Windows Genuine Advantage for updates

[Jeff]

For my latest critical updates, Microsoft is now again insisting on
installing Windows Genuine Advantage before permitting updates. My
Windows is genuine but I thought "WGA" had been criticized because it
"phoned home" to MS - not just during the update but on other regular
intervals and was considered "spyware". I therefore thought MS stopped
the practice but on this latest update, I was again asked to install WGA
first. I refused because of its spyware reputation.

What's the latest story on this and why am I suddenly asked to install
this after all this time of using Windows XP?

Jeff

 

[PA Bear]

If you enable Automatic Updates and use it to keep the machine fully
patched, you'll never see a prompt to install a WGA update.

The update you refer to is frequently updated and is required when using
Windows Update or Microsoft Update website to scan for and install updates.

 

[Alias]

If you enable Automatic Updates and use it to keep the machine fully
patched, you'll never see a prompt to install a WGA update.

The update you refer to is frequently updated and is required when using
Windows Update or Microsoft Update website to scan for and install updates.

I have three computers now running XP that are completely WGA free. I
guess I don't really need any "Genuine Advantage" to run XP.

Alias

 

[Jeff]

I have three computers now running XP that are completely WGA free. I
guess I don't really need any "Genuine Advantage" to run XP.

Alias

No, but you apparently need it to receive Windows critical updates.

Jeff

 

[Jeff]

I have three computers now running XP that are completely WGA free. I
guess I don't really need any "Genuine Advantage" to run XP.

Alias

Reading through past messages I find that the WGA problem surfaced back
in 2006. There was so much outcry against it that Microsoft provided a
way to uninstall it.

What I am writing about is the most recent Windows critical updates. My
system was free of WGA and I had been receiving regular critical updates
whenever they came up without requests to first install WGA. But this
latest critical update set would not let me proceed to downloading the
updates without first installing WGA.

So this is a new version of WGA or a new policy of Microsoft. There do
not seem to have been any new outcry or messages about this since the
messages of 2006. That is what is surprising. I need to get my Windows
updates but do not want spyware on my PCs.

Am I the only one here concerned about this! Is there a way to work
around it?

Jeff

 

[PA Bear]

wrote:

I have three computers now running XP that are completely WGA free. I
guess I don't really need any "Genuine Advantage" to run XP.

Repeat: You don't need WGA to be able to install critical updates via
Automatic Updates.

 

[Jeff]

wrote:

Repeat: You don't need WGA to be able to install critical updates via
Automatic Updates.

With the latest critical updates it would not let me to proceed further
till I finished the step to "Update Windows components" and that
"updated Windows component" was WGA. Till I did that step, I could not
proceed further to the updates.

This is new as of the latest update - which is why I was writing and
asking. Before this I did not need WGA to update but apparently the new
policy is to now make it a requirement. When I went to Windows updates
I could not get to the critical updates without first installing WGA.

*Just discovered that PCWorld has a lot about it on its forum. So I am
not the only one to discover this new Microsoft policy.

How do I get rid of WGA and how do I bypass it for future updates?

Jeff

 

[Alias]

No, but you apparently need it to receive Windows critical updates.

Jeff

False. Ever hear of Auto Update? I set it to inform me but not download
or install. That way I can make sure I don't install a stealth WGA or IE7.

Alias

 

[Alias]

With the latest critical updates it would not let me to proceed further
till I finished the step to "Update Windows components" and that
"updated Windows component" was WGA. Till I did that step, I could not
proceed further to the updates.

This is new as of the latest update - which is why I was writing and
asking. Before this I did not need WGA to update but apparently the new
policy is to now make it a requirement. When I went to Windows updates
I could not get to the critical updates without first installing WGA.

*Just discovered that PCWorld has a lot about it on its forum. So I am
not the only one to discover this new Microsoft policy.

How do I get rid of WGA and how do I bypass it for future updates?

Jeff

To get rid of WGA, you have to reinstall XP, sorry. For auto updates,
right click on My Computer/Properties/Automatic Updates tab/set it to
"Inform me of updates be let me decide what to download and when to
install" (or something to that effect). When the little yellow shield
appears in the sys tray, click on it and choose which updates you want.
I then use the feature of letting it install by clicking on Start/Turn
off Computer/Turn Off and it installs my selected updates outside of
Windows and turns the computer off. I prefer this to installing it
within Windows because then I don't have to worry about any background
running programs interfering with the installs.

Alias

 

[PA Bear]

With the latest critical updates it would not let me to proceed further
till I finished the step to "Update Windows components" and that
"updated Windows component" was WGA. Till I did that step, I could not
proceed further to the updates.

<snip>

Did Automatic Updates offer you WGA or were you updating manually via
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com?

 

[Jeff]

<snip>

Did Automatic Updates offer you WGA or were you updating manually via
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com?

Thanks for replying Bear.

I have the updates set to notify me but not automatically install. So
when the notification appears that there are new updates, I do not click
on that notification but go to my start menu where I have the shortcut
for Windows updates. The shortcut goes to

%SystemRoot%\system32\wupdmgr.exe

Once there, after I permitted all the active X controls and scripts it
needs in IE6, I always select "Custom" (Not "Express"). That is how I
avoid installing IE7. It is at this point that I am told Windows needs
to "upgrade some Windows components". If I say no, I cannot get to the
critical updates. If I say yes, a popup window appears saying
"installing Windows Genuine Advantage". I cancelled this twice and
could get no further. Finally, to get my updates I let it proceed and
then got my 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.
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. Needless to say I am not a happy camper.

Jeff

 

[Lem]

<snip>

Did Automatic Updates offer you WGA or were you updating manually via
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com?

I've never really minded WGA, and because I do go to WU manually from
time to time, I did notice that it has been updated recently.

On the other hand, on my wife's laptop, which is set to d/l and install
updates automatically, after the critical updates from last Tuesday were
all downloaded and installed, she was prompted to manually d/l and
install a new version of the notorious WGA-notification update. I
declined and checked the box to never darken the door again with this
.... but I expect it will come back anyway.

IIRC, the bulk of the fuss was about WGA-N, not WGA.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

 

[PA Bear]

Thanks for replying Bear.

I have the updates set to notify me but not automatically install. So
when the notification appears that there are new updates, I do not click
on that notification but go to my start menu where I have the shortcut
for Windows updates...

<snip>

As I said, if you used Automatic Updates to install the updates you choose
to install, you won't be offered any WGA update.

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in WinXP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

Re-read the above. With "Download but notify" selected, you're downloading
all updates, including ones you may not want to install. Select the "Notify
only" option, then use Automatic Updates to download *and* install the
updates you choose to download and install. End of problem.

 

[Alias]

<snip>

As I said, if you used Automatic Updates to install the updates you
choose to install, you won't be offered any WGA update.

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in WinXP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

Re-read the above. With "Download but notify" selected, you're
downloading all updates, including ones you may not want to install.
Select the "Notify only" option, then use Automatic Updates to download
*and* install the updates you choose to download and install. End of
problem.

That's how I do it and none of my XP machines have the WGA infection.

Alias

 

[Jeff]

wrote:

Repeat: You don't need WGA to be able to install critical updates via
Automatic Updates.

Sorry for being slow, but I did not pick up on exactly what you said
till now.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that if I enable Automatic
updates, I will "never see a prompt to install a WGA update". But does
that mean that WGA is then also automatically installed or updated in
the same automatic way that the updates are installed?

Why would MS insist on WGA if you update manually but not if you update
automatically? That would make no sense unless they are just installing
it behind the scenes without your even knowing about it.

Also, if I update automatically I would get IE7 instead of keeping IE6
as I can do with the manual updates.

Jeff

 

[Alias]

Sorry for being slow, but I did not pick up on exactly what you said
till now.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that if I enable Automatic
updates, I will "never see a prompt to install a WGA update". But does
that mean that WGA is then also automatically installed or updated in
the same automatic way that the updates are installed?

Why would MS insist on WGA if you update manually but not if you update
automatically? That would make no sense unless they are just installing
it behind the scenes without your even knowing about it.

Also, if I update automatically I would get IE7 instead of keeping IE6
as I can do with the manual updates.

Jeff

Set Automatic Updates to inform you but not download or install
anything. That way, you can choose which updates you want and tell it to
NOT offer IE7 or any of the WGA spy ware flavors.

Alias

 

[PA Bear]

Sorry for being slow, but I did not pick up on exactly what you said
till now.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that if I enable Automatic
updates, I will "never see a prompt to install a WGA update". But does
that mean that WGA is then also automatically installed or updated in
the same automatic way that the updates are installed?

No WGA updates whatsoever will be installed whatsoever via Automatic Update
(AU). *However*, AU may offer you WGA Notification tool (cf.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474). It is *not* a critical update nor
is installing it required. (Once installed, however, it cannot be
uninstalled but you do NOT have to install any updates for 905474.) If you
avail yourself of AU's "Notify only" option, you needn't install it and you
can "hide" it. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306525

Why would MS insist on WGA if you update manually but not if you update
automatically? That would make no sense unless they are just installing
it behind the scenes without your even knowing about it.

WGA is required when accessing Windows Update website and when downloading
just about anything from MS in an effort to combat piracy. MS MVPs battled
long & hard on behalf of your security so that WGA would not be required
when updating via AU. (Better to have fully patched but pirated versions of
Windows out there than unpatched ones.)

Also, if I update automatically I would get IE7 instead of keeping IE6
as I can do with the manual updates.

If you select AU's "Notify Only" setting, you'd have to approve the download
and the install of IE7. If you select AU's default "Automatic" setting, IE7
would automatically download BUT you'd still have to approve it's
installation.