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spottedcat
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Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:14 pm
Posts: 971
Location: UK
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 Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 12:35 pm Post subject: "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification" |
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Just another reason to dump Windows, this. Tee-hee. My (totally legal) Windows system recently autoupdated itself with what was identified as "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification (KB905474)". When I clicked to install it presented me with an EULA to accept. Being a suspicious bugger I did a google search (kb905474) instead, and came up with this link among others.
If you believe what the posters say, even owners of Windows systems that are not 'dodgy' are having problems with this patch. There are even instructions on that link for uninstalling this 'spyware'. Love it. 
This is fairly old news. The reason I have only just discovered it is a testimonial to how infrequently I go into Windows these days. Vive Linux! 
BTW. I clicked on the panel icon again, clicked on install, clicked on 'decline' when presented with the EULA, and checked the 'don't notify me again' radio button.  |
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GMorgan
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Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:58 pm
Posts: 684
Location: South Wales, UK
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| Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 3:05 pm Post subject: RE: "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification" |
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| I looked for this the other day. You obviously need SP2 to get it or something. It can just be put in the hidden updates section anyway. I never turned on auto-update, to do so would be a huge leap of faith in the Redmond Monster. |
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Marrea
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:32 pm
Posts: 1846
Location: Chilterns, West Hertfordshire
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: Re: "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification" |
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| spottedcat wrote: | | When I clicked to install it presented me with an EULA to accept. Being a suspicious bugger I did a google search (kb905474) instead, and came up with this link among others. |
Oh dear, I am afraid I am one of those who invariably blindly clicks on the "I Accept" button on EULAs. I can't remember the last time I read through one.
Fortunately though, the update is not causing any crashes on any of my XP installations (of which I have four - all legit, naturally). |
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emyr42
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Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 9:16 am
Posts: 147
Location: Cardiff, UK
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 1:31 pm Post subject: RE: Re: "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification" |
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| someone with more money than sense many times wrote: | | Why bother wasting your time cracking it when a genuine copy only costs $149 |
some people just miss the point completely...
$149 is a lot of dosh when it only takes an hour or two extra messing around gets you the same OS completely free. :S
bah, my uncle bought me my copy when we were upgrading my PC last year, so no worries for me...except that he bought me the home version dammit!
All it would take is a little more linux development and I wouldnt need windows at all... though I'd still keep a pirated copy for dev stuff, some games, and anything that just plain refuses to work...
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spottedcat
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Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 4:22 pm Post subject: RE: Re: "Windows Genuine Advantage Notification" |
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Well, it gets better - or worse. Forewarned and forearmed I changed the setting in my laptop Windows partition to "check with me before downloading" (or whatever) before it autodownloaded any system updates. It had been some time since I'd booted up Windows in this machine. (SuSE 10.0 on hda5, you see ) It told me there were two updates. The first was what seemed to be a necessary - a security plug or bug fixer. The second was our friend KB905474. When I highlighted it the following text appeared:
"The Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool notifies you if your copy of Windows is not genuine. If your system is found to be a non-genuine, the tool will help you obtain a licensed copy of Windows." (sic)
To which I reply, "Too kind."  I think they're saying, "Excuse me Sir, but you seemed to be carrying a lot today. It must be quite a weight. Let me share the burden by taking your wallet from you." |
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Hello
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Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:51 pm
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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Suprised they even give you the option to install it they must be feeling nice  |
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towy71
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Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2005 3:11 pm
Posts: 4176
Location: wild West Wales
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| Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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Windows Genuine Advantage..... Can't think of one and I have been trying all afternoon! I can think of lots of disadvantages, in fact too many to list here and I haven't got the time 
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Diagmato
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Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:37 pm
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 10:48 am Post subject: |
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Ah, the "genuine advantage". Apparently, an OEM version from Time isnt "genuine", so its been complaining on the other pc. Yet, that owner gives me the blame as "Linux on a completely seperate pc just has to have confused Microsoft".
Gah.
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GMorgan
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Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:58 pm
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Location: South Wales, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 11:49 am Post subject: |
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| Diagmato wrote: | Ah, the "genuine advantage". Apparently, an OEM version from Time isnt "genuine", so its been complaining on the other pc. Yet, that owner gives me the blame as "Linux on a completely seperate pc just has to have confused Microsoft".
Gah. |
Makes perfect sense after a good 7 hour brainwashing session from MS fud. |
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shifty_ben
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Location: Ipswich
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Suprised they even give you the option to install it they must be feeling nice Confused |
They appear to be planning to make it compulsory to download updates later in the year. Personally I think it would do their market shre much less harm to carry on and tolerate pirated copies, given the cost of windows (and the fact that each release costs more) most people just won't bother buying it, and if they make it too hard to use a pirated version people will use something else instead.
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Nigel
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:03 pm
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Location: Gloucestershire, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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| shifty_ben wrote: | | They appear to be planning to make it compulsory to download updates later in the year ... if they make it too hard to use a pirated version people will use something else instead. |
Surely that's a good thing, no ?
Cutting down on the number of pirated, unpatched Windows boxes on the net might lead to a reduction in spam relays & other viruses.
And people who can't/won't pay for a genuine version of Windows could well turn to alternatives such as Linux & *BSD, thus raising the profile of the alternatives |
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towy71
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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On another forum there is a link to: http://windowsupdate.62nds.com which allows users to update via firefox without having activeX enabled and it does not include the Genuine Advantage update
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shifty_ben
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:16 pm Post subject: |
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Id never say that is a bad thing, its just a bad thing for them I dare say that once the Genuine Advantage thing becomes compulsory it may well be that any buisnesses that get that little warning come up get a visit from the BSA, which could result in the company doing the same thing as the Guitar string company in the US - "screw MS, it'll be much less hassle to use Linux" - and he seems to be doing really well.
I have to say from my experience, were I in charge of a company (well i run a small - low bandwidth - webhosting company but thats only me so doesn't count) I would do everything possible to avoid running Windows on any of my systems, its far too easy to break their EULA.
Despite the FUD that is beign spread, many companies are realising that Linux seems to be a much safer option that MS in terms of getting sued for License violation. This can only be a good thing, and as long as Software Patents don't become legally enforceable this trend is likely to continue. This is why we have to continue to fight software patents
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spottedcat
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Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:14 pm
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Location: UK
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Nigel wrote: | Surely that's a good thing, no ?
Cutting down on the number of pirated, unpatched Windows boxes on the net might lead to a reduction in spam relays & other viruses.
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That's a good point, but I wonder if there is a flaw in your argument. Pirated copies are perhaps more likely to be run by people with at least some computer knowledge - i.e they are more likely to have set up firewalls, malware detection programs (probably pirated!) and so on. Whereas most bots and viruses are being hosted and passed on by non-computer literate people who are running Windows without firewalls and virus checkers, and who are more likely to open attachments in dodgy emails.
Just a thought. |
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shifty_ben
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Location: Ipswich
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| Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Pirated copies are perhaps more likely to be run by people with at least some computer knowledge |
Not necessarily, it is incredibly easy to get hold of pirated copies nowadays, in fact you do have to wonder how many unlicensed copies get sold every day. But regardless of legit/unlegit I think you are right, there will always be someoneo who says "ooo Ive got an email I wasn't expecting from someone I don't know with an attachment, I wonder what that is - click -" Its inavoidable really. Having said that even if those people came over to Linux, it is likely they would cause just as much trouble Linux is undoubtedly more secure, but no OS is 100% secure, one of the main reasons at the moment for there being so little malware for Linux is because most users know something about good practice.
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