Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marko Jotic
  • Start date Start date
Gary said:
Simple: To you it may be a "System check" but to Microsoft its a "Security
Update" all depends on your point of view.
Click to expand...

My point of view is that it is spyware that reports what you have on
your machine, surfing habits, etc. to MS and is unconscionable and a
*security update* should appear that gets rid of the spyware.

Alias
 
WPA has Nothing to do with surfing habits. If your that paranoid then you
need to shut off your computer and find another hobby. WPA is designed to
check for a valid XP license. Why on earth would you think Microsoft even
cares what sites you browse? That just makes no sense at all!
 
My point of view is that it is spyware that reports what you have on
your machine, surfing habits, etc. to MS and is unconscionable and a
*security update* should appear that gets rid of the spyware.
Click to expand...

Then spybot S&D, Lavasoft Adaware should detect it and remove it, if
it does the above.


Greg Rozelle
 
Gary said:
WPA has Nothing to do with surfing habits. If your that paranoid then you
need to shut off your computer and find another hobby. WPA is designed to
check for a valid XP license. Why on earth would you think Microsoft even
cares what sites you browse? That just makes no sense at all!
Click to expand...

According to MS, the tool checks the following:

Information collected during validation
Q: What information is collected from my computer?
A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
system to determine if your Microsoft software is genuine. This process
does not collect or send any information that can be used to identify
you or contact you. The only information collected in the validation
process is:

* Windows product key
* PC manufacturer
* Operating System version
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)
* Office product key (if validating Office)
* Hard drive serial number

Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
A: The information serves three purposes:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on
your responses.
* It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand
regional differences in Windows or Office usage.
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared

Still feel it's paranoia?

Alias
 
..and I ask again, HOW is the the WGA a "SECURITY UPDATE". It's NOT, it
should never have been described as one.
Click to expand...

It's actually quote simple, as the "Critical" updates are what MS
determines warrant "Critical" status - so if they want to call WGA a
security/critical update, they can, if they want to call it a Pink Pig,
they can....
 
aka@ said:
My point of view is that it is spyware that reports what you have on
your machine, surfing habits, etc. to MS
Click to expand...

And according to the documentation, it only reports on MS products
loaded on your machine - which makes it the same as any other vendors
authentication product (like with Photoshop CS).

The classification as spyware is JUST YOUR OPINION, and while it may be
shared with the other foil-hat wearing group, it doesn't make it any
more spyware than a watermelon on a vine in my back yard.
 
Greg said:
Then spybot S&D, Lavasoft Adaware should detect it and remove it, if
it does the above.


Greg Rozelle
Click to expand...

Only if they added it to their definitions.

Alias
 
Information collected during validation
Q: What information is collected from my computer?
A: The genuine validation process will collect information about your
system to determine if your Microsoft software is genuine. This process
does not collect or send any information that can be used to identify you
or contact you. The only information collected in the validation process
is:

* Windows product key
* PC manufacturer
* Operating System version
* PID/SID
* BIOS information (make, version, date)
* BIOS MD5 Checksum
* User locale (language setting for displaying Windows)
* System locale (language version of the operating system)
* Office product key (if validating Office)
* Hard drive serial number

Q: How does Microsoft use this information?
A: The information serves three purposes:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
responses.
* It conveys demographics, which help Microsoft to understand regional
differences in Windows or Office usage.
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared

Still feel it's paranoia?
Click to expand...

Yes unless you can explaine what any of the above I should be paranoid
about?
 
Gary said:
Yes unless you can explaine what any of the above I should be paranoid
about?
Click to expand...

These two:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
responses.
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared.

WTF does that mean?


Alias
 
Leythos said:
And according to the documentation, it only reports on MS products
loaded on your machine - which makes it the same as any other vendors
authentication product (like with Photoshop CS).

The classification as spyware is JUST YOUR OPINION, and while it may be
shared with the other foil-hat wearing group, it doesn't make it any
more spyware than a watermelon on a vine in my back yard.
Click to expand...

These two bother me. Can you please elaborate on these general terms
that are used?:
* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
responses.
Click to expand...

"Web page flow"?
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared.
Click to expand...

"user input" to what and compared to what?

Alias
 
O MY GOD its going to show me english web pages for XP.
WOW now I'm really paranoide.

O please give me a break!
 
GHalleck said:
Actually, Leythos, please do that. It makes you a bona fide
pirate/privateer and I would very much like to see you swing
from the nearest, highest yardarm. It is people like these
that need to be eliminated and one less predator is a step
in the right direction. One less Windows XP "loser" is not
and guess who is going to turn in that predator...when that
loser becomes enfranchised.
Click to expand...
Some people are having problems with WGA because it does not recognize
an OEM version of XP which was obtained legitimately with a purchased
computer. I tried one of the first versions of WGA, which failed to
recognize the product number from the sticker on my computer case. I
responded to that by removing WGA. I have not had it back since then,
because I do not allow automatic updates.
 
Leythos said:
It's actually quote simple, as the "Critical" updates are what MS
determines warrant "Critical" status - so if they want to call WGA a
security/critical update, they can, if they want to call it a Pink Pig,
they can....
Click to expand...
I have never seen Genuine Advantage listed in the Critical section on
the page where you can link to the update patches manually.
 
Gary said:
Yes unless you can explaine what any of the above I should be paranoid
about?
Click to expand...
What does BIOS checksum or hard drive serial number have to do with
determining whether your Windows XP is genuine or pirated? What do
those numbers have to do with demographics?
 
Gary said:
O MY GOD its going to show me english web pages for XP.
WOW now I'm really paranoide.

O please give me a break!
Click to expand...

Failure to answer question noted.

And, btw, must you top-post?

rl



--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

Insisting on perfect safety is for people
without the balls to live in the real world.
Mary Shafer Iliff
 
GHalleck said:
Actually, Leythos, please do that. It makes you a bona fide
pirate/privateer and I would very much like to see you swing
from the nearest, highest yardarm. It is people like these
that need to be eliminated and one less predator is a step
in the right direction. One less Windows XP "loser" is not
and guess who is going to turn in that predator...when that
loser becomes enfranchised.
Click to expand...

What's your point? That there is an underground sales system for
counterfeit or pirated software? Yes, there is. Are you proposing
that the elimination of such a system will reduce or eliminate the
need for a validation system? IOW, are you writing that should the
source(s) that had 1,000 counterfeit copies were eliminated along
with the copies then there would be 1,000 less hits for invalid
versions of XP and 1,000 less whining complainers (per Leythos)?
If this ever become reality, then hallelujah! It would certainly
succeed in an autocratic with tight controls over enterprise and
capitalism.
 
aka@ said:
These two:

* It provides Web page flow, tailoring the pages you see based on your
responses.
Click to expand...

It would seem that by knowing about the items they can talyor THEIR
websites better than just making assumptions about demographics - they
do not indicate that they check where you browse, etc....
* It confirms user input. User input is often compared.
Click to expand...

It means that users have been providing feedback over the years and that
information related to the items listed will confirm their input. It
does not say that it checks user input during transactions or on
websites, it appears to just use the information as a means to confirm
the information they already have.
 
What does BIOS checksum or hard drive serial number have to do with
determining whether your Windows XP is genuine or pirated? What do those
numbers have to do with demographics?
Click to expand...

Ok you have a copy of XP with a Key that is the first part.
Now you need to get a unique id for the computer so you use a combination of
processor id, disk serial number, bios checksum, etc. Now you have a unique
id number for the computer. You then can check the copy of XP with the
computer
its installed on and that will tell you if someone is installing the same XP
on several computers.
 
What does BIOS checksum or hard drive serial number have to do with
determining whether your Windows XP is genuine or pirated? What do
those numbers have to do with demographics?
Click to expand...

By looking at those numbers, with other information, they can make
assumptions about how many times a key has been installed on DIFFERENT
machines and then use that information to invalidate the key.
 
aka@ said:
These two bother me. Can you please elaborate on these general terms
that are used?:


"Web page flow"?


"user input" to what and compared to what?
Click to expand...

Posted the requested information a couple posts earlier - let me know if
you don't find it.
 
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