Microsoft update today?

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Did anyone get this today?

Windows XP Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474) Thursday,
March 01, 2007 Windows Update


I happen to go to Microsoft's page a few minutes ago, and this came in.
Could have sworn I had all updates. Thanx for any input. :-)
 
I didn't see it today, but I know that it has been going out gradually for
maybe a week or so. This is the "notification" piece of Windows Genuine
Advantage. It is optional--you can refuse to sign the eula--in fact, that's
one reason the eula is there. I will say, however, that this code does
sometimes give useful information not related to software piracy issues: It
will warn, for example on an XP SP1 machine which is nearing the end of its
support life.
 
:

This is the "notification" piece of Windows Genuine
Advantage. It is optional--you can refuse to sign the eula--in fact, that's
one reason the eula is there.
Click to expand...

I installed it as a matter of course because I don't know any better - but
I've never understood this whole business. In what sense is it 'optional',
Bill? What would have happened if I'd chosen not to install it?
 
Alan D said:
:



I installed it as a matter of course because I don't know any better - but
I've never understood this whole business. In what sense is it 'optional',
Bill? What would have happened if I'd chosen not to install it?
Click to expand...

Hello, Alan - the below URL should answer most of your queries regarding
Windows Validation;
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx

Randy

--
siljaline

MS - MVP Windows (IE/OE) & Windows Security, AH-VSOP

Security Tools Updates
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=31

Reply to group, as return address is invalid that we may all benefit.
 
Randy Knobloch said:
Hello, Alan - the below URL should answer most of your queries regarding
Windows Validation;
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx
Click to expand...

Thanks Randy. I've tried to find my way through that document on more than
one previous occasion, but life is short, and that document has endless
ramifications, and neither it, nor the long list of FAQ, provide satisfactory
answers to my most important questions which are:
(1) I've no objection to having the genuineness of my installation of
Windows checked, but they've checked it countless times already. Why do I
need to KEEP ON doing it?
(2) Why do I need to keep downloading UPDATES to a piece of software that
has already told them that my installation is genuine countless times?
(3) What happens if I say enough is enough, and decline to install future
updates?
 
Now that Donna told us there is an update to the update from WU that i
posted on 2/21, I can't seem to get the newer update from WU. JJ did you
update on 2/21?
 
Man I am totally confused about this update. I check usually once a week to
see if anything is there, and last time I got any updates was those on the
13th of Feb. where we got like 9 or 10 of them. I could have sworn then I got
one about valadation. Oh well, not much I can do now, as I didn't know it was
optional, so it got downloaded. I also thought during that big update we got
the patch for the new DST, at least that is what it says on my updates??

Nothing like trying to make us nuts. Have a good one, TTYL.
 
Alan D said:
Thanks Randy. I've tried to find my way through that document on more than
one previous occasion, but life is short, and that document has endless
ramifications, and neither it, nor the long list of FAQ, provide satisfactory
answers to my most important questions which are:
(1) I've no objection to having the genuineness of my installation of
Windows checked, but they've checked it countless times already. Why do I
need to KEEP ON doing it?
(2) Why do I need to keep downloading UPDATES to a piece of software that
has already told them that my installation is genuine countless times?
(3) What happens if I say enough is enough, and decline to install future
updates?
Click to expand...

There's a very basic flaw in Microsoft's WGA program.
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/whyValidate.aspx

So, let's say I were to "guess" your key.
I would then call Microsoft and tell them my old machine died and I
installed the OS on a new system.
Microsoft may then update their database.
The next time you were to attempt to update, you would be told you have a
"pirated" version of the OS.

Another scenario occurs when someone copies the key from a retail package at
a store. The person that buys that boxed OS gets burned then because that
key has already been registered.

Very twisted, isn't it?

Bob Vanderveen
 
Yes there was a single update after Feb. 13 - You just received an updated
version of what has been available since Feb. 21 and its called Windows
Genuine Advantage Notifacation. Thats why i was asking you if you had updated
 
Well I guess it just dribbled in now. Even though I have auto update, alot of
times I have to go get things. I check here alot too but didn't see anything
about an update, so guess I was slow on the update. I think my husband said
he got an update last week, but I checked my computer and got nothing? Oh
well just have to check a little more often. Thanx for the info. :-)
 
yes this was not part of the 12 updates from this month.
this came in seperately about a week later
robin
 
I've just seen a blog entry indicating that there is a brute-force Vista key
guessing program which works. So this is an issue to add to the ones you
cite--someone can use an automated system to come up with the same key you
have. And, since the systems are intentionally completely anonymous, there
aren't many clues available to say who is the rightful owner.

Microsoft is between a rock and a hard place. I sure don't begrudge them
some effort to reduce piracy, but even in my fairly small circle--and it
really is quite small--I have firsthand knowledge of two different machines
that were suddenly treated as non-genuine through no clear reason--and in
each case, rectifying that required significant time--between an hour and
two or three hours of time on the part of various people. This is a pretty
high price to pay, in my opinion.


--
 
There are two parts of WGA--I can't recall what the main one is called,
which is not optional, but this "notification" piece has always been
optional, and has been controversial--the original version "called home"
with excessive frequency--which was changed.

If you don't install this one, and set it to not be offered, you will see it
again, I think, the next time they revise it, which is about quarterly.
They have to revise this stuff because the bad guys figure out ways around
it, as far as I can tell.

And yeah--this isn't the greatest way to treat the honest paying customer.
I don't like it much, but I also don't complain too much about it--my
impression is that the management of the program do genuinely care about
problems it causes, and in some cases--this last revision is probably one of
them--they make changes because of issues that have arisen in operation of
the current system.


--
 
Bill Sanderson MVP said:
There are two parts of WGA--I can't recall what the main one is called, which is not
optional, but this "notification" piece has always been optional, and has been
controversial--the original version "called home" with excessive frequency--which was
changed.

If you don't install this one, and set it to not be offered, you will see it again, I
think, the next time they revise it, which is about quarterly. They have to revise this
stuff because the bad guys figure out ways around it, as far as I can tell.

And yeah--this isn't the greatest way to treat the honest paying customer. I don't like
it much, but I also don't complain too much about it--my impression is that the
management of the program do genuinely care about problems it causes, and in some
cases--this last revision is probably one of them--they make changes because of issues
that have arisen in operation of the current system.
Click to expand...

In several words, Bill - the WGA Scheme "phones home" your Product Key
and informs you, subsequent to boot, what your Windows Updates options are,
including what you may or may not install without Validation.

Randy


--
siljaline

MS - MVP Windows (IE/OE) & Windows Security, AH-VSOP

Security Tools Updates
http://aumha.net/viewforum.php?f=31

Reply to group, as return address is invalid that we may all benefit.
 
If you've ever seen a Windows Error Reporting dialog from MpCmdRun, please
do install this update.
The biggest crash reported in Windows Defender so far should be fixed by
this update (it's the #1 crashing by a factor of four)

You can also get the update from http://microsoft.com/genuine, and click on
the "Validate Windows" button.

Thanks for using Windows Defender,
Joe
 
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