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Microsoft's Genuine Advantage Hits Problems
News The problem is with Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), Microsoft's licensing tool, which offers Windows users more secure software in return for their conformance with a vigorous Microsoft licensing strategy.
[October 5, 2006, 14:05]
Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications
Downloads Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is a tool to help reduce software piracy. This tool will confirm that the copy of Windows installed on the PC is genuine and properly licensed. If it is not genuine, the tool will provide periodic reminders...
[August 22, 2007, 10:18]
What's Windows Genuine Advantage? Three Days Off Work.
Blog Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage - the DRM system that turns chunks of your operating system off if it thinks you're a criminal - now thinks that we're all criminals. Remember when we said that DRM and its ilk were such a very bad idea because...
[August 25, 2007, 18:59]
Windows Genuine Advantage Circumvented
News Researcher Debasis Mohanty outlined what he said was a technique to trick Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage validation check in a posting to the Full Disclosure security mailing list on Monday. We expected counterfeiters to try a number of...
[May 24, 2005, 9:05]
The Genuine Advantage In Windows' Woes
Leader This weekend, the Windows Genuine Advantage system went offline. Windows Genuine Advantage is a designed-in failure mode, and that's just not very clever. In name and nature, Windows Genuine Advantage is the perfect example of how badly unbalanced...
[August 28, 2007, 16:29]
Windows Genuine Advantage Circumvented
Talkback I mean "Windows Genuine Advantage", come on, how is Microsoft ensuring they aren't pirated an advantage to the average user? How on earth is this an "advantage" to users, let alone a "genuine" one? I love the funny names large companies come up with.
[May 24, 2005, 14:42]
Microsoft DRM Tool Locked Out Genuine Users
News Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage servers experienced severe disruption over the weekend, stopping users validating their Microsoft software. Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is the mechanism that Microsoft uses to validate genuine copies of the...
[August 28, 2007, 17:32]
Microsoft Offers WGA Workaround
News Microsoft released a new version of Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications on Tuesday and detailed how to remove the controversial antipiracy software. Windows Genuine Advantage is a stepped-up effort by Microsoft to boost the number of Windows...
[June 28, 2006, 11:20]
Microsoft Disables IE7 Validation Process
News Microsoft is to allow users of Windows XP to download Internet Explorer 7 without having to gain Windows Genuine Advantage authentication. Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is part of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative.
[October 8, 2007, 14:11]
Shades Of WGA To Come From Other Vendors
Talkback Don't forget that there is also Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) as well that applies to the Office Pack and Visio etc. Most sites should already be aware that you are prohibited from downloading any software from MS websites unless you "activate...
[September 4, 2007, 4:39]
Microsoft Turns Up Heat In Licensing Push
News Microsoft signalled its intention to continue cracking down on unlicensed software this week when it announced the full roll-out of Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA), and extended the roll-out of Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) to the UK.
[April 27, 2006, 11:35]
Fighting Microsoft's Licence Check
News Most of their criticism is directed at the way Microsoft's anti-counterfeiting technology, Windows Genuine Advantage, interacts with a PC. The company is forging ahead with a programme, Windows Genuine Advantage, tied to its free software downloads...
[June 21, 2006, 9:10]
There's Nothing Like The Real Thing: Genuine Software Is A Win-Win For Customers, Microsoft And Partners
White Papers Microsoft's genuine software programs - which are more than a year old - enable customers to quickly and easily verify if they are running an authentic version of Microsoft Windows or Office, using a validation mechanism through the Windows...
[March 7, 2007, 0:00]
Microsoft Acknowledges Vista OEM Hack
News According to a post by Microsoft senior product manager Alex Kochis on the Windows Genuine Advantage developers' blog, Microsoft has identified two ways in which hackers have broken the product activation security feature on original equipment...
[April 13, 2007, 9:38]
Microsoft Offers Free Software As Licence-check Reward
News The Windows Genuine Advantage programme was launched last month. This time around, Microsoft is making the software available free of charge, but it is requiring customers to take part in the Windows Genuine Advantage pilot programme.
[October 28, 2004, 8:24]
Vista's Graphics To Require Licence Check
News Those who are not running genuine Windows will not be able to take advantage of the Windows Aero user experience," a Microsoft representative told ZDNet UK sister site CNET News.com on Wednesday. In the autumn of 2004, Microsoft began testing the...
[April 13, 2006, 17:30]
Microsoft Gets Tough On Office Fakers
News As of January 2007, Office Update also must be validated by Office Genuine Advantage (OGA). This would be $359 (£191) for the Office Genuine Advantage kit for Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003, while the Microsoft Office Small Business...
[October 27, 2006, 16:50]
Rupert Goodwins' Diary
Blog In the same week Microsoft has announced that Vista will shut itself down if not authorised by HQ, it admitted to problems in its Windows Genuine Advantage program already deployed for XP. That information was published on a Microsoft hosted blog...
[October 6, 2006, 18:55]
Vista PCs To Lock Out Rogue Software
News Microsoft has escalated its battle with software pirates during the past two years through the "Genuine Advantage" add-ons for Windows and Office, its biggest cash cows. Barring people from using their PC is a significant change from the antipiracy...
[October 6, 2006, 9:40]
Private Folders Cause Public Pain
News A problem has been encountered during the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process," the message reads. Microsoft had required those who wanted the tool, before its removal, to go through the software maker's controversial Windows Genuine...
[July 18, 2006, 9:20]
