By Dennis O’Reilly

Following an April 16 Top Story on the Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) copy-protection scheme, Windows Secrets heard from several readers who have — to put it mildly — a range of opinions.

Several readers couldn’t pass Microsoft’s WGA validation, despite having purchased Windows legitimately, while other readers have had no bad experiences and defend the testing system.



One subscriber with first-hand experience of Microsoft’s anti-copying technology is Aaron Fox:

• “I am in WGA hell. I have a completely valid copy of Windows XP Pro. Our company (to remain unidentified) buys a site license from Microsoft. I can install Windows on as many machines at work as I please.
  
  “I replaced the motherboard on an old working computer. I wanted to keep the hard drive intact, so I deleted the drivers. My intention was to install the motherboard and then reinstall the drivers. Because the hard drive had not been altered, all my programs and data files would be intact.
  
  “Except for WGA. After I replaced the motherboard, Windows asked me for my password and then informed me that ‘this copy of Windows must be activated with Microsoft. Do you want to activate Windows now?’ If I answer no, my computer is kindly rebooted by Microsoft and I’m back at the Windows log-on screen.
  
  “If I answer yes, I get an ‘activate software’ screen. I tried to activate the software over the phone by calling Microsoft, but the Microsoft technical people (it’s pretty funny that they are called ‘technical people’) told me that my computer was generating an ‘installation ID’ that tells the activation people that I have an illegal version of Windows. So I read to them my Windows XP Pro installation-disc product key, and they agreed that it’s valid. But there’s nothing they could do.
  
  “In effect, WGA software has hijacked my computer. I can’t log on. I can’t run programs. I can’t do anything. I need my computer, and I don’t want to reformat and reinstall everything. I have now been e-mailing and calling Microsoft for two weeks. I’m no closer to having a functional computer. I’ll probably break down soon and reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows.”
  

Charles Cunis experienced a different form of Microsoft-activation responsiveness:

• “I installed MS Office 2003 Student Version — purchased from Office Depot — and activated it in 2006. Fast forward to January 2009, when I installed a new motherboard and a hard drive. Last week, I needed to do some work that required Office 2003, and I tried to activate it using the same key code of the original install. No go.
  
  “Tried to activate again via the Internet. No go.
  
  “Got on the telephone, keyed in the eight or so groups of numbers. No go.
  
  “Got back on the phone and went through the whole eight-groups-of-numbers routine with an MS rep. No go.
  
  “He switched me to the next level. Line disconnects. Tried the whole routine again — including reciting the numbers to the rep while he ate lunch. Line cuts off.
  
  “Tried to find someone to call at MS Web site. No go.
  
  “Gave up.
  
  “My tale of woe is only one of thousands. Something has to be done with MS. This is wrong. The only way they’re going to move is if you folks keep the pressure on. Great article.”
  

One reader who perceives WGA as a boon to legitimate software users (not just to Microsoft) is Rio Zuni:

• “I’ve been in IT since 1980 in a wide range of corporate and private positions, ranging from early adopter to executive IT administrator. There has never been an instance in which I thought WGA was a mistake or thwarted users.
  
  “At one point in my career, I was a software manager for the California State University system. At CSU, student piracy of everything — software included — was rampant. The networks and data storage were so clogged with unlicensed software being downloaded, stored, and traded among students, friends, and faculty that an endless supply of money was thrown into expanding them so as not to upset the ‘freedom’ accorded tuition-paying students. In other words, the university looked the other way and piracy was allowed to flourish.
  
  “During this time, WGA was introduced. It never impacted campus systems, since our licenses were institutional. Student-owned systems were impacted, but only where students were trying to install pirated OS or applications on them or where their systems were infected or misconfigured….
  
  “Most systems I have pulled out of the ditch had one or more of these issues:
  
  “Pirated software, viruses, spyware, adware, no WGA, OS and application software updates missing, fragmented hard drives, unnecessary OS and application tweaks, antivirus software, antispyware software, anti-adware software, mismatched system resources (such as not enough memory to do the expected job), etc.
  
  “The list of horrors in personal systems goes on and on. People abuse their personal systems more than I could imagine. But the ‘helping’ anti-whatever software is often the cause of the problem.
  
  “WGA is not the problem, nor is it a problem. It is certainly a symptom when it fails. WGA is Microsoft’s way of protecting their revenue stream so they can bring us more marginal software in the future. I can’t justify a lot of product decisions that Microsoft makes, but I can appreciate some of their business decisions.”
  

No one who writes for Windows Secrets is in favor of counterfeiters, who profit by making unlicensed copies of Windows. But, as WS contributing editor Ryan Russell pointed out in his April 16 article, WGA doesn’t prevent counterfeiters from producing and selling thousands of systems.

Machines that fail WGA receive via Automatic Updates only those security patches rated “Critical,” not those rated “Important” or lower — and the affected users are prohibited by Microsoft from running Windows Update at all. The unpatched machines are easily infected and become part of bot armies that attack legitimate users.

Readers Aaron, Charles, and Rio will each receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of their choice for sending comments we printed. Send us your tips via the Windows Secrets contact page.

The Known Issues column brings you readers’ comments on our recent articles. Dennis O’Reilly is technical editor of WindowsSecrets.com.

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