Solving Windows Genuine Advantage Problems
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The Windows Genuine Advantage program is an anti-piracy initiative developed by Microsoft to help protect Windows and Microsoft Office products. The WGA software connects to Microsoft servers, tests the validity of your product key and displays several warning messages if it determines that your copy of Windows is not legit. It can cause some surprising problems. Keep reading to learn how to fix them.
Aside from some complaints about how the system works, and the frequency with which it checks, I'm not too upset by this addition by Microsoft. They have a right to protect their investment and intellectual rights. In my opinion, WGA is a fine initiative -- except that it has a habit of returning false positives. Let's take a look at how to fix it.
The Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications tool does transmit some information about your operating system to Microsoft. If you are concerned about your privacy, you can read the WGA Privacy Statement.
The first step in resolving WGA issues is to ensure that you are running the latest version of the software. As of the time of this writing, the latest version can be found at the link below.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/905474
If you're unsure how to tell if your Windows installation or Windows media is counterfeit, you can find more information by visiting:
http://www.microsoft.com/howtotell/
But wait! Why would I want to tell Microsoft that I have a counterfeit copy of Windows?!
The Windows Genuine Advantage program is also a means of protecting the consumer by identifying computer manufacturers who are selling computers with illegal or non-genuine copies of Windows installed. If your system does not validate, the Microsoft police are not going to come beat down your door.
In fact, if your system contains counterfeit software due to no fault of your own, you may be eligible for a complimentary copy of Windows or a replacement product key at no cost to you. In the event that it is your fault, you will still be offered an opportunity to get legal at discounted prices. It's a win-win for everyone.
So despite a lot of claims, Genuine Advantage is a good thing for both Microsoft and the consumer. Let's take a look at how to resolve some of the issues that may arise while trying to validate using Windows Genuine Advantage.
Next: Try to validate online >>
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