Microsoft getting heavy about WGA ?

andy1249

I have an Iqon laptop which is about 6 months old , I got it in Tescos , you know the one , anyway this laptop has been all over the world with me , I use it for backing up photos and for keeping in touch with the GF while on business trips , anyway , here's the story ,

Microsoft have started forcing a genuine windows checker on automatic updates , you get the option to refuse the EULA but if you choose that you get no more updates , so I accepted and this is where the problem started.

It said my WinXP was bogus and asked me to verify my installation , now the number on the bottom is worn off the sticker , not all of it , just the middle few digits , because of all the removing it in and out of bags in airports an whatever , so I had no idea what it was.

You get no disc with the iqon laptops , just a recovery partition on the hard drive.
So , I ran system restore to a point before the genuine advantage install , and guess what , it crippled my laptop , it continually reboots on logging in to windows ,

I had to recover to the factory image to stop the rebooting , once I did this all was well ,
Then I rang Iqon and got my serial number , so Im getting updates now as well.

So Microsoft have taken to deliberately sabotaging your PC now if your copy of windows is not genuine , are they getting heavy or what ??

Has anyone else seen this , and what do you think of it ?

KdjaCL

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml


Should possibly use that to find your Cd key then write it down and validate your install. Your missing a lot of updates as the WGA is out over a year now.


kdjac

maidhc

I noticed windows downloading the WGA program and it struck me as being a kick in the teeth to those of us telling people to always leave their computer to install updates automatically. Installing security patches is good, but WGA is no security patch.

I chose not to download the patch and havn't noticed any issues, but its going to be a mess for everyone if MS stop providing updates to unlicenced users.

Next thing automatic updates will be installing DRM, and the day that happens the hassle involved in setting up linux will start to seem worthwhile.

andy1249

For KDjac , the WGA Im talking about is the one that tests your software and reports back to microsoft , if your install fails then on logon you get and big blue box with a countdown telling you your XP is a pirate and will only let you continue after about ten seconds , even then an annoying pop up box shows in the taskbar every 5 minutes saying " this is a pirated copy of windows " etc.
WGA has been active for over a year but until this week it was optional , during the last week its a mandatory part of windows update and if you refuse the EULA which pops up on screen you are refused any more updates.

Aquos76

Are you using XP home or Professional?

astrofool

Just get your cd key using the program above.

KdjaCL

andy1249 wrote:

For KDjac , the WGA Im talking about is the one that tests your software and reports back to microsoft , if your install fails then on logon you get and big blue box with a countdown telling you your XP is a pirate and will only let you continue after about ten seconds , even then an annoying pop up box shows in the taskbar every 5 minutes saying " this is a pirated copy of windows " etc.
WGA has been active for over a year but until this week it was optional , during the last week its a mandatory part of windows update and if you refuse the EULA which pops up on screen you are refused any more updates.

Its been mandatory for a year now, you cant update unless you install that. It came out same time as a certain flaw was discovered which could only be fixed with the update that came after WGA. Suspicous?

kdjac

Asok

windowsupdate.62nds.com

andy1249

Aquos its XP professional ,
I was able to download the genuine.exe utility from microsoft and run that , then enter my number , and I was back in business , so all is well now , however ....

My whole point here is that I am a genuine customer /user who has been called a thief by a company who now sees fit to call everyone a thief of their product unless they can prove otherwise , and who also see fit to render my computer unusable if they want ( reboot issue above , and before anyone starts , I know it was the WGA software causing the issue , I was able to determine that much ) !!

Now this to me seems unreasonable , opinions anyone ?

aidan_walsh

andy1249 wrote:

Aquos its XP professional ,
I was able to download the genuine.exe utility from microsoft and run that , then enter my number , and I was back in business , so all is well now , however ....

My whole point here is that I am a genuine customer /user who has been called a thief by a company who now sees fit to call everyone a thief of their product unless they can prove otherwise , and who also see fit to render my computer unusable if they want ( reboot issue above , and before anyone starts , I know it was the WGA software causing the issue , I was able to determine that much ) !!

Now this to me seems unreasonable , opinions anyone ?

Welcome to computing today.

TommyGun

Ye, something like that happened to me friend like that, they a legal copy of XP. It got crupped, then went to a cowboy to fix it (instead of me) He installed an illegal copy so my Friend could not get any updates.

I had to reinstall everything again.

I wonder what the security on Longhorn is like ....... or whatever there calling it now.

KerranJast

Google "trixie wpa" for a solution

DemonOfTheFall

Asok wrote:

windowsupdate.62nds.com

That is a very handy website Asok!

I refuse to let MS inspect the contents of my PC so I get my updates every few months by reinstalling from a slipstreamed XP disk when I feel my pc is clogged up enough. That site might keep me going on a crappy install a bit longer each time if I'm at least up to date.

Cheers

Capt'n Midnight

andy1249 wrote:

My whole point here is that I am a genuine customer /user who has been called a thief by a company who now sees fit to call everyone a thief of their product unless they can prove otherwise , and who also see fit to render my computer unusable if they want ( reboot issue above , and before anyone starts , I know it was the WGA software causing the issue , I was able to determine that much ) !!

Now this to me seems unreasonable , opinions anyone ?

Microsoft have never made keeping track of licenses easy. Until windows 98 you had a 1 in 7 chance of "guessing" a serial number on any product, you could nearly use any serial on any product. Result massive casual copying. Result most people who have used microsoft sofware in the 80's and 90's are technically criminals. I'd nearly consider it entrapment.

The worst part is that microsoft didn't really try to stop this copying until they had killed off the competition. A bit like sleeper patents, you wait till until you have the market by the gonads and send in the lawyers. Still you gotta hand it to them , they know how to bend/break the law for competitive advantage.

Cuddlesworth

Funny thing is I have 3 pc's and the only one I have had a similar problem with was the "Cough" Valid (little bit of muttering) version of windows. I hate to say it but when the cracked and illegial version of your software is better than the real thing for users, how can they exspect to maintain profits in a increasingly computer literate world with better broadband.

Sparky

I have a trial version of windows XP x64 from microsoft, with the serial number they sent me, Im still well within my 180days, but the update has it down as a illegal licience, something about it being a volume licience.

So I said meh.

wanwarlock

try this site:

http://www.autopatcher.com/

u can download all of the updates and u can choose which updates to install. 1 problem is that it dloads ALL of the updates, which can be a biatch to dload if u have dialup.

zuma

You can get smalller "patch" updates as well for AutoPatcher...look around for them.

Mandoon

andy1249 wrote:

opinions anyone ?

Andy,

Stop trying to fool everyone, your software is a bootleg copy and you are looking for a way around the system. I have seen other posts by you and you are just a chancer. You are actively trying to steal software and in another thread encouraging somebody to make a claim against their employer.

The times you post show you obviously don't work. You obviously have too much time on your hands. Possibly trying to get other members here to help you break the law is not a very good idea.

MANDOON:cool: