Windowsupdate and WGA

After searching and trying to find an answer to my question, I figured I'd
just go ahead and ask point blank what I want to know.

Can one go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and get security updates
WITHOUT downloading or otherwise invoking the almighty WGA?

Microsoft has said that critcal/security updates would not be witheld from
any user.

From the "Genuine Microsoft Software" FAQ page:

Q: Will users of non-genuine Windows be blocked from receiving security
updates?

A: No. Regardless of genuine status, users will not be denied access to
critical security updates. Users who have not validated their computers as
genuine, however, will not be able to install many updates, including
Internet Explorer 7.0 and Windows Defender. Microsoft strongly recommends
that users of non-genuine systems correct their problem immediately.
----------------------------------

I'm running an OEM version of Windows XP Home, and I had the pilot version
of WGA installed, but when they started pushing it out as a
"Critical/Security Update", I decided to forgo installing something that
can't be uninstalled, short of a formate/reinstall of the OS and really
offers me no appreciable benefit. And after removing the pilot version
according to KB article #921914, I now can no longer get any update
information from Windows Update without installing "Windows Genuine Advantage
Validation Tool (KB892130)".

So am I now forced to get my critical and security updates via the built-in
"Automatic Updates" platform? (which I have set to notify me of updates but
wait for approval before downloading and installing them) If so, then maybe
I need to seriously consider switching to a less draconian OS provider.

You would need to manually download and install the individual updates.

"Five0xpres" <> wrote in message
news:CA99382E-ED31-4E51-A85D-...
| After searching and trying to find an answer to my question, I figured I'd
| just go ahead and ask point blank what I want to know.
|
| Can one go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and get security updates
| WITHOUT downloading or otherwise invoking the almighty WGA?
|
| Microsoft has said that critcal/security updates would not be witheld from
| any user.
|
| From the "Genuine Microsoft Software" FAQ page:
|
| Q: Will users of non-genuine Windows be blocked from receiving security
| updates?
|
| A: No. Regardless of genuine status, users will not be denied access to
| critical security updates. Users who have not validated their computers as
| genuine, however, will not be able to install many updates, including
| Internet Explorer 7.0 and Windows Defender. Microsoft strongly recommends
| that users of non-genuine systems correct their problem immediately.
| ----------------------------------
|
| I'm running an OEM version of Windows XP Home, and I had the pilot version
| of WGA installed, but when they started pushing it out as a
| "Critical/Security Update", I decided to forgo installing something that
| can't be uninstalled, short of a formate/reinstall of the OS and really
| offers me no appreciable benefit. And after removing the pilot version
| according to KB article #921914, I now can no longer get any update
| information from Windows Update without installing "Windows Genuine
Advantage
| Validation Tool (KB892130)".
|
| So am I now forced to get my critical and security updates via the
built-in
| "Automatic Updates" platform? (which I have set to notify me of updates
but
| wait for approval before downloading and installing them) If so, then
maybe
| I need to seriously consider switching to a less draconian OS provider.

My computer seems not to have ever had WGA notifications installed.
The Windows Update website has been working without problems.
It used to nag me to install KB905474, but no longer does so - in fact,
that "high priority" update is no longer offered to me.

I did accept the other component of WGA (not the notifications).

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892130/en-us

So I would guess that you do have to validate, but you don't have
to accept the controversial KB905474 WGA Notification program
in order to use WU and get the premium downloads. I don't say
that there is a way without a format, but there might be. Vista is
not going to be as namby-pamby as XP about afflicting users
it thinks are not legit. If you think Windows is a PITA, give Linux
a whirl. Buy a hard drive and configure grub to dual boot. You'll
probably either find a way to default boot Windows, or if you
can't, you'll get rid of grub and the distro. Mac OS-X can also
dual boot Windows, but most readily on an Intel mac.

Don't be so chicken about the clean installation, I suggest.
Kiss anything creepy you've acquired goodbye and format.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=XP+clean+install

"Five0xpres" <> wrote in message news:CA99382E-ED31-4E51-A85D-...
> After searching and trying to find an answer to my question, I figured I'd
> just go ahead and ask point blank what I want to know.
>
> Can one go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and get security updates
> WITHOUT downloading or otherwise invoking the almighty WGA?
>
> Microsoft has said that critcal/security updates would not be witheld from
> any user.
>
> From the "Genuine Microsoft Software" FAQ page:
>
> Q: Will users of non-genuine Windows be blocked from receiving security
> updates?
>
> A: No. Regardless of genuine status, users will not be denied access to
> critical security updates. Users who have not validated their computers as
> genuine, however, will not be able to install many updates, including
> Internet Explorer 7.0 and Windows Defender. Microsoft strongly recommends
> that users of non-genuine systems correct their problem immediately.
> ----------------------------------
>
> I'm running an OEM version of Windows XP Home, and I had the pilot version
> of WGA installed, but when they started pushing it out as a
> "Critical/Security Update", I decided to forgo installing something that
> can't be uninstalled, short of a formate/reinstall of the OS and really
> offers me no appreciable benefit. And after removing the pilot version
> according to KB article #921914, I now can no longer get any update
> information from Windows Update without installing "Windows Genuine Advantage
> Validation Tool (KB892130)".
>
> So am I now forced to get my critical and security updates via the built-in
> "Automatic Updates" platform? (which I have set to notify me of updates but
> wait for approval before downloading and installing them) If so, then maybe
> I need to seriously consider switching to a less draconian OS provider.

"Michael Jennings" <> schrieb:

> It used to nag me to install KB905474, but no longer does so - in fact,
> that "high priority" update is no longer offered to me.

This *may* be related to
http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ce-outage.aspx

> So I would guess that you do have to validate, but you don't have
> to accept the controversial KB905474 WGA Notification program
> in order to use WU and get the premium downloads.

That's absolutly correct - and has ever been ;-)

KB905474 has been/is still an *optional* update, although it has been(?)
pushed via WU/MU/AU as an important update.
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...Question7Label

Bye,
Freudi

"Ottmar Freudenberger" <> wrote in message news:...
> "Michael Jennings" <> schrieb:
>
>> It used to nag me to install KB905474, but no longer does so - in fact,
>> that "high priority" update is no longer offered to me.
>
> This *may* be related to
> http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/20...ce-outage.aspx
>
>> So I would guess that you do have to validate, but you don't have
>> to accept the controversial KB905474 WGA Notification program
>> in order to use WU and get the premium downloads.
>
> That's absolutely correct - and has ever been ;-)
>
> KB905474 has been/is still an *optional* update, although it has been(?)
> pushed via WU/MU/AU as an important update.
> http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/dow...Question7Label

Hi Freudi,

The FAQ avers that TüViT did a privacy check on WGA, and
gives a link. On the TüViT site, Search gets only product activation:
http://www.tuvit.de/XS/c.000203/seite.01/sprache.EN/SX/
Is a TüViT WGA report available somewhere?

auf Wiedersehen,
Michael

"Michael Jennings" <> schrieb:

> Is a TüViT WGA report available somewhere?

Not that I'm aware of.

Bye,
Freudi

"Ottmar Freudenberger" <> wrote in message news:...
> "Michael Jennings" <> schrieb:
>
>> Is a TüViT WGA report available somewhere?
>
> Not that I'm aware of.
>
> Bye,
> Freudi
>
Uh oh

"Michael Jennings" <> worte ages ago:

> The FAQ avers that TüViT did a privacy check on WGA, and
> gives a link. On the TüViT site, Search gets only product activation:
> http://www.tuvit.de/XS/c.000203/seite.01/sprache.EN/SX/
> Is a TüViT WGA report available somewhere?

There's a Certificate available for Microsoft Update/WSUS:
https://www.datenschutzzentrum.de/gu...g070201_en.pdf

Bye,
Freudi

"Ottmar Freudenberger" <> schrieb:
> "Michael Jennings" <> worte ages ago:
>
>> The FAQ avers that TüViT did a privacy check on WGA, and
>> gives a link. On the TüViT site, Search gets only product activation:
>> http://www.tuvit.de/XS/c.000203/seite.01/sprache.EN/SX/
>> Is a TüViT WGA report available somewhere?
>
> There's a Certificate available for Microsoft Update/WSUS:
> https://www.datenschutzzentrum.de/gu...g070201_en.pdf

And here's a new one (Short Report) for WGA 1.7:
https://www.datenschutzzentrum.de/gu...a-englisch.pdf

FWIW,
Freudi