Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Windows Nag Windows to Counter Piracy

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pirate-vein-rupture dept.

Vicegrip writes "Microsoft is enhancing its Genuine Advantage program in the US, Australia, UK, Malaysia and NZ to now include persistent nag screens to remind that your version of Windows is not licensed. These nag screens will keep appearing until you license your version of Windows or, presumably, convince Microsoft they've made a mistake."

18 of 548 comments (clear)

  1. Next move... by phy_si_kal · · Score: 5, Funny

    The 8th edition : MS Windows Vista $hareware

    1. Re:Next move... by lostvyking · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Windows Vista is becoming more and more "Windows XP warmed over". It seems to be less and less about innovation and improvement...and more and more about re-selling Windows XP with stronger piracy protection. At this point, what is new about Vista that cannot already be achieved with third-party software and drivers? This all translates to Vista being written for their own benefit rather than for the benefit of the users. So far, like the new version of office coming out...I have yet to see anything that is new that will compel me to purchase it.

      Now, if they offered a scaled down version that contained only the most necessary of drivers and a simple user interface to access drives and programs (think 32-bit safe mode) that I could then build it up from there, I would jump on it in a heartbeat.

  2. obligatory by phase_9 · · Score: 5, Funny

    cracks in 3...2...

    1. Re:obligatory by richy+freeway · · Score: 5, Interesting
      It's cracked already.

      There's a LegitCheckControl.dll floating around that you dump into c:\windows\system32 whilst in safe mode, give the PC a reboot and all is well. Windowsupdate etc work fine.

      Not that I've tried it or anything... ;)

    2. Re:obligatory by operagost · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid you can't do that ...

      --

      Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
  3. My Mother by cheese-cube · · Score: 5, Funny

    So can I presume that it will then start telling me to clean my room, do the dishes and take out the bins?

    1. Re:My Mother by cp.tar · · Score: 5, Funny

      *Clippy*

      It looks like you're trying to play a game!
      However, your room needs cleaning and your dishes need washing first.
      And why don't you go out and play with other kids instead of being closed in your room with nothing but a computer?
      Off you go now!

      --
      Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Will I notice? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I won't even notice that message with all the other Window's errors I get on the screen and all the reminders from every program that needs to update.

  5. It should say by Stevyn · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Even though you are using an unlicensed copy, you're still helping up maintain marketshare. Thank you."

  6. Check Google tomorrow.... by Brad1138 · · Score: 5, Funny

    For the hack to fix this.

    --
    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  7. More interesting: how it's described. by millia · · Score: 5, Insightful


    From my standpoint, what was more interesting was:
    a) This was a high priority item. Yes, this is as important as fixing IE flaws. Surely.
    b) How it's listed in the license agreement:
    MICROSOFT PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS
    MICROSOFT WINDOWS GENUINE ADVANTAGE VALIDATION TOOL

    So they're putting BETA software into high priority updates?

    --
    stored on computers from birth to the grave
  8. Screen Shots Please ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd like one for the wallpaper on my very proper corporate desktop. Just to give the Sysadmins heart failure.

  9. Re:Why not? by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have one handy old app (which shall remain nameless) that recently informed me that I'm on day 1,200 of my 30 day trial period. It's just a battle of wills at this point.

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  10. Anagram by null+etc. · · Score: 5, Funny

    Genuine Advantage Notification = GAN = NAG spelled backwards. Coincedence?

  11. Re:Why not? by elcanon · · Score: 5, Funny

    The real headline here is that you've presumably managed to keep a Windows installation intact for 1,200 days for this to happen.

  12. Re:Or until you remove the app... by jkonrad · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, it's:

    You can use Add or Remove Programs to view Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications, but you cannot use Add or Remove Programs to remove the notifications.

    You can temporarily disable Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications. To do this, right-click the Notifier icon in the notification area and select Change Notifications Settings. Then, follow the prompts. This will disable the Notification Prompts until a new release of the Notification Update is released.

  13. That was easy. by drwiii · · Score: 5, Informative
    If you think Windows starts up slowly enough as it is, you can disable WGA by removing the execute bit on WgaLogon.dll. That way, winlogon can't call it as a notification package at boot, and since WgaLogon is responsible for running and maintaining WgaTray.exe, no more tray popups either.

    And since the read bit is still there, you won't trip Windows Update to force you to reinstall it; the DLL still matches with the WU catalog and all the WGA registry keys are still in place.

  14. Re:How? (was Re:That was easy.) by drwiii · · Score: 5, Informative
    If you're not familiar with how NT ACLs work, here's how you can break file permission inheritance. First of all, let's make sure Windows will let you access the ACL dialog from the GUI:

    • In explorer, go to Tools > Folder Options. Then, go to View > Advanced Settings and uncheck "Use simple file sharing". Hit OK.

    Now, let's change the permissions for WgaLogon:

    • In the Address bar, type (without quotes) "%WinDir%\system32" and hit enter.

    • Scroll down to WgaLogon.dll, right click on it, pick Properties. Go to Security.

    • Hit the Advanced button, uncheck the Inherit box at the bottom, hit the Copy button, then hit OK.

    Now we have a local copy of the ACL which we can modify.

    • Go through each listed user/group and remove the "Read & Execute" permission for that file, leaving the "Read" permission as-is.

    • Hit OK to apply the permission changes and close the file properties dialog. Restart the machine.

    You can now turn "Use simple file sharing" back on, if you want.