WGA Notification KB905474 - why install again?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Peabody
  • Start date Start date
P

Peabody

My update history confirms that I installed this back on May 5, but
now it appears again as a high priority item in Windows Update.
Why? Is this going to appear every time I go into WU?

A related question: if I had been on my toes, I wouldn't have
installed the notification part. My understanding is that it phones
home on every boot, and I just don't want it spending the time doing
that. Is there a registry entry or some other way that I can
disable the phoning home, or at least have it do that only, say,
once a year?
 
The revised WGA update corrects some issues. It is safe to install.

Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/FAQ.aspx?displaylang=en

Microsoft Genuine Advantage Privacy Statement
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/downloads/PrivacyInfo.aspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| My update history confirms that I installed this back on May 5, but
| now it appears again as a high priority item in Windows Update.
| Why? Is this going to appear every time I go into WU?
|
| A related question: if I had been on my toes, I wouldn't have
| installed the notification part. My understanding is that it phones
| home on every boot, and I just don't want it spending the time doing
| that. Is there a registry entry or some other way that I can
| disable the phoning home, or at least have it do that only, say,
| once a year?
 
That is good information about the WGA program

But, what are you people saying? What did WGA ever fix?

It's nice to create a problem so you and only you can fix it...

-Randy
King of Microsoft
 
This is a major major agro for me, I allowed this new WGA tool to install,
but what the $%@! does it need to reboot me for and nag me until I do? What
if I or my machine is too busy for such a trivial reboot? The installer (and
M$ for that matter) has no clue and doesn't care, verifying my license must
be more important to them than anything _I_ might be doing.

WGA is _not_ high-security nor critical to system stability, so why the
required reboot? And why not make the "Restart Later" button functional and
not just a nag-reset button? I really hate the idea that M$ has any control
of my reboot process whatsoever, and that it can be time-bombed to reboot
because of a seriously non-critical update like the WGA tool.

- end rant -
 
Peabody said:
My update history confirms that I installed this back on May 5, but
now it appears again as a high priority item in Windows Update.
Why? Is this going to appear every time I go into WU?

A related question: if I had been on my toes, I wouldn't have
installed the notification part. My understanding is that it phones
home on every boot, and I just don't want it spending the time doing
that. Is there a registry entry or some other way that I can
disable the phoning home, or at least have it do that only, say,
once a year?
Click to expand...
What is the issue date for this version of the fix for the patch that didn't
fix?????
Antioch
 
Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/jun06/06-27WGA.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------­----------------

:

| My update history confirms that I installed this back on May 5, but
| now it appears again as a high priority item in Windows Update.
| Why? Is this going to appear every time I go into WU?
|
| A related question: if I had been on my toes, I wouldn't have
| installed the notification part. My understanding is that it phones
| home on every boot, and I just don't want it spending the time doing
| that. Is there a registry entry or some other way that I can
| disable the phoning home, or at least have it do that only, say,
| once a year?
 
Carey Frisch said:
Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on
customer feedback:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/jun06/06-27WGA.mspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/
Click to expand...

Hi Carey
Thank you for the link - so it is today then.
That's strange because I have not had that little yellow shield appear yet
and it has yet to appear on offer on the update site.
No doubt it will show - it probably takes a while to get it distributed all
around the world.
Rgds
Antioch
 
Assuming you have Automatic Update on or notify, it will come sooner or
later.
Exactly as you suggest, it takes a while for it to become available to all
computers.
Sometimes the timeframe can be days but I think that is more likely when
there are large/several updates.

I have Automatic Update off, but I saw this update when I checked Windows
Update manually this morning.
 
This is a major major agro for me, I allowed this new WGA tool to install,
but what the $%@! does it need to reboot me for and nag me until I do?
What if I or my machine is too busy for such a trivial reboot? The
installer (and M$ for that matter) has no clue and doesn't care, verifying
my license must be more important to them than anything _I_ might be
doing.

WGA is _not_ high-security nor critical to system stability, so why the
required reboot? And why not make the "Restart Later" button functional
and not just a nag-reset button? I really hate the idea that M$ has any
control of my reboot process whatsoever, and that it can be time-bombed to
reboot because of a seriously non-critical update like the WGA tool.

- end rant -
Click to expand...

This need to reboot to install an update is just further proof that XP is a
toy operating system. Eventually it'll end up like Win98 is where it's time
to reboot because your mouse moved.


--
The ULTIMATE Windoze Fanboy:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2370205018226686613

A 3D Linux Desktop (video) ...


View Some Common Linux Desktops ...
http://shots.osdir.com/
 
Hi JJ
As you so rightly predicted, the devil has shown himself - it should be
renumbered KB666 ;-)
I assume this is the one that introduces us onto the fortnightly
downloading?
I am glad I complained at the beginning of the WGA farce, along with many
others.
Is it naive to think that our small voices helped perhaps?
Antioch
 
NoStop said:
That's just MickeyMouse's way of saying "based on customer outrage". Which,
btw, hasn't stopped just because the spyware does its thing bi-weekly as
opposed to daily.
Click to expand...

What are we up to now, WGA 5 or is it 6? I've lost count. Seems the new
version is coming out bi-weekly. The hypocritical thing is that Gates is
touting his philanthropic deeds while ripping off his paying customers
and driving them nuts with WPA and WGA.

Alias
 
Carey said:
Update to the WGA Notifications program introduces changes based on customer feedback:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2006/jun06/06-27WGA.mspx
Click to expand...

That article states, and I quote:

"For customers who choose to not install the updated WGA Notifications
package, and wish to remove their current installation, Microsoft has
made available a set of instructions to remove the previous version of
WGA Notifications from their PCs. These instructions are available as KB
article # 921914on Microsoft.com"

However, a search for KB921914 or just 921914 brings up this:

Search Microsoft.com for KB921914
Powered by MSN Search


Search pages in English all languages
Sorry, we couldn't find any pages containing 921914.

Some Search Tips:

* Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
* Try different keywords.
* Search the Web with MSN Search.

Hmmmmmmmm.

Alias
 
Alias said:
That article states, and I quote:

"For customers who choose to not install the updated WGA Notifications
package, and wish to remove their current installation, Microsoft has
made available a set of instructions to remove the previous version of
WGA Notifications from their PCs. These instructions are available as KB
article # 921914on Microsoft.com"

However, a search for KB921914 or just 921914 brings up this:

Search Microsoft.com for KB921914
Powered by MSN Search


Search pages in English all languages
Sorry, we couldn't find any pages containing 921914.

Some Search Tips:

* Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
* Try different keywords.
* Search the Web with MSN Search.

Hmmmmmmmm.

Alias
Click to expand...

Found it: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/921914/en-us

Alias
 
PA Bear says...
Also new:
Click to expand...
How to disable or uninstall the pilot version of
Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications:
Click to expand...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=921914
Click to expand...

Thanks. But I have a problem. In reading through the
instructions, it says I should confirm the version number
through the Add/Remove entry for WGA Notification. But
there is no such WGA entry in my Add/Remove list.

The WGATray.exe file and the related .dll both show as
version 1.5.0526, which is outside the range of the versions
covered by the uninstall KB article you referenced.

The version I have was installed May 5th. Here are the WGA
and WgaNotify registry uninstall entries:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Uninstall\WGA]
"DisplayName"="Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
(KB892130)"
"UninstallString"=""
"TSAware"=dword:00000001
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"InstallDate"="20060505"
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"NoRepair"=dword:00000001
"HelpLink"="http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=892130"
"URLInfoAbout"="http://www.microsoft.com/genuine"
"NoRemove"=dword:00000001
"NoRemoveInitialValue"=dword:00000001
"VersionMajor"="1"
"VersionMinor"="0"
"ParentKeyName"="OperatingSystem"
"DisplayVersion"="1.5.0530.0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Uninstall\WgaNotify]
"DisplayName"="Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications
(KB905474)"
"UninstallString"=""
"TSAware"=dword:00000001
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"InstallDate"="20060505"
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"NoRepair"=dword:00000001
"HelpLink"="http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=905474"
"URLInfoAbout"="http://www.microsoft.com/genuine"
"NoRemove"=dword:00000001
"NoRemoveInitialValue"=dword:00000001
"DisplayVersion"="1.5.0526.0"
"VersionMajor"="2"
"VersionMinor"="0"
"ParentKeyName"="OperatingSystem"

Why does Notification not show up in Add/Remove, as MS
apparently thinks it should?

Can I use the methods given in the new KB article to remove
it even though my version is out of the range covered?
 
So again Carey or someone who claims to be MS-MVP or MS-whatever...

What exactly does the WGA fix?

Because your articles only describe what the WGA is used by Microsoft
for, not what it fixes as you claimed above...

No proof = not real.

-Randy
King of Microsoft, It's easy to give yourself a title, but much harder
to earn it...
PA Bear says...
Also new:
Click to expand...
How to disable or uninstall the pilot version of
Microsoft Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications:
Click to expand...
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=921914
Click to expand...

Thanks. But I have a problem. In reading through the
instructions, it says I should confirm the version number
through the Add/Remove entry for WGA Notification. But
there is no such WGA entry in my Add/Remove list.

The WGATray.exe file and the related .dll both show as
version 1.5.0526, which is outside the range of the versions
covered by the uninstall KB article you referenced.

The version I have was installed May 5th. Here are the WGA
and WgaNotify registry uninstall entries:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Uninstall\WGA]
"DisplayName"="Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool
(KB892130)"
"UninstallString"=""
"TSAware"=dword:00000001
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"InstallDate"="20060505"
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"NoRepair"=dword:00000001
"HelpLink"="http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=892130"
"URLInfoAbout"="http://www.microsoft.com/genuine"
"NoRemove"=dword:00000001
"NoRemoveInitialValue"=dword:00000001
"VersionMajor"="1"
"VersionMinor"="0"
"ParentKeyName"="OperatingSystem"
"DisplayVersion"="1.5.0530.0"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersio
n\Uninstall\WgaNotify]
"DisplayName"="Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications
(KB905474)"
"UninstallString"=""
"TSAware"=dword:00000001
"NoModify"=dword:00000001
"InstallDate"="20060505"
"Publisher"="Microsoft Corporation"
"NoRepair"=dword:00000001
"HelpLink"="http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=905474"
"URLInfoAbout"="http://www.microsoft.com/genuine"
"NoRemove"=dword:00000001
"NoRemoveInitialValue"=dword:00000001
"DisplayVersion"="1.5.0526.0"
"VersionMajor"="2"
"VersionMinor"="0"
"ParentKeyName"="OperatingSystem"

Why does Notification not show up in Add/Remove, as MS
apparently thinks it should?

Can I use the methods given in the new KB article to remove
it even though my version is out of the range covered?
Click to expand...
 
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