Microsoft ditches ‘Windows Genuine Advantage’ in Windows 7

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David Flynn12 May 2009, 11:36 PM

But you can put away that celebratory bottle of bubbly... the widely criticised anti-piracy system is just having its name changed to Windows Activation.


Is it a stroke of PR genius or a disingenuous ploy to downplay the widely-reported flaws of Windows’ anti-piracy technology? Either way, Windows Genuine Advantage is no more. With the arrival of Windows 7 it’ll be known by the shorter brand of Windows Activation. Which makes all the difference. Really it does.

The software engine which checks to see if your Windows installation is indeed ‘genuine’ – validating hardware components and, alas, sometimes seeming all to eager to declare that a PC which scant moments ago was 100% kosher is now harbouring a piratical OS – remains embedded in Windows 7. Microsoft just doesn’t want to mention The War. Now it’s just about activation, thanks all the same.

Joe Williams, general manager of Microsoft’s Worldwide Genuine Windows program, admits that “fundamentally the goals are the same”.

“The guiding principle is to enable the customer to know when the software they are using is genuine and licensed and help them to do something about it if it’s not. However the technology used in Windows Vista and Windows 7 is fundamentally different from that used with Windows XP.”

“For that reason the anti-piracy features in Windows 7 — and future versions of updates of the technology for Windows Vista — will be referred to more accurately as Windows Activation Technologies. We will continue releasing Window Genuine Advantage updates for Windows XP-based systems.”



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FostWare (User):

Whatever it is, it still wont fix the crapstorm created by everyone using each others legit keys when downgrading Vista business (or higher) to XP. Had an entire office go "black-screen" cos their reseller just cycled through all their different legit keys. And it was under Microsoft's instruction!

13 May 2009, 1:33 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Yeah... I'm getting bloody sick of being on the side that has to recycle the keys too. Install. call MS. Explain. Install. Call MS. Explain. We did find we got about 2 activations online after a call for the same key though. But the 3rd one needed a call again.

And of course, who is most likely wanting to do this move? Businesses who have a pile of computers they need it done on!

14 May 2009, 10:47 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

TheBuzzSaw (New user):

Oh please. Not them too! My university does this all the time: it makes a new ridiculous policy and then talks about how it somehow "empowers students" to do this or that. Microsoft is pulling this ridiculous stunt: "The guiding principle is to enable the customer to know when the software they are using is genuine and licensed and help them to do something about it if it’s not." They talk like it does us some sort of favor; it doesn't. All it does is annoy the crap out of us for not having phoned home to Microsoft before using something we purchased. Meanwhile, the actual pirates will be enjoying the system hassle free thanks to their hacks.

13 May 2009, 2:33 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Phred (Regular user):

*yawn* A Leopard can't change it's spots, and neither can Microsoft it appears!

Sadly they haven't learnt the angst something like this causes especially for the Mum's & Dad's out there that have no idea what to do and how to fix it should it go pear shaped.

13 May 2009, 5:38 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (Senior member):

Mmm Let me ask a question here :) If a person goes through with this activation process and I suppose you have to sooner or later :( Does Windows just check for the software that you have on your PC or does it check the hardware as well. I'm planning on doing a major rebuild here in the next two months or so but still intend to use my original copy of WinXP which I bought back in mmmmmmmmm 2004-2005 :)Any suggestions about this ? :)

13 May 2009, 8:53 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

You'll have to activate again... Good news is that retail licenses activate online quite a few times before requiring a phone call.
Bad news is that if you bought OEM, technically you'll be pirating if you buy a new case to rebuild into.

14 May 2009, 10:49 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (Senior member):

Quoting Tin:
Bad news is that if you bought OEM, technically you'll be pirating if you buy a new case to rebuild into.

Thanks for that info "Tin" but I'm wondering what difference a new case would make to the OEM.
I thought it checked out the guts of the pc not the box they go in. I plan on getting a Dual-core Processor,New Motherboard,2Gb of RAM,new Graphics Card,Sound Card perhaps,DVD-burner,and possibly a new CD-ROM drive as well.
I'll have had this box 10yrs at Xmas and have replaced various "bits and pieces" over that time.And yes just about every time I've had to re-activate but I haven't done anything so ambitious before.I think the last time the techie activated over the phone.
If I had to do this again,would MS accept the new PC or would I have to give up on WinXP and find another OS ?



14 May 2009, 3:25 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Raindog (Senior Forumologist):

They can change it's name to "World Cure for Poverty" but it wont change the simple fact that WGA is a wholly ineffective PITA that infuriates a legitimate customers and treats them like criminals. Its a sad indictment when hacked and pirated editions of your software are likely to be more customer friendly than the originals.

13 May 2009, 9:41 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

No surprise here, this has been known earlier, Microsoft masquerade its hatred feature to confuse users and think WGA is gone when this is the opposite effect.
Again, the evil bad guy, Microsoft is playing the game, this time around even further digging around the computer specs and installed software, as I said so many times, this is an spyware in disguise, how clever trick upon legitimate users.
Microsoft should be declared a non trusted company software.

13 May 2009, 1:22 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Renaming unpopular things is what good spin doctors do. It's done in politics and marketing all the time.
Of course the outcome is people know what's going on, but the outcry is less because people are over complaining... So they deem it a success and everyone's "happy".

14 May 2009, 10:56 AM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Quoting Tin:
Renaming unpopular things is what good spin doctors do. It's done in politics and marketing all the time... So they deem it a success and everyone's "happy"

Not all users would be happy to use a product that is unsuitable for the basic needs in computing.
An Operating System is very complex to create and handle all the tasks for hardware and software, the one thing I dislike more is the abuse of these big companies, we are being held to ransom to accept its demands to get brand new technology very often, this does not come too cheap, just imagine what will happen to every family, school and non-profit organisations that depend to a computer, the OS is the soul of these machines without it, is nothing more than simple metal boxes that would mean nothing.
Microsoft has gone too far this time around to protect its interests, while one thing is the software code, nobody has created a work derivated upon Windows Operating Systems.
People are in need to use this software anyway, pirated or not.
If Microsoft want to get more revenue, then its executives should start thinking in lowering the price of the OS with a more realistic licence model for at least five computers.
WAT is a useless approach and should be eliminated as soon as possible.

14 May 2009, 1:31 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

The Big Baboo (Senior member):

Actually just looking around a bit on the net today :) I'm seriously tempted to dice "Windows" out the door and maybe try Ubuntu or something similar.

15 May 2009, 1:35 PM (5 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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