Windows Genuine Advantage Crap

[Greenday]

What the hell is this crap trying to install on my laptop? How do I get it to stop popping up every time I start my laptop up?

[prb]

What the hell is this crap trying to install on my laptop? How do I get it to stop popping up every time I start my laptop up?

Activate your copy of windows. Or does it say that your copy is not genuine? If the latter, sorry but I can't help you.

[Greenday]

I haven't even installed the program itself.

[Pedersen]

Ah, the joys of Windows. Yes, there's a reason it only runs in a virtual machine for me.

Microsoft is making this a requirement for Windows Update to work. Heck, they have made it a requirement. There's plenty of sites out there that tell you how to disable it, but I'm not comfortable linking to them because I don't know/trust their advice.

In my virtual machines, it's installed and functioning. I'd say to do the same, and hope like hell it doesn't identify you as one of its false positives.

[prb]

There's plenty of sites out there that tell you how to disable it, but I'm not comfortable linking to them because I don't know/trust their advice.

Yeah thats why I said I couldn't help...

[LionMan]

WGA is basically a part of WinXP and Vista and possibly Win 7. It is supposed to be there to make sure you are using the copy you licensed and not one from someone else. Unfortunately, it ends up creating more problems than it fixes because everytime you do something like add memory or change video card, it will complain thinking you have a new computer so you have to reactivate it. I got fed up with it enough to disable it. Haven't notice any effect other than not getting the you must activate win xp anymore.

[Geek King]

Just click through it and let it install. As long as you have a legal copy, you shouldn't have any issues other than possibly having to reaffirm it for hardware upgrades as noted. Since most people don't upgrade hardware everyday, it shouldn't create too much extra hassle.

[Eric the Grey]

Just click through it and let it install. As long as you have a legal copy, you shouldn't have any issues other than possibly having to reaffirm it for hardware upgrades as noted. Since most people don't upgrade hardware everyday, it shouldn't create too much extra hassle.

Highlight mine. There have been reports of problems with WGA, but you will not get any updates from MS unless you allow it to do it's thing and tell you what you already know, that your version of Windows (or maybe Office) is genuine.

I agree with letting it do it's thing. Once it's done you'll only see it a few times a year...



Eric the Grey

[Geek King]

Highlight mine. There have been reports of problems with WGA, but you will not get any updates from MS unless you allow it to do it's thing and tell you what you already know, that your version of Windows (or maybe Office) is genuine.

Highlights: Hence the reason I worded it that way. Chaos theory, and all that, you know?

WGA issue: There may indeed be the rare problem with a legit install, but every single issue with it I've been asked about by users on behalf of their home PCs has so far been tracked to "a friend built it for me." When I have them ask their friend about the Windows install, the ones that get back to me have all admitted to less than legit installs.

Tell You What You Already Know: Ah, but it's not about what you already know, but what MS wants you to prove: You're not stealing their product. I figure it's like having to get my reciept checked at Sam's Club. A few asses have screwed it up for the good customers once again.

[Racket_Man]

I just encountered this problem with Win Vista itself.

I assume at this point Windows did an auto update last week because I had to restart my PC on Wed morning (I leave my PC on overnight sometimes as I have certain utilities such as defrag, my backups, virus scan, etc. run overnight.

yesterday I had powered my PC down the night before because of the hot weather here. I turn it back on yesterday morning. Windows boost up normally until I put my password in. I then get an "Your product key is invalid. Please activate your copy of windows Vista" error. now I have to say I have had this machine for 2 1/2 years WITH a legit OEM (HP) copy of Vista.

AND I had NO warning messages or popups alerting me that my copy of Vista's product key was not valid or had become inactive.

since it is an OEM version I first contact HP for initial help. they say I have to contact MS. spend the next 15 minutes navigating MS's BS voice regocnition phone system. at first it really does not understand what I want help with. I got frustrated and yelled "I WANT TO SPEAK WITH A PERSON" into the phone. finally got routed to a live human (outsourced of couse).



it then takes me speaking with 4 DIFFERENT persons/depts. (all with different phone numbers) to get my problem solved.

first one was intake. second determined that my key and copy were legit. third to reactivate my product key at MS and the last to actually go to some MS website and activate my key locally on my PC.

they still could not tell me what caused this. No I have not added or changed any hardware or installed any major software products that would make Win think it is on another system.

[Broomjockey]

Well, it's an occasional glitch that does that, or it's possible someone else used that key through nefarious means. Enough pirated copies with keygens, and they're eventually going to hit on a key in use. I know that's a major issue with some PC games, and considering piracy of Windows is way above games, it's bound to happen.