6 replies to this topic

[nitram]

Microsoft on Tuesday said it had completed the pilot phase for WGA Notifications, officially rolling out the anti-piracy reminders to Windows XP users worldwide. The company has made minor changes to the program in response to customer concern regarding its "phone home" functionality.

WGA Notifications is a component of Windows Genuine Advantage, an anti-piracy program implemented to detect counterfeit copies of Windows XP. The first piece of this initiative, WGA Validation, was launched in July 2005.


Microsoft later expanded the program with WGA Notifications, which causes users running counterfeit versions of Windows to be notified directly on their desktop that their operating system is not legitimate. While WGA has been generally well received, reports surfaced earlier this month that WGA Notifications connects to Microsoft servers on a daily basis.

The new sparked an outcry from privacy advocates who noted that Microsoft would know the user's IP address and the time they connected. Microsoft responded quickly, explaining that the feature was designed as a "safety switch" that would let the company disable WGA Notifications during the pilot phase if need be.

Now that testing is completed, Microsoft is delivering a new version of the tool to customers. The update no longer checks a configuration file located on Microsoft's servers, but the program will still communicate with the company periodically. The company would not say how often this connection will take place.

Microsoft has also changed the End-User Licensing Agreement (EULA) to more clearly specify the purpose of WGA Notifications. Although users rarely read such agreements, the company says it provides details on what customers should consider before installing the tool, along with an updated privacy statement covering its behavior.

Users can choose not to install the new version of WGA Notifications, Microsoft says. The company is providing instructions on how to remove the previous version of the software for those who do not want to upgrade. However, it's not clear whether WGA Notifications will install automatically through Automatic Updates in Windows.

In addition, Customers who do not install WGA Notifications will have the same restrictions as those with a non-genuine copy of Windows. Critical security updates can still be obtained through Automatic Updates, but no other downloads can be made through the Microsoft download center or Windows Update.

All English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese users of Windows XP running Automatic Updates will soon be offered an updated package with a new version of WGA Notifications, Microsoft said.

Users who may have unknowingly purchased counterfeit software are eligible for a free genuine copy at no cost as long as they fill out a piracy report as well as provide proof of purchase and surrender the counterfeit CDs. Microsoft says about 60% of users promoted to install WGA do so.

Source - BetaNews

[Nvyseal]

Hmm, and didnt Disney just release Pirates of the Carribbean too :medieval:

[nitram]

To much swag for one pirate though dave.

[C0LDSH07]

Unfortuntely - there are reports (and proof of myself) getting the wga on legit window platforms LOL They helped me sort everything out - and corrected the issue - still a pain in the arse!

Hopefully - OneCare isn't riddled with bugs - although i have heard from beta testers - it's actually going to be well worth it - as it's decent from the get go. We'll see

[clarky3429]

they are asking me to download a new "piracy notification" update like every week...its getting really f-ing annoying....

[tntoak]

I tried One Care - then promptly uninstalled it and never looked back. It slowed down the system unacceptably, and was prone to fits of "paranoia" - akin to the Vista Security Center flashing red unless you have EVERYTHING set the way Microsoft wants it...

[Nvyseal]

I was in the beta for this. I actually found it childish, or like something AOL would put out, didnt even bother with it