What's Genuine About Windows Genuine Advantage?
An article over at Microsoft-Watch has been posted about what Windows Genuine Advantage is all about.
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10.6.2006 ReadyBoost in Windows Vista: Does it Make a Difference?
USB memory keys are compact little devices that can store and transfer anywhere from 128MB to 8GB of data, all it takes is a USB slot.
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27.8.2007 Last OS Standing: Make the Most of Windows Vista
Now that Windows XP is no longer being sold by Microsoft, PC users will be stuck with Windows Vista. Here's a roundup of PC World's best tips for making Vista easier to use.
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3.7.2008 Ultimately, Touch Will Make the Killer Windows 7 Applications
Undoubtedly it is the ecosystem of third-party software solutions that make Windows the platform that it is today, sharing the operating system's success.
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12.11.2008 How-To: Remove the Windows BSOD icon in Leopard, make OS X a little less smug
It's pretty clear that Apple left no stone unturned in Leopard, making changes and fixes throughout the new operating system.
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31.10.2007 OneCare Death to Make Room for Free Morro Antivirus for Windows 7
A future core antimalware solution will replace Windows Live OneCare, which, considering the price of a one year subscription, has already qualified for an alternative to free security software, come mid-2009.
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25.11.2008 Do not make Win 7 too Mac-like
Blogger Paul Thurrott has written a couple of interesting posts about the difference between “simple” and “easy” in the context of Windows 7.
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4.12.2008 Why Apple does not make a netbook
As netbooks continue their inexorable rise up the wish lists of gadget hounds, businesses and ordinary folk alike, the clamor for Apple to join the market continues to increase from all sides.
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5.3.2009 Is Google going to make Microsoft look good?
Why do we like Google? Is it because they are the “do no evil” company? Is it because they are not Microsoft? Is it because they make our lives easier through their search, email, and other services? The fact of the matter is that a lot of people from users, to developers, to workers, and to investors like Google. Heck, even I like google! (Look at the ads.)
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3.8.2006 Microsoft Blogs Make Room for Ads
Microsoft's MSN Spaces blogging features are set for a major upgrade to incorporate a revenue-sharing advertising option and a new partnership with Amazon.com, according to various sources.
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26.1.2006 How To Make a Custom Vista Disc AIO
odeeee report How To
Make a Custom Vista Disc All In One in our forum.
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26.1.2007 Users may need Vista to make most of Server 2008
Companies installing Windows Server 2008 may have to buy extra Microsoft software, such as Windows Vista, to use more advanced features, analyst firm Gartner has said.
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3.11.2007 Hollywood to make shows for Xbox 360
Microsoft, seeking to expand offerings on its Xbox 360 console, has reached an agreement with a company headed by Peter Safran, the veteran Hollywood producer and talent manager, to produce original shows for distribution on the system.
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31.3.2008 Windows 7 – 20 Features to Make Users Forget Vista SP1/SP2 and XP SP3
Microsoft is currently moving onward with the development of Windows 7, having passed Milestone 3 with the operating system.
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15.11.2008 Microsoft to eventually make Office a web application
Microsoft is leaping into hosted applications big time. InformationWeek reports that Microsoft plans to offer hosted implementations of SharePoint, CRM and ERP applications. But the best quote in that article was left till last. A "Microsoft insider" was asked which other products and services Microsoft would host and the reply was: "Everything. Hosted Office. Everything hosted."
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MS Vista to make official debut in Israel
Microsoft Windows team development head Steven Sinofsky will unveil Vista at Tech-Ed Israel 2006. windows -
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4.4.2006 NSA Helped Microsoft Make Vista Secure
Microsoft has confirmed that the U.S. government agency best known for eavesdropping on telephone calls had a hand in the development of the Windows Vista operating system.
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12.1.2007 Microsoft: Make our HD Photo format a standard
Such is the reasoning behind a step Microsoft plans to announce Thursday: it will submit its HD Photo image format to a standards body.
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8.3.2007 Microsoft Gambles One EU Customer Will Make its Case
It has been "Issues Week" all week for Microsoft, and Thursday, the company took on the dreaded interoperability issue. But its choice of message was called into question a bit yesterday after Microsoft boasted of having signed up its first official customer for its communications and interoperability IP licenses: Quest Software, the manufacturer of the Toad data modeling system.
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10.3.2007 TechEd 2007 Preview: Now It's Developers' Turn to Make Changes
With Windows Vista already a firmly entrenched product in many homes and some businesses, and with Windows Server 2008 cruising toward a final release in the second half of this year, Microsoft may feel it's time for its many partners and developers with an interest in Windows' success to stand and deliver.
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4.6.2007 Microsoft Promotion: make MSN Your Homepage & Win a Zune
How badly does Microsoft want to promote the Zune? Not badly enough to think of anything particularly ingenious. Unique? yes. Succesful? No.
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15.2.2007 Make No Mistake About It, the XP SP3 RTM Direct Download Links Are Live
Make no mistake about it, the gold bits of Windows XP Service Pack 3 are available for download straight from Microsoft, contrary to what the company is claiming.
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1.5.2008 Is your copy of Windows genuine?
How to Tell helps you verify that your Microsoft products are genuine.
To begin, choose the product category that best describes your Microsoft product. On the following product category page you will be able to select your specific product and the method by which you acquired it to learn more about genuine Microsoft products.
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Windows update without Microsoft Genuine 2
Not only will it keep you up to date with the latest updates from Microsoft, it will also keep software and drivers from other vendors updated. However, that functionality is currently missing.
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Windows Genuine Advantage works
IT may have cost Microsoft millions of sales, but Redmond claims that Windows Genuine Advantage has forced punters to buy legitimate copies of its software.
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26.11.2007 Microsoft changes Windows Genuine Advantage name
Microsoft is giving its anti-piracy/DRM technology a PR face lift with Windows 7. The “Windows Genuine” branding is being supplanted by a new name: Windows Activation.
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7.5.2009 Windows update without Microsoft Genuine test
Two weeks ago, I posted simple javascripts to circumvent the dreaded Windows Genuine Advantage system for the sake of my and others clicky-finger. It was this day, or maybe a few days later, that Microsoft's PR looneys acknoledged the fact it can be worked around and will be patching up the holes in the "next version".
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Windows Genuine Advantage now supports Firefox
Microsoft Genuine Windows Validation process now works in Firefox and other Mozilla browsers. Firefox users can manually install the Windows Genuine Advantage validation Firefox plug-in available on Microsoft's website to complete the Windows validation process.
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17.11.2005 Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Crack
A brief guide on how to bypass Windows Genuine Advantage check on Windows XP.
It took basically 5 minutes to figure out how to bypass this check. However, Microsoft can change his server part of the check in order to block this.
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7.3.2006 Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Crack
A brief guide on how to bypass Windows Genuine Advantage check on Windows XP.
It took basically 5 minutes to figure out how to bypass this check. However, Microsoft can change his server part of the check in order to block this.
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8.4.200622% of Windows Installs Non-Genuine
Microsoft disclosed Monday
that over one in five Windows
installations were deemed
non-genuine through the
company's Windows Genuine
Advantage program, which
requires users to validate
their operating system before
downloading updates from the
company...
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23.01.2007Pirating Windows? No free Security Essentials for you!
Microsoft has confirmed via its Genuine Windows Blog that only those Windows users running genuine, validated copies will be able to download and
install the new Microsoft Security Essentials software. The Director of Microsoft's Genuine Windows team, Alex Kochis, stated in his post that,
"During installation, you'll be asked to validate Windows running on your PC to make sure that it's genuine." Windows validation is by no
means a new technology, and has been implemented in many of Microsoft's software packages with a few notable exceptions: Internet Explorer 8, for
example, and Windows Update which allows users running pirated copies of Windows to download essential security patches without validation.
Read full story.....
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01.10.2009Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications (v1.8.0031.0)
Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is a tool to help reduce software piracy. This tool will confirm that the copy of Windows installed on the PC
is genuine and properly licensed. If it is not genuine, the tool will provide periodic reminders to help you take the appropriate action.
This is the most current release of Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications. We encourage you to upgrade to this version. This release
includes enhanced features that reflect ongoing input from customers, as well as Microsofts continually improving anti-piracy technology.
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27.08.2008Microsoft changes 'Windows Genuine Advantage' name
Microsoft will be changing to name of it's activation and validation system from "Windows Genuine Advantage" to "Windows Activation
Technologies" according to a report by Mary-Jo Foley. However, the "Genuine" brand isn't completely disappearing. A press release states that
Microsoft will continue to deliver genuine updates and notifications for XP users. The program has been criticized for its punishment tactics and
false-positive results, even though Microsoft has fixed some of these problems in Vista SP1. According to Microsoft, Windows 7's activation will
be built on the same software protection platform that was part of Vista, with some minor tweaks made for Windows 7.
Read full story.....
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08.05.2009Microsoft Debuts New Licensing Program to Enable Resellers to Help Enterprises That Are Victims of Counterfeit Software
Q&A: Cori Hartje, director of Microsoft's Genuine Software Initiative, discusses the Get Genuine Windows Agreement and other efforts the company has
put in place to help customers become properly licensed and acquire genuine Microsoft software...
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02.10.2007MS Office Validation Now Mandatory
Want to use the extra features
within Office? Be prepared to
verify that your copy of the
productivity suite is genuine.
While the so-called Office
Genuine Advantage has been
around since April, Microsoft
did not make it mandatory
until Friday...
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28.10.2006Microsoft prepares Genuine
Software initiative
The recently rolled out Office
Genuine Advantage, along with
its widely known Windows
counterpart, seems to have
made Microsoft decide to
protect all of its paying
software using a Genuine
Advantage initiative.
The new tool, named
simply Genuine Advantage
Initiative, is aimed at
protecting all Microsoft
retail desktop software other
than Windows and Office, which
will both remain under their
own Genuine Advantage. It is
based on the Office version,
but the changes it adds from
this version is currently
unknown.
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28.07.2006Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications Update
Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is a tool to help reduce software piracy. This tool will confirm that the copy of Windows installed on the PC
is genuine and properly licensed. If it is not genuine, the tool will provide periodic reminders to help you take the appropriate action.
This is the most current release of Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications. We encourage you to upgrade to this version. This release
includes enhanced features that reflect ongoing input from customers, as well as Microsofts continually improving anti-piracy technology.
Specific features of this version include:
- Improved Setup “ A new installation wizard provides an overview of the tool,
and shows validation results immediately at the end of the installation process. No reboot is required following installation.
- Redesigned
User Interface - The system tray notifications have been redesigned to make them more visually appealing with clear links to full details of each
message and further options for resolving any problems.
- Improved User Assistance “ Improved messaging for users who are unable to
complete validation, along with links to more and better self-help tools.
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15.12.2007Microsoft to target Windows XP Pro users with Genuine 'nagware' notifications
Microsoft is stepping up its war on software pirates by rolling out new Windows Genuine notification software for what it is calling its most pirated
version of Windows: Windows XP Professional.
In an August 26 posting to the Windows Genuine Advantage blog, Director of Genuine
Windows Alex Koch said XP users should expect Microsoft to begin rolling out
a new version of Windows Genuine
Advantage (WGA) notifications starting this week. Microsoft is expecting the rollout to take several months.
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27.08.2008Microsoft Seals Cracks
With the impending release of Service Pack 1 for Vista, Microsoft looks to slow down the pirates by cutting off two popular hacks to circumvent the
Windows Genuine Advantage Program.
Testing both these methods of circumventing Windows activation and Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA)
has shown me that SP1 effectively ignores both these hacks. Systems that previously were shown to be genuine prior to the installation of SP1 then
require activation - and if the system isn’t activated it is marked at non-genuine and enters the nag state.
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11.02.2008Windows Vista Validation Update (KB929391)
Microsoft have just posted a
Windows Vista Genuine
Validation Update to Windows
Update. The update provides
the latest information to the
Windows Vista validation
components, and is marked as
an "Important" update.
It seems that the aim
of the update is to further
prevent "cracked" copies of
Windows Vista from being able
to run. Install the Windows
Vista validation component
updates to make sure that your
copy of Windows Vista is
genuine and is correctly
licensed. If a problem is
detected, the update will
provide additional
instructions.
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15.12.2006Microsofts Genuine Software Initiative Makes Steady Progress on Protecting Customers
Q&A: Cori Hartje, Worldwide Director, Microsoft Genuine Software Initiative, discusses Microsofts continued investments to help customers and partners
realize the value of genuine software...
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08.04.2008Get Genuine Kit
The following download links include a 1 page document containing information for resellers to help customers get legal when they have non-genuine
Windows XP Professional installed on their PC and a 4 page document containing frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the Get Genuine program.
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21.11.2007Microsoft slams the door on Vista pirates
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: With the launch of SP1 Microsoft promised to put an end to two popular hacks used by pirates to allow a non-genuine install of
Windows Vista to function in the same way as a genuine install. Testing that Ive carried out in the lab today suggests that Microsoft has been true to
its word.
The two most common hacks used were the OEM BIOS hack and the grace timer hack (of which there were two flavors which
were widespread).
Testing both these methods of circumventing Windows activation and Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) has shown me
that SP1 effectively ignores both these hacks. Systems that previously were shown to be genuine prior to the installation of SP1 then require
activation - and if the system isnt activated it is marked at non-genuine and enters the nag state.
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11.02.2008SP1 Unsuccessful in Preventing Vista Hacks
It seems that Microsoft has been unsuccessful with SP1 in preventing hackers from
turning a pirated, non-genuine copy of Vista into genuine copies that pass activation. The article initially looked at two of
the most popular hacks (OEM BIOS hack and the grace timer hack) but after a little digging ZDNet were able to transform a non-genuine install into a
genuine one. 'After a few minutes of searching the darker corners of the Internet and a few seconds in the Command Prompt I was able to fool Windows
into thinking that it was genuine.'
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11.02.2008Microsoft Pushes New Piracy
Initiative
Expanding upon its Windows
Genuine Advantage program,
which requires customers to
verify their licenses before
downloading operating system
updates, Microsoft has rolled
out a new effort called the
Genuine Software Initiative.
The undertaking will combine
the company's anti-piracy and
counterfeit prevention
efforts...
betanews.com -
09.03.2006Microsoft Adds Firefox Support
to WGA
Firefox users may still be out
of the luck when it comes to
Windows Update, but they can
now download files from
Microsoft that require Windows
Genuine Advantage validation
thanks to a new plug-in. WGA
checks to make sure the
Windows license is legit and
is now a requirement on the
Microsoft Download Center...
betanews.com -
17.11.2005Microsoft: Windows Genuine Advantage works!
IT may have cost Microsoft millions of sales, but Redmond claims that Windows Genuine Advantage has forced punters to buy legitimate copies of its
software. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Vole had tried everything from court cases, to threats, to try and counter piracy. But now that
Windows Genuine Advantage has locked down its Vista product, piracy is more or less a thing of the past.
The SMH admits that Microsoft does
not have any actual figures to back up its startling claim. The closest thing it has said was that Windows sales were up 20 percent while worldwide PC
sales were up only 14 to 16 percent. It claims that this was because people with counterfeit copies of Windows were having to put the real thing on
their computers or the software does not work
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26.11.2007Internet Explorer 7 update: Now WGA-free
Microsoft has issued an updated Internet Explorer (IE) 7 release that no longer requires Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation in order to
download.
Program Manager Steve Reynolds announced the news on October 4 on Microsoft’s IE Team blog:
WGA is the anti-piracy mechanism Microsoft uses to check
whether users are running “genuine” Windows before allowing them to download certain product updates, fixes, white papers and other
related information.
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04.10.2007Windows SteadyState 2.5 Final Now Available
Whether you manage computers in a school computer lab or an Internet café, a library, or even in your home, Windows SteadyState helps make it easy
for you to keep your computers running the way you want them to, no matter who uses them. Windows SteadyState is easier to download, set up, use, and
maintain than Shared Computer Toolkit.
Windows SteadyState runs on genuine copies of Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home
Edition, and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. And, Windows SteadyState is offered at no charge to Windows Genuine Advantage customers!
winbeta.org -
10.06.2008
