At 11:33 AM 7/2/2006, you wrote:
I ran the removewga.exe and it said not installed, FWIW. Perhaps they
changed something. Still is wrong IMO
so is a lot of other things :-D
fp
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1982591,00.asp
Microsoft Removes WGA 'Phone Home' Component
By Ryan Naraine
June 27, 2006
Be the first to comment on this article
Microsoft has removed the controversial "phone home" notifications
component from its WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) anti-piracy tool.
ADVERTISEMENT The software maker June 27 announced the release of an
updated WGA Notifications package that will be delivered to millions of
Windows XP users via Automatic Updates with one major change.
In the pilot phase, a PC that had installed WGA Notifications checked a
server-side configuration setting upon each login, to determine if WGA
Notifications should run or not.
This daily configuration file check has been removed in the updated WGA
Notifications package released June 27, according to a Microsoft statement
sent to eWEEK.
The company said that the Validation component of the tool will still check
periodically to determine whether the version of Windows is genuine.
Click here to read more about the WGA notifications controversy.
The WGA tool, which is a mandatory part of the Redmond, Wash., software
giant's battle to curb Windows piracy, includes two separate components:
WGA validation and WGA notifications.
Validation determines whether the copy of Windows installed is pirated or
not, and Notifications is set up to nag users whom Microsoft believes are
not running "genuine Windows" and "suggest" where they can "learn more
about the benefits of using genuine Windows software."
However, the Notifications component has been "phoning home" to Microsoft's
servers on a daily basis, and Windows users are up in arms over potential
privacy and security risks.
Microsoft insists the callbacks are a "safety check" to ensure that WGA can
be terminated quickly if things run amok, but this was never communicated
to users until the week of June 4.
The latest update also includes a modification to the EULA (End User
License Agreement) that covers the tool.
Microsoft said the new EULA "more clearly explains the purpose of the
software" and the details about the Notifications.
At 10:52 AM 7/2/2006, Winterlight Poked the stick with:
>At 10:02 AM 7/2/2006, you wrote:
>>One of my boxes prompted me to do a update ( set to dl and not install
) was WGN so I figured WTF. It installed, wgn notification ( the daily
stuff ) is not there anymore and in manage addons it is not grayed out
like b4 ( can be disabled )
>>
>>Maybe MS succumbed to all the bad press :-D
>
>yes, lots of articles about there. They backed down a little.... it is
still there, but only checks in about once a month, instead of every day.
There is also a class action suit that was filed against them on Friday.
>
>
>
>>--
>>Tallyho ! ]:8)
>>Taglines below !
>>--
>>Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. Will
Rogers
--
Tallyho ! ]:8)
Taglines below !
--
If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
