The two systems I have at home are HP and eMachines and came with XP installed, I know I have genuine copies so I have no need for Windows Genuine Advantage but it keeps coming up with "software ready to install" and now Windows Media is demanding that I let them genuine me. I don't want to run the genuine test as it may give a false positive. I am also not happy with all the information wants to harvest. Can I get the nagging to go away and Windows Media to work?
Windows Genuine Advantage doesn't give a false positive as far as I know. The only information it collects is: * Computer make and model * Version information for the operating system and software using Genuine Advantage * Region and language setting * A unique number assigned to your computer by the tools (Globally Unique Identifier or GUID) * Product ID and product key * BIOS name, revision number, and revision date * Volume serial number * Office product key (if validating Office) * Whether the installation was successful * The result of the validation check In other words no private information is being sent to Microsoft. If they ask you to be validated to download future software I think thats a reasonable request don't you? Just do the genuine advantage test it takes like 15 seconds and you won't ever see it again.
Just run WGA. People have gotten so smart these days that they can now edit illegitimate copies of XP and make them legit. It's crazy!
You can call them. There is a phone number that let's you phone it instead of having to do it thru the internet.
So when they answer the phone, I say "Don't worry it came with the machine, so it's OEM don't worry about it" or are they going to ask for all of my component and software information?
I have done this before and all they ask for is the code you got with your software. This was back in 2003 thou.
Thanks for all the comments but I did not want "oh, do what ever Microsoft wants" and "the reports of false positives are all false". I have nothing to hide so I am only concerned about false positives, Microsoft being intrusive while not stopping real pirates, and the less than forthright naming of Microsoft Piracy Test (what advantage is there other than a threat of disadvantage?). Please no more comments that sound like they were scripted by Microsoft or the Soviets.
I received that (access to patches) with every version of Windows I have purchased. What the new advantage? Please don't parrot Microsoft in your reply.
I am sure as many people who feel guilty about having the same copy of Windows on two machines (it used to be OK to have copy of some software products on two machines) that end up buying another copy of Genu-whine windows, there will be an equal number of people that leave for Linux. I will definitely ween myself from Office to Google Apps or Open Office now and will continue playing with Ubuntu. I am not really interested in Apple due to cost of hardware and exaggerations of its advantages.
As far as I know there are two ways to cope with Windows Advantage: 1. take the test using OEM as your choice for licensing, because the software came installed as default on your machines 2. download an executable that provides you with the certificate your need to rund Windows Media or any other Microsoft software. This is available at Microsoft downloads center. ·
I run my illegitimate copy of vistas and XPs as Genuine ... hahaha Microsoft sucks ... i've heard many legitimate copies failed passing the Genuine test. Anyway microsoft sucks big time at things like these.
Window Genuine Advantage hahahahaah, used it, got caught, disabled thru some registery edit, getting all the downloads and all. Moved to Linux recently. I mite buy Vista though.