Windows Genuine Advantage Vailidation Tool

Why is the tool installed on a monthly basis. On my machine it has been
installed on 29-June, 31-May and 30-April. Is there a point to this?

ConfusedUk wrote:
> Why is the tool installed on a monthly basis. On my machine it has been
> installed on 29-June, 31-May and 30-April. Is there a point to this?

It's spyware. It calls home every reboot. It has no benefit to the end
user whatsoever. It doesn't catch pirates. It does screw up computers.
It is the worst PR move Microsoft has ever done. I guess Bill Gates is
too busy assuaging his conscience with his Gates Foundation to care if
his paying customers get screwed.

Alias

Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------Â*----------------

"ConfusedUk" wrote:

| Why is the tool installed on a monthly basis. On my machine it has been
| installed on 29-June, 31-May and 30-April. Is there a point to this?

Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
> Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx
>

Changes to spyware that still spies is not a real change but very lame
damage control. I just noticed that the spyware is NOT listed in
Add/Remove on my computers so the ONLY way I can get this spyware off my
computer is to do a clean install. The "new and improved" WGA spyware is
waiting on Windows Update for me but I'll be damned if I will install it
or any of its mutations when I clean install.

Alias

Customer feedback? ROFL!

They probably got a focus group into a conference room, and asked them
slanted questions.

No, I'm sure that many customers contacted them via email or phone and gave
them unsolicited feedback.

What? How were they able to actually get through to contact MS? Perhaps
they paid $30 per incident?


"Carey Frisch [MVP]" <> wrote in message
news:...
| Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on
customer feedback:
| http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx
|
| --
| Carey Frisch
| Microsoft MVP
| Windows - Shell/User
| Microsoft Community Newsgroups
| news://msnews.microsoft.com/
|
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------*----------------
|
| "ConfusedUk" wrote:
|
|| Why is the tool installed on a monthly basis. On my machine it has been
|| installed on 29-June, 31-May and 30-April. Is there a point to this?
|

"Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.wga> wrote in message news:GgTog.2516$...
> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>> Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx
>>
>
> Changes to spyware that still spies is not a real change but very lame
> damage control. I just noticed that the spyware is NOT listed in
> Add/Remove on my computers so the ONLY way I can get this spyware off my
> computer is to do a clean install. The "new and improved" WGA spyware is
> waiting on Windows Update for me but I'll be damned if I will install it
> or any of its mutations when I clean install.
>
> Alias

But you can run Freudi's uninstaller. You mentioned that you need to format
for reasons other than WGA Notifications when I pointed you at the tool.
Countering BS with appropriate action beats countering it with BS.

Michael Jennings wrote:
> "Alias" <aka@[notme]maskedandanonymous.wga> wrote in message news:GgTog.2516$...
>> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>>> Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx
>>>
>> Changes to spyware that still spies is not a real change but very lame
>> damage control. I just noticed that the spyware is NOT listed in
>> Add/Remove on my computers so the ONLY way I can get this spyware off my
>> computer is to do a clean install. The "new and improved" WGA spyware is
>> waiting on Windows Update for me but I'll be damned if I will install it
>> or any of its mutations when I clean install.
>>
>> Alias
>
> But you can run Freudi's uninstaller. You mentioned that you need to format
> for reasons other than WGA Notifications when I pointed you at the tool.
> Countering BS with appropriate action beats countering it with BS.
>
>

There should be no reason to have to run any uninstaller and there is no
good reason for WGA in the first place!

Alias

Tom Willett wrote:

> Customer feedback? ROFL!
>
> They probably got a focus group into a conference room, and asked them
> slanted questions.
>
> No, I'm sure that many customers contacted them via email or phone and gave
> them unsolicited feedback.
>
> What? How were they able to actually get through to contact MS? Perhaps
> they paid $30 per incident?
>

There might not even be an accurate count of the customer
feedback since responding to the forum reguires installing
..NET and then acquiring a Passport login, IIRC. The latter
certainly represents another potential avenue of intrusion
into one's privacy. Data-mining is the game of the present.

"Ghostrider" <-00-@fitron.142> wrote in message news:...
> Tom Willett wrote:
>
>> Customer feedback? ROFL!
>>
>> They probably got a focus group into a conference room, and asked them
>> slanted questions.
>>
>> No, I'm sure that many customers contacted them via email or phone and gave
>> them unsolicited feedback.
>>
>> What? How were they able to actually get through to contact MS? Perhaps
>> they paid $30 per incident?
>
> There might not even be an accurate count of the customer
> feedback since responding to the forum requires installing
> .NET and then acquiring a Passport login, IIRC. The latter
> certainly represents another potential avenue of intrusion
> into one's privacy. Data-mining is the game of the present.

I got through to MS with some hot spews and got response,
I suppose from Bangalore; generalized curry flavored emails.

The Passport EULA lets them store the data in any country
in which they do business. I clicked accept without reading it.
The Europeans just went for Total Information Awareness -
ISP's will be required to store user behavior. Shun computers?
It won't shake ubiquitous surveillance, but it could mitigate it.

Alias wrote:
> Carey Frisch [MVP] wrote:
>> Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on
>> customer feedback:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/f.../06-27WGA.mspx
>>
>
> Changes to spyware that still spies is not a real change but very lame
> damage control. I just noticed that the spyware is NOT listed in
> Add/Remove on my computers so the ONLY way I can get this spyware off
> my computer is to do a clean install. The "new and improved" WGA
> spyware is waiting on Windows Update for me but I'll be damned if I
> will install it or any of its mutations when I clean install.
>
> Alias

MS is starting to here the screams!
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921914/en-us

--
Mike Pawlak