Defender B2 and WGA validation

[Guest]

Hello,

I am trying to install Windows Defender Beta 2 on Windows XP clients which
do not have Internet access. I have been unable to get past the validation
requirement: it's not possible for these machines to validate themselves,
since they cannot talk to the Internet -- only our internal servers.

Is there a workaround available for this issue? All my clients have valid
product keys, so if I could do telephone validation that would work fine.

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

I can't see any sign that WGA validation is possible without an Internet
connection.

You might try
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?c1=509&gprid=9860

to submit an email support request and get a clear answer--and I'd love to
have it posted back here.

 

[Guest]

Bill:

Actually, I've come to this forum after going just the route you suggest. I
submitted a report to that same link and was misunderstood by the level-1
tech who responded.

He handed my problem off to a higher-up tech, who understood the problem but
couldn't do more than suggest I call Microsoft's support line at (800)
936-4900.

So yesterday I called Microsoft there and described the problem. I actually
spoke with an MCSE (Craig Carlston) who works in the Services and Field
Security Support Team, otherwise known as the Windows Genuine Advantage team.

Incidentally, did you know it's about to be renamed "Microsoft Genuine
Advantage?" Rough times ahead, I suppose.

Anyhow, I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with Mr. Carlston, who also
was unable to come up with a workaround. He provided me with a link
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=52012) which allowed me to download
the Microsoft Genuine Advantage diagnostic tool, which he said might convince
Defender that my Windows XP installation was validated without an Internet
connection. I will need to try using that tool when I get a chance to do so.

However, he said that he also knew of no way to perform validation without
Internet access.

Further, Mr. Carlston advised me that Windows Defender was not and is not
intended to be used in a corporate environment. He says it is consumer-grade
software (hence the expectation that a system on which it is installed will
have Internet access). According to him, Microsoft will be releasing a
version of Defender which is intended for corporate use in the future.

I'll try and report back on whether the MGA diagnostic tool does the trick.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

Thanks. I know about the diagnostic tool, and considered posting a link to
it, but figured it would simply say "no internet connection." which we
already know.

Surely there are outfits running WSUS to provide updates where the client
machines don't have Internet access even though the WSUS server does?

Your contact was correct about the nature of Windows Defender.

The managed, corporate solution is Microsoft Forefront Client Protection:

http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/clientsecurity/default.mspx

which I would expect to be in public beta soon--there's a register button at
the link.


--

 

[Guest]

Bill:

Certainly there are outfits running WSUS to provide updates to non-Internet
connected machines: my outfit is one of those. In fact, the clients on which
I *have* been able to install Defender (namely, the Windows 2000 machines)
are obtaining their Defender definition updates from my WSUS server, along
with their other updates.

I'd never even heard of Forefront Client Protection. I will check into that.

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

That's going to be much better suited, I suspect, but it isn't free, and I
haven't seen any pricing information about it.
--

 

[Guest]

To bypass WGA validation use ORCA to remove the entries by following these
instructions:

http://www.appdeploy.com/packages/detail.asp?id=698