Big Brother? Is That You?

What I find particularly disturbing is the deceptive words they use to hide what is essentially spyware. There are no “benefits” to users of WGA. And it offers no “protection” from anything, as you’ve said. Can WGA be removed?

I’ve never been a Linux fanatic, but the Orwellian, Big Brother role of MS makes the “freedom” that Linux fans talk so much about seems a whole lot more important than it was before WGA came out.

What else is MS doing inside our computers?

WGA can be removed. The only benefit is that if you want to download some newer stuff like IE7 or WMP 11 you can…or a card game or two. Other than that it is all about MS being able to keep track of your system, your serial number, etc.

I see it as spyware, just like most, if not all, their software. Why should a mouse driver need to access the internet? Only MS knows, because their Intellipoint software does just that.

Okay. So I have validated my software using WGA. Now my computer breaks down, so I get a new computer. Then I take the XP software that I purchased for the old computer and use it to install XP on the new computer. Will the new computer fail validation?

Here is M$’s extensive Q&A page, which does not address this question at all;

http://snipurl.com/grij

and this page will tell you exactly which versions are transferable from one machine to another.

http://snipurl.com/1hr66

Hope this helps. Here’s the down-and-dirty if they decide you are not running a legit copy of XP and cannot prove to their satisfaction where you got it. You may buy it again. Really. This is copy-pasted from their Q&A page.

” * Complimentary offer: Microsoft will make a complimentary copy of Windows XP available to customers who have been sold counterfeit Windows. Customers will be required to submit a proof of purchase, the counterfeit CD, and a counterfeit report with details of their purchase. Only high-quality counterfeit Windows will qualify for the complimentary offer.
* Electronic License Key Offer: Microsoft will offer an alternative for customers who find out via the WGA validation process that they are not running genuine Windows, but do not qualify for, or choose not to take advantage of, the complimentary offer. These customers will be able to license a Windows Genuine Advantage Kit for Windows XP online for a price of $99 for Windows XP Home edition or $149 for Windows XP Professional. The Windows Genuine Advantage Kit for Windows XP will include a new 25-character Product Key and a Windows Product Key Update tool that will allow customers to convert their counterfeit copy to genuine Windows XP electronically.”

Apparently there is a way to remove WGA from your computer, I googled “WGA validation+remove” (without the quotes) and found lots of hits but I’m not computer-savvy enough to use the methods described.

If I’ve helped only one other person in the world to be thoroughly paranoid about M$, my job here is done.

I’m quoting from sipurl: “Full - also called Retail Full version - most expensive, can be transferred to another machine, so long as it is uninstalled from the old machine. If you lie and do not uninstall it - then the old machine will run, but will act as any other machine running a pirated version (i.e. it will not validate with WGA and will only be allowed to receive critical updates). CAN MOVE FROM MACHINE TO MACHINE (just make sure you uninstall then reinstall, and re-activate. You may need to call Microsoft for re-activation)!!”

So if my computer crashes, and I cannot uninstall Windows before the old computer dies completely, I can still install and activate my full retail copy on a new machine. If I have any other copy (OEM, for instance), I am out of luck.