•
Listen to the podcast: WGA: Is it spyware?. 
Transcript
Hi everyone, this is Leo Notenboom with news, commentary and answers to some of the many questions I get at askleo.info.
Windows Genuine Advantage, or WGA, has come under heavy fire lately. Among other things, Microsoft has been accused of:
-
a) Using Windows Update, which claims to only download "critical updates", to download the decidedly non-critical WGA,
-
b) Designing WGA to contact servers back at Microsoft once a day - for reasons that haven't fully been disclosed, and ...
-
c) Not telling you about all this up front.
In short, it has all the characteristics of spyware. Many folks are quite upset, there's even a lawsuit or two under way as a result.
The problem is that the goal of WGA - preventing software piracy - is actually quite laudable. Unfortunately Microsoft dropped the ball on execution. There are those who claim that this technology stands a high probability of eventually harming only legitimate users trying to do the right thing, while pirates continue to circumvent it. Not to mention the fact that Microsoft chose to roll this out in a very secret and underhanded way.
If we're to trust Microsoft, Microsoft has to trust us, the market, and be open with what it's up to, and why.
So what does this all mean for the average user?
Well, there are several folks out there who're calling for a total avoidance of Windows Update. Personally, that seems like an extreme over reaction. The risks you take on by not getting the latest updates to me far outweigh the "risk" of WGA.
My take on it is simple: the average user should do nothing. Or rather, the average user should continue to use Windows Update as part of a comprehensive approach to internet safety. Let the pundits and the courts take this issue to its inevitable conclusion. In my opinion, WGA does not currently represent any kind of threat. Even if it ever would have, which I actually doubt, because of industry publicity (and lawsuits), it's now unlikely that it ever will.
As I said last week discussing Google's new checkout service, it's all about trust. Perhaps more than any other company, Microsoft needs to understand this. You'd think that by now they would. But given the blunder that is WGA, it's so clear that they do not.
I'd love to hear what you think. Visit ask leo dot info, and enter 10485 in the go to article number box. Leave a comment, I read them all.
This is a presentation of askleo.info, a free on-line technical question and answer service. Hundreds of questions and answers are online and ready to help solve your computer problems.
That's askleo.info.
Related:
-
Windows Secrets Newsletter - Dump Windows Update, use alternatives (an alternate view)
-
Wikipedia - Windows Genuine Advantage (many good reference links included)
Article C2715 - July 6, 2006
I purchased a second hand pc running windows xp pro. With it, a laptop and another pc I started a wireless network. unfortunately the second hand pc's xp pro didn't have the correct update to use WPA encryption so I ran the update program. It informed me that I had to run WGA which I did. This informed me that the copy of XP pro was pirated and that I could fix it for a sum (less than the retail price of a new copy). Cool. Then I tried to use hotmail. Suddenly, I couldn't log in to hotmail on any of the pc's although I could from a friends and could before I ran WGA. May be I have done something else to upset the delicate machine that is windows but with 25 years of computer experience and being a c++ programmer amongst other things I smell a big hairy microsoft rat.
Posted by: James Miller at July 10, 2006 12:08 PMNot sure if WGA is spyware or not, but it sure wasn't a critical update! Microsoft almost got off the hook for abusing Windows update like this. It would of been different if they would of listed the update as optional. I have more wisdom http://the-natron-blog.blogspot.com/2006/07/you-can-stop-spyware.html . thanks!
Posted by: Nate at July 12, 2006 9:40 PMI'm not computer smart. But I believe in the old saying, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... it's probably a duck." WGA looks, walks and quacks like spyware to me. What possible reason could Microsoft have to monitor my computer usage? If General Motors or Ford put a monitoring device in your car without your knowledge or consent (AFTER you bought that car), would you feel violated in any way?
But let's take this one step further. The 4th Amendment to the Constitution states in part, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,..." Now, before all you Constitutional scholars jump up and down saying the 4th amendment applies to GOVERNMENT searches and seizures, I know that. But what makes Microsoft better than the entire government? And how do government computers running Microsoft products keep their data safe from WGA spying? Or does Microsoft make special concessions and receive tacit government approval for spying on average Americans? Does Homeland Security have anything to do with this?
Remember, a person is NOT paranoid if people really are watching him!
Posted by: Angry in Texas at July 13, 2006 4:52 PMWGA is clearly spyware, it meets the standard definition of spyware. Even if Microsoft had the best of intentions, it has shown that it doesn't trust its customers. Misusing Automatic Updates (which is meant only for "critical" security updates) to install WGA on people's computers is sneaky and undermines the credibility of Automatic Updates. Just because there are criminals doesn't mean the government gets to treat everyone as a criminal (see e.g., 4th Amendment). Just because there are people who pirate Windows doesn't mean Microsoft gets to treat everyone who uses Windows as a pirate.
BTW, I read about whether Automatic Updates should be on or off. This is a false choice, because it leaves people with the impression that they either allow Microsoft complete control over critical updates (the Automatic setting) or that they must search for the updates they need to patch security holes. There are 4 settings for Automatic Updates. These settings are Automatic (AU automatically downloads and installs critical updates without user input unless a reboot or an EULA is involved), Download (automatic download, then user must consent to installation), Notification (user is informed when new critical updates are available, must consent before download can occur and must consent before installation can occur), and Off (Automatic Updates is disabled). Even if you choose the Off setting, simply go to Windows Update or Microsoft Update on the second Tuesday of every month to get the critical updates to which Microsoft would have sent you or of which Microsoft would notify you. For years I have had AU set to Notification mode. Twice AU notified me of WGA and each time I rejected WGA. You can have Automatic Updates on without giving Microsoft complete control over the critical updating process.
Posted by: Stefan at July 19, 2006 4:30 PMI have the same problem that James Miller has. I got the WGA kit for the $150, installed it, had to download many fixes for it, and still I cannot login to hotmail or yahoo mail, and most windows support pages won't down load. How the hell do I fix this?
Posted by: Jason Kozma at July 22, 2006 8:22 AMI'm using and learning the latest "Ubuntu" distribution of Linux. Quick and easy!
Posted by: John at August 25, 2006 11:42 PMMy Windows is now disconnected from the net, and I keep it only to run a couple of programs I need which only run in Windows (until the day they release a Linux version!)
Who needs Microsoft's WGA peeking over their shoulder?
after using windows update it teold me that i have not the original version of windows !!!
Posted by: apachon at March 12, 2007 5:20 PMand i need to purchase a key ???
it s a second hand compact evo310 and i cant get all the updates ! only few of them are installed by winupdate !
do i have to buy a new key ? or just buy a new windows pro ?
any way !
it s a good website ! continu ...
regards .
APACHON from tunisia .
windows is the psyware !
Posted by: apachon at March 12, 2007 5:21 PMI understand the impetus behind WGA in that it's designed to thwart piracy. BUT, once it is determined by WGA that the operating system is perfectly legitimate, why isn't that enough for Microsoft?
Tell me why that bloated software (WGA) has to connect to the Microsoft servers on every start-up in order to constantly validate the operating system, especially after it has already been validated/passed inspection?
This slows my system down to a crawl as well...making me one very unhappy customer. Grr.
Posted by: Microsoft is really pushing it this time at March 24, 2007 5:40 AMGoogle "Aishwarya Rai"...
Posted by: Drake at July 1, 2009 3:55 AMkeep hitting the search-bar until "The Windows Genuine Advantage Crack" is on your first search..
just click the result and dowload it(12.7MB only)..
then run it..
it will clean your system and you'll never find WGA on your system again..
it has brutally worked for me..
you'll get the desired results..
Good Luck!!