XP "genuine advantage" Big Brother nightmares

[Jeff]

Well,
IMOH,
If WGA collects all that extra info just to validate it's o.s. ; you
better believe they'de know if you change the"engine". Oh; I digress
however, WGA isn't a "bad" thing; it's a "GOOD" thing. Just ask various
MVP's and other's;including MS banker's-LOL
Jeff

 

[Jeff]

Oh,
I'm sorry; I stated last night that I'm done with this isssue. Everyone
for themselves over this;from now on. I've pointed out said deceit;so many
times; I'm tiring of it. And if MS decides that KB905474's methodology will
become the way they do business;and make it a requirement to do business
with them; then they will lose my business
Jeff

 

[Jeff]

Oh,
Bye for now-reformating;to wipe my pc clean of any hint of WGA.
just so happens, it's brand new;so nothing "mission critical" on it yet.
Jeff

 

[antioch]

Please tell how to Uninstall Genuine Advantage? I looked under "add/remove
programs under Control Panel & do not see it listed! While I did receive
instructions telling how to unable auto dial internet connection, that has
not been done yet. Reason is I suspect more conflicts from this worthless
update. Worthless due to:
1. Win XP on my PC has been registered with MS since the day I bought it &
MS should know that & not send me Genuine Advantage.
2. All other Win XP updates were instaled in past. MS should again know
that
my copy of Win XP is legal!
3. Retore to before Gen Adv has been done which turned off Auto dial.
4. This Newsgroup web site runs very slow. My time is being wasted.
5. User is considering turning off update notification to get rid of the
shield icon on my task bar.
6. This user is upset & pissed off for being tortured by MS when I did
nothing wrong.

Hello MJSOI
Lots of us are pizzed off with WGA for a lot of different reasons.

If you want to moan/have a problem or whatever, go here

http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=444&SiteID=25

OR here

http://forums.microsoft.com/Genuine/default.aspx?SiteID=25

There are some fixes to get rid of it - have not read anyone who has any
result though.
Its with you 'for life' sitting on your computer watching what you are doing

Rgds
Antioch

 

[Robert W.]

For what, telling the truth? I'm still waiting for someone to verify if
one flashes the BIOS or replaces a hard drive whether I will have to buy
another copy of XP, speaking of "telling the truth".

I have replaced an 80GB drive with a 160GB drive and I didn't hear a peep
from WPA.

 

[Alias]

I have replaced an 80GB drive with a 160GB drive and I didn't hear a peep
from WPA.

I found the answer at the WGA web forum:

"Absolutely not... The WGA process follows the guidelines of our normal
Product Activation Business rules."

Alias

 

[Rhonda Lea Kirk]

Actually, it can. There are tools that will do the job, although
Windows Add/Remove isn't one of them. You'd think an "MVP" would know
that ...

Well, even though I'm technically ignorant, I disabled it this morning
(because I had a nightmare about it last night).

Now Microsoft Update wants to reinstall it again. I told it not to
bother me anymore, at which point it asserted that it is a critical
update and that my computer might be at risk.

rl
--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

Insisting on perfect safety is for people
without the balls to live in the real world.
Mary Shafer Iliff

 

[Alias]

Well, even though I'm technically ignorant, I disabled it this morning
(because I had a nightmare about it last night).

Now Microsoft Update wants to reinstall it again. I told it not to
bother me anymore, at which point it asserted that it is a critical
update and that my computer might be at risk.

rl

Which is a baldfaced lie.

Alias

 

[R. McCarty]

Alias, believe it's "Boldface(d)" - did give me a good laugh.
I had to check with Dictionary.Com to discover Baldface is
a type of duck.

 

[Alias]

Alias, believe it's "Boldface(d)" - did give me a good laugh.
I had to check with Dictionary.Com to discover Baldface is
a type of duck.

I stand corrected.

Alias

 

[Alias]

Alias, believe it's "Boldface(d)" - did give me a good laugh.
I had to check with Dictionary.Com to discover Baldface is
a type of duck.

No wonder my Thunderbird spell check didn't flag it ;-)

Alias

 

[Robert Moir]

For what, telling the truth? I'm still waiting for someone to verify
if one flashes the BIOS or replaces a hard drive whether I will have
to buy another copy of XP, speaking of "telling the truth".

I replied on that question, and gave you the best answer I had. And I
*always* tell the truth as I see it. You actually replied to me on that one,
so I'm not sure why you feel you're still waiting. By all means disagree
with me, by all means dislike my answers (I don't like the hand waving about
OEM stuff myself) but you haven't been ignored.

If I remember rightly, the answers were

BIOS - "Generally no, but with the OEM stuff there might be some issues if
you use a BIOS image that isn't from the OEM" - this is why I advise
avoiding that stuff if you can

Hard Disk - "Definately not." I've swapped hard disks around and done fresh
installs / re-images and also moved installs around using Ghost with no
issues.

MVPs are not perfect. We don't know everything and we do make mistakes.

--
--
Rob Moir, Microsoft MVP
Blog Site - http://www.robertmoir.com
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
I'm always surprised at "professionals" who STILL have to be asked "Have you
checked (event viewer / syslog)".

 

[Rhonda Lea Kirk]

No wonder my Thunderbird spell check didn't flag it ;-)

Every now and again it's possible for all participants to be
correct...or incorrect...depending on how you look at it.

Be sure to check the supporting links.

http://wordcraft.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/932607094/m/4891052672/r/5691035872

or

http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2712293D

rl
--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

Insisting on perfect safety is for people
without the balls to live in the real world.
Mary Shafer Iliff

 

[Alias]

Every now and again it's possible for all participants to be
correct...or incorrect...depending on how you look at it.

Be sure to check the supporting links.

http://wordcraft.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/932607094/m/4891052672/r/5691035872

or

http://makeashorterlink.com/?I2712293D

rl

Alias

 

[Gaoler]

Genuine Advantage cannot be uninstalled. It is a permanent feature.

So now spyware is a feature o MS software, eh?

 

[FeMaster]

Its with you 'for life' sitting on your computer watching what you are

doing

It's not with me... I read the description of all downloads before I
authorize their install... After reading it, I knew right away it was going
to be nothing but trouble. Never downloaded it, NEVER WILL!

 

[Guest]

Ok... Here's the Rub:

"By way of background, my computer is one I bought from a friend, that I
have since upgraded with a new motherboard, CPU, second hard drive for
data, and new graphics card."

I am assuming the computer he sold you had an OEM license on it. If so, that
license is tied to the motherboard. If you replace the motherboard, you are
required to purchase a new license. I know that sounds daft, and I'm not
saying I agree with that, but that is straight from the mouth of Microsoft
Licensing. The only exception, as they told me, was if the manufacturer
replaced the motherboard under warranty with the same or similar board.

This is, of course, a fairly grey area, and questionably enforceable, but
according to MS Licensing, that's the way it is.

 

[kurttrail]

Ok... Here's the Rub:

"By way of background, my computer is one I bought from a friend,
that I have since upgraded with a new motherboard, CPU, second hard
drive for data, and new graphics card."

I am assuming the computer he sold you had an OEM license on it. If
so, that license is tied to the motherboard. If you replace the
motherboard, you are required to purchase a new license. I know that
sounds daft, and I'm not saying I agree with that, but that is
straight from the mouth of Microsoft Licensing. The only exception,
as they told me, was if the manufacturer replaced the motherboard
under warranty with the same or similar board.

This is, of course, a fairly grey area, and questionably enforceable,
but according to MS Licensing, that's the way it is.

Please quote the OEM EULA where the license is tied specifically to the
MOTHERBOARD.

That will be a very hard task, since the OEM EULA doens't mention the
word MOTHERBOAD at all.

--
Peace!
Kurt Kirsch
Self-anointed Moderator
http://microscum.com
"It'll soon shake your Windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'."

 

[Guest]

My apologies if I said something that may have been misconstrued. At no point
did I make claim to anything in any EULA witnessed by me. I merely conveyed
what I was told by more than one Microsoft Licensing Representatives. I am
not a Microsoft employee, Lawyer, or paid sponsor. I believe I said OEM
Licensing told me that, not the EULA.

I don't make the rule, nor judgement on how someone may percieve the rules.
I am merely pointing out my anecdotal experience, in an effort to shed light
on a suspect situation. If the gentleman above actually DOES have a
legitimate copy of windows, then Microsoft may and probably will assist him
in fixing his issue. If it's pirated, then that's the reality he has to deal
with.

As has been mentioned elsewhere a ton of people are getting alse positives,
and it is supremely annoying, but it's not the end of the world. If the
software is legitimate, then the user is free to pursue the myriad paths to a
valid solution. If the software is pirated, then... well... it's pirated, and
the trap set by Microsoft just worked.

 

[DanS]

Robin Walker [MVP] wrote:

Actually, it can. There are tools that will do the job, although Windows
Add/Remove isn't one of them. You'd think an "MVP" would know that ...

Alias

Honestly, I think that all the MVP's have a varying degree of knowledge.

Though, some are prone to just spitting forth the scritpted M$ BS that they
would like us to come to believe wholesale.