to ensure that people will know what they are downloading, since most just click through end user licenses without reading them, Lauren Weinstein, co-founder for the advocacy group People for Internet Responsibility, said. A better way would be to recruit people separately for the WGA pilot and not wrap it into the regular Windows Update.

 "You don't put it in the normal string of updates when people are doing the usual click-thrus," Weinstein said. "Asserting that this is the same as people accepting to join a pilot program is a little bit disingenuous."

Microsoft said the phone-in feature is to check for updates and is a kind of safety feature in case Microsoft has to suddenly disable the program. The latter scenario would occur if the program, for example, started to report pirated versions of Windows XP on computers that had legitimate copies. No other information is passed on to Microsoft through this feature, the company said.

The program's validation feature, however, does pass along more information, notifying the company whether a computer is running a pirated copy of Windows, and identifying the manufacturer of the hardware, and its settings for language and locale. The software rechecks the computer every 90 days to make sure nothing has changed.

The idea of a software vendor deciding on its own to monitor someone else's computer, and decide how it will handle what it believes to be piracy bothers Weinstein, who believes other companies could decide to do the same thing.

"The vendors want to have a continuing communication with your system, and the ability at any point to say, 'You don't meet our standards anymore, and we want to do this to your system,'" he said. "The issue is how much continuing control should a vendor have? This whole area needs to be explored and somehow addressed with consumer protection laws."

Microsoft launched the Windows Genuine Advantage program in July 2005 to "provide an improved experience for consumers using genuine Windows XP and to help Microsoft address software piracy," the spokeswoman said. The software was first tested in Norway and Sweden in November of last year, and has been rolling out to additional countries every since.

If the tool finds a pirated copy of Windows XP, users start getting a series of reminders. In addition, non-critical updates, such as the latest version of Internet Explorer, would be unavailable. However, users who have signed up to automatically receive updates would continue to receive critical security patches.

Ther ya go?

[RaZoR1394]

I don't find the information it sends worst but the fact that you can't remove the crap. I'm specially thinking of those
 who have bought Windows legally and are having problems with the tool.

[worker201]

the application communicates with Microsoft on a daily basis to do things like ensure that the Windows copy being used isn't pirated

Every goddamm day?  That is fucking ridiculous.

In its defense, Microsoft said people downloading the application are presented with an end user license that they can accept or reject. Choosing the latter will abort the process.

That process, however, fails to ensure that people will know what they are downloading, since most just click through end user licenses without reading them

For the first time in recent memory, I have to agree with Microsoft.  If you're too much of a slowtard to read an EULA, then you deserve to get fucked by your software.  Choosing to be misinformed does not make you innocent.  If Microsoft was sneaking these EULAs by people, by having a tiny 2-point link to the document at the bottom of a page, then that would be obvious fraud.  But Microsoft, in this case, is presenting the document plainly and clearly.  If you don't want to read it, then you are placing your computer at Microsoft's whim, and they are legally allowed to do whatever they want.  I think most people would be shocked to see what kind of stuff the EULA allows the software to do.  In fact, I believe that not downloading updates is a license violation.  That's why I don't use Windows, Office, or RealPlayer - I don't agree to their licenses.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

Why would it NEED to phone home EVERY DAY ? It doesn't, at least for piracy purposes ... other purposes and motives are at work here. If you need to test for a pirated copy you only need to do so when you first register it ... right ? It's not like a while ago your Window$ was legit .. but now it has all of a sudden become pirated for unknown reasons. Piracy is often used as a cover-up reason ... we have to stop the pirates so we'll make Vi$ta only work with some monitors ... we have to stop pirates so we'll make Window$ phone home EVERY FUCKING DAY. It's bullshit I tell you ... they are lying about the reasons they are doing this ... they are using it to spy on you or other purposes (marketing, ads, etc.)

[worker201]

Actually, I was just talking to one of our network guys, and he thinks that a beta download copy of Vista is only good for one computer.  So if the GenAdv phones in and finds out you have installed Vista beta on a different computer, you are in trouble.  Not sure what kind of trouble that would be, since it is only a beta after all.  Probably it is another bit of software they are actually beta-testing.  Perhaps all you suckers have been deceived - you thought you installed Vista beta, but you actually installed the Genuine Advantage Super-Homeland-Security Big-Brother program, disguised as an operating system.  Never trust those fuckers.  Know what you install.  If it doesn't come with developer documentation, then find another vendor.

[piratePenguin]

Actually, I was just talking to one of our network guys, and he thinks that a beta download copy of Vista is only good for one computer.  So if the GenAdv phones in and finds out you have installed Vista beta on a different computer, you are in trouble.  Not sure what kind of trouble that would be, since it is only a beta after all.  Probably it is another bit of software they are actually beta-testing.  Perhaps all you suckers have been deceived - you thought you installed Vista beta, but you actually installed the Genuine Advantage Super-Homeland-Security Big-Brother program, disguised as an operating system.  Never trust those fuckers.  Know what you install.  If it doesn't come with developer documentation, then find another vendor.

Genuine Advantage LIVE, how exciting! Now keeps big brother up to date with your actions AND YOUR BIOS MD5 SUM, ALL IN REAL TIME!!one

Installed a new BIOS? Don't wait 'till TOMORROW to let us know, GA Live now lets us know INSTANTLY - EVERY MOMENT!

It's all a part of the improved customer experience.

[Jack2000]

i wonder what will the GA do if you use open BIOS
or your own ?
maby send that info too and tell them to punish you ?

[H_TeXMeX_H]

But really Open BIOS only supports a small set of mobos right ?

[emuelle1]

It's funny how MS's update cycle works. It's been more than two weeks since an old laptop that I was running a VLK copy of XP pro on got the update and started telling me I may be a "victim" of software piracy. Today, my new laptop with a licensed copy of XP Home on had a balloon pop up saying that updates are ready. Sure enough, it was the stupid Genuine Advantage "beta". I told it not to download and clicked the box saying to never tell me about that update again, which in Microsoft-speak means "remind me every two weeks until I either download the update or switch platforms to get away from it".

[solemnwarning]

I don't find the information it sends worst but the fact that you can't remove the crap. I'm specially thinking of those
 who have bought Windows legally and are having problems with the tool.

It got installed on my mums winshite box (Thankyou winshite update :fu: ), anyway its easy to remove, it just takes deleting part of your registry tree, the booting in safe mode to delete wgatray.exe

[Jack2000]

they should include that program as a virus in the next badge of virus definitions !